Page 41 of Whatever It Takes

The law office of Daniel& Smith was easy enough to find in downtown Philly. I stepped off the elevator, entering on the eleventh floor and told the receptionist with white hair who I was looking for. She barely looked up at me from her computer monitor when she pointed down the hall and said, “Conference room on your right.”

I started in the direction where she had told me to go when she grumbled, “Never mind, I guess I’ll show you.” She slid out of her chair and rounded the desk. She seemed about as friendly as a porcupine as I attempted to make small talk with her as we walked down the long hallway.

Swallowing hard, I stared at all the desks littered with folders and law books as interns and paralegals buried their heads in paperwork. I pulled on the sleeves of my white top when we reached the conference room where I would meet with my divorce attorney, Jason Daniel.

Thankfully, a few of Grant’s colleagues and I were on friendly enough terms where they recommended a few divorce attorneys that they thought would be a good fit. My situation was complex and finding the right person wouldn’t be easy. The publicity around my husband wasn’t good, and the local news was still reporting details about him on a daily basis. Basically, I didn’t know what to expect, but I was preparing myself for the worst and hoping for the best.

Day by day. That’s all I could do.

Mr. Daniel’s receptionist tapped on the door to announce that I had arrived. I didn’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. Mr. Daniel was much younger than I had pictured. He looked to be close to my age with a warm smile and a small build. Calling him short would be an understatement of his five-foot-two frame.

“Mrs. Anderson.” He rose from the chair and walked around the long conference table to meet me. The wood was dark, and it was everywhere. From the tables, paneled walls, built-in bookcases to the credenza in the corner. The smell of leather-backed chairs and desk blotters tickled my nose as I adjusted to the room. The long-paned windows were draped with red floor-length curtains, and books filled every available inch of space on the shelves.

“Mr. Daniel.” I accepted his hand in greeting. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Please take a seat.” He gestured to the chair in the middle of the table. “This is my paralegal, Mary.”

Mary waved from across the table while she sipped her tall Starbucks coffee. She was a middle-aged woman with bleached blonde hair, who looked like she spent all of her free time in a tanning bed.

“Would you care for something to drink?” he asked on his way to the cart set up along the window, holding an array of refreshments.

I sat in the chair and folded my hands in my lap. “No, thank you.”

He nodded, poured himself a water and took a seat at the head of the table.

“I reviewed your case thoroughly.” He opened up a file and glanced up. “I’m fairly confident we can start the proceedings without the consent of your husband. In most cases, the spouse would need to be served with divorce papers. But there are circumstances where you can file on your own. With your current situation as it is you definitely fall into that category.”

This all seemed too good to be true. I licked my dry lips and asked, “How long does that take?’

Mary chimed in, “Typically it takes up to six months for everything to be finalized.”

I let out a breath. I could be free in six months. I wanted to cry. I stared out the windows and studied the view while the two of them got all the paperwork ready to go over with me. The downside to all this was that if Grant were to be found before the divorce was granted, we might have to start the whole process over again. He could fight me and drag this out as long as possible. The fact that he was still out there somewhere unknown made it hard for me to hope for anything.

Mr. Daniel leaned across the table. “We will get you through this, Mrs. Anderson. It’s going to take a little bit of time, but no matter what, you’ll be a free woman in six months. I’ll make sure of it.”

I crossed my legs and tried not to get too excited. “What if Grant is found before then and tries to stop the divorce?”

These past few weeks had been filled with endless stress, resentment, and constant worrying. Sometimes it felt like the universe was giving me the middle finger, but I’d like to think that my luck was changing. It had to, right?

“I’m not going to lie.” He folded his hands in front of him and stared me in the eyes. “There will be issues, but in my opinion, your husband won’t have a leg to stand on.”

“Thank you,” I said with a shaky voice. There was a reason why this man had such an amazing reputation. I wasn’t sure how he was going to deliver on his promise, but his confidence was growing on me. I was ready for this all to be over with.

He pushed paper after paper in front of me and told me to sign my name next to the little yellow sticky note attached at the bottom of each document. The tension in my shoulders lifted with each stroke of the pen. By the time I got around to signing my name on the last legal document, I was exhausted but filled with relief. This meeting went better than I expected. I knew the process wasn’t going to be easy, but I somehow felt lighter walking out of that conference room.

I turned down the hall until I reached the two individual bathrooms. My bladder was protesting thanks to the two extra cups of coffee I had this morning. When I stepped inside, I felt someone behind me. I turned and gasped as Grant pushed his way in.

“Oh my God,” I shrieked as he slammed the door and clicked the lock in place.

I concentrated on taking in deep breaths through my nose. My heart raced so fast I could feel the room spin. I didn’t know what happened to him, but the man standing in front of me was not my husband.

There was definitely something wrong with him. My eyes scanned the small restroom looking for a way out. I was never afraid of him before, yet when I looked at his shaking hands and the dark circles around his eyes, my gut told me he was either on something or coming off his high.

“Grant.” I was breathless and on the verge of yelling, but my voice was lost. Goose bumps prickled along my skin. The man that I married had never hurt me, but after these past few weeks, I wasn’t sure what he was capable of.

“Jesus, Charlotte.” An impatient sigh left his lips as he studied my reaction. “You’re afraid of me now?”

He looked disheveled, like he hadn’t slept in weeks. My eyes darted across the room, wondering how he got in here without anyone noticing. Curious as to why he would risk getting caught when he’d gone to so much trouble to stay hidden.

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