“Listen, indulge me for a second. Exactly what is it about her that would entice you to sacrifice your family?”
“I haven’t done that,” he said. “I had to end my marriage, but I had hoped that once you got used to the idea that we weren’t married anymore, we’d still be friends. And I never intended to give up my children. I think you turned the girls against Cat and now I hope that in time they come around. I’m still their father. I still love them.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t have to turn them against her, Scott. They are very suspicious—naturally—of the woman who could make you betray all your commitments. You not only left us, you took half the money we earned together. Now it will take twice as long to reach that retirement goal...”
“But you said it—we earned it together. I only took what was mine.”
There were so many responses she wanted to throw back at him, but what was the point?
“Well, that’s what the law says. But will I ever know why?”
“I’m not sure I know why it happened. I wasn’t expecting a woman like Cat to come into my life. She believes in me. She thinks I’m amazing and smart. She trusts me to save her business. I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve never felt so alive.”
“Did you invest everything you have in her business?” she asked outright.
He paused for a moment, looking around as if seeking the right answer. “Yes,” he finally said. “I can make this work. I know business. I’ve studied the market, the local and tourist economy.”
“Where do you live, Scott?” she asked, taking a step closer.
“What does that matter?”
“I was just wondering. Do you live with her now? In her house or apartment?”
“No, I found a small house. Ocean Heights, just up the road. I’m renting. For now. She gave up her house. She lives with me.”
“I bet it’s a nice house,” Justine said.
He merely nodded, clearly not seeing where this could be going.
“And you bought her a car?”
“Hers was limping along and I—Wait a minute. How do you know that?”
She shrugged. “I just guessed. Our divorce has been final about five months. You got a good settlement and you’ve already complained that you need money.”
He stiffened, and his expression was angry though not, Justine believed, because she was questioning him. Rather he was angry that she seemed to already know the answers.
“I think you’re in trouble,” she said. “I think she’s already gotten a generous share of the money you brought to your new life, and on top of that, she beats you up. I bet she’s already asking for more, isn’t she?”
“She doesn’t beat me up!” he shouted, looking particularly ominous with his black eye, split lip and scarred eyebrow.
“She hits you, Scott. And she wants your money. You need to know something. I think you’ve been used. She went after you, caught you, got some fast money out of you and will only be with you as long as you continue to feed her habit. You’re probably going to get beat up again and again, and really, you need help. Men don’t like to admit a woman is abusing them, and sometimes they stay in it too long and end up in the hospital. Or worse. I can’t help you.”
“I don’t want your help,” he said bitterly. “You don’t understand. You never needed me. You never admired me. You can’t know how that feels.”
“And so now you’re going to somehow make this my fault? That I didn’t show my appreciation quite enough? I gave you everything I had, you son of a bitch! I loved you! And I was faithful to you!”
“But it didn’t take you long to find a new man,” he chided.
She couldn’t believe he was really jealous or that shallow. “I don’t know you anymore, Scott. I think you’ve really gone around the bend. Please, be very careful. It seems you’re in a bad place. I have nothing more to say.”