Because my lawyer had plopped them in front of me only hours before the hearing. What a fucking way to heighten my morale.
Apparently, not-so-sweet Laney was fucking around with some lowlife guy named Jim.
And there was evidence.
Proof of their kisses, their arms wrapped around one another. Right on her doorstep. On his doorstep. Even at some stupid burger joint. Oh yeah, they were real friendly.
Here was one of her going into his apartment. Shadows behind the closed curtains. Surely, screams of pleasure ringing out, delirium as he pummeled that curvy body.
Except that curvy body was supposed to belong to me.
What the hell?
She was my wife and yet Laney was sneaking around my back, seeing some other guy.
Well, fuck her. I didn’t need some whore in my life and even if I did, they usually left with a couple of hundred bucks stuffed in their g-strings the next morning.
So fuck the brunette.
I wanted a divorce.
It was just a prison marriage anyways. It’s not like it counted for anything.
I should have known the brunette was too good to be true. I should have known she would be a two-timing slut.
And yet, there was doubt in mind.
Laney was a virgin, my conscience whispered. Her hymen was intact. You felt it with your tongue, licked it and then broke it with your dick. There’s no way she could have faked that.
But there was no telling what the two-timing slut did after our hot sessions. Laney could have been with a hundred different men and I would never know.
Hell, these photos were probably just the tip of the iceberg. She’d probably fucked a hundred different guys, it just wasn’t on camera.
So screw her and that fake innocence.
She’s a whore, I swore to myself. My goddamn wife was a whore and I was going to make sure her life became a living hell. No money. No settlement. No alimony. Please bitch. You think I’m an idiot? Guess again. I didn’t get to where I am by being merciful. Watch and see, pretty girl. You’ll regret it in no time.
***
But things are easier said than done. Because despite the coldness of my heart, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything. Not just yet. Not when images of that curvy body danced in my mind. Her sweet smile. The way Laney whispered my name in the darkness of night, her hand covering my heart.
Fuck.
I thought returning to my penthouse suite in NYC would lift my spirits. Instead, solid concrete weighed my back, teeth grinding in pain. My shoulders were heavy with grief, forcing me to down shot after shot of whiskey.
Unfortunately, the alcohol didn’t help. It burned, but no mas. The pain was still there.
It was funny in a way. Freedom should feel good and yet, I almost craved my tiny San Nemo cell.
What the hell was wrong with me?
Striding to the window, I stared blindly as the sun disappeared over the Hudson. I’d always imagined bringing Laney to this very spot, arms wrapped around her waist as the last rays drenched the city in a warm almond light.
But now, that dream was shattered. Why the hell did I fool myself into thinking that it could ever work out?
Sometimes, the mind plays tricks.
After all, I had it all now. Freedom. An enormous penthouse apartment. A gorgeous view. All the money a man could need for lifetimes. I could do whatever the hell I wanted. I could grab the universe by the balls and yet my heart and soul felt empty.
Despite the legal vindication, it simply wasn’t enough.
I wanted her.
My wife.
Laney.
And yet, the female had betrayed me. So what now? I was a lost man with nowhere to go, and nowhere to turn. My soul caved, disappearing beneath the dark and ominous waves. Every cell was drenched in alcohol, numbing my mind.
Because without her, I have nothing.
Without my beautiful girl, I’m just a wretch disappearing into the darkness, and shit, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t matter. Without her, I was nothing.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Laney
“Oh, sweetheart, please don’t cry. Any guy that makes you cry like this doesn’t deserve you.”
I felt my friend’s hand moving along my back in a circular motion, trying to soothe me, but it was no use. My whole body was numb. My heart had been ripped out of my chest, leaving a cavernous void that ached with every breath I took.
This couldn’t be happening.
Maybe I was just dreaming and I would soon wake up from this horrible nightmare to find myself in my bed, safe and sound.
“Do you want some tea?” Penny asked, trying to get me to respond.
I didn’t utter a peep.
How could I?
My whole world had been turned upside down. One second I was flying high on the thought of my husband’s freedom and the next, he wanted a divorce.
What did I do wrong?
Sobs shook my whole body. I wrapped my arms around my torso, holding on tight. Because if I didn’t, I’d fall apart.