bottle of gin, two glasses, and tells me he’s taking Will to his mom’s where they’ll both spend the night.
It doesn’t matter what names she called me, or what she accused me of.
All that matters is that she needs me and is finally ready to talk.
It’s also the moment I realize my best friend is in a very dark place. I no longer take sides. I no longer act in defense. I’m going to hold her hand, walk along this dark path, and remind her that no matter what happens in the end, I’ll forever be by her side.
LEX
From: Lex Edward
To: Charlotte Mason
Subject: I’m Sorry
Charlotte,
Please just hear me out. All the stuff was fabricated. Victoria Preston is a colleague, and while she has made advances on more than one occasion, I have very firmly put my foot down. There is no other woman for me but you. Please don’t do this to us. We are trying to make this work, and both of us need to trust each other. I’d never do anything ever again to betray you. I lost you the first time and am not that stupid to make the same mistake twice.
Talk to me please, baby. Don’t do this. I know you read my texts. Just please email or call or text me. Tell me what you are thinking.
Lex Edwards
P.S. I love you Charlotte, my wife. That still hasn’t nor will it ever change
The screen flickers as I stare into space. If I stare long enough, the images morph into different shapes. This consumes me, and for the few minutes I’d spent lost in my computer screen, I forget the pain which pierces every part of my soul.
The pain is tugging on my heart, begging it to come out and play, go for a jolly stroll together.
The pain that ate me alive the moment she disappeared that morning in The Hamptons.
I beg her to speak to me. I send emails and texts relentlessly but nothing. I even put read receipts on my emails, but all I get in return is an ‘unread.’ Nikki warned me to stay away but, how can I? She’s my fucking wife. She said ‘I do.’ Is this my fault?
Confusion plagues me along with guilt and remorse. Maybe I could’ve done more. Should I have been firmer with Victoria? The team I had built around myself should’ve prevented this from happening. Why the fuck aren’t they doing their jobs correctly?
Yet, surely, she has to know how ridiculous this all is.
Why would I even look at another woman when Charlotte is mine? Was I not sincere enough that she couldn’t believe me after I said the words ‘I love you’ when I vowed to be her lawfully wedded husband?
Questions, more fucking questions with absolutely no answers.
I take a long drink of the flask tucked into the pocket of my jacket. It burns as it makes its way down my throat, but the numbness it brings me makes life more bearable until it wears off. I’m not one to drink at work, and this unprofessional behavior is out of character for me, but I have no other escape.
The trip back to London was the longest flight of my life, and even worse was having to deal with my sister who flew back with me to make sure I was okay. Yeah, I guess I’m okay for a man who lost the woman he has been waiting for his whole life.
The afternoon dragged until I hauled myself to Preston Enterprises. Inside the boardroom, people around me were chatting, others preparing for our board meeting. Victoria, of course, was avoiding me, and the New York Times refused to retract the article saying their sources were reliable.
What fucking sources was what I wanted to know.
The room falls silent as I sit on one end waiting for her arrival. The other sheep in the room continue to sit quietly, twiddling their thumbs pretending not to notice how my fists are clenched ready to pounce on Victoria the second she walks through that door. Five minutes later, the devil herself appears.
“Good afternoon, everyone, I apologize for my tardiness.” She places a pile of papers down, adjusting the screen ready for the presentation. Avoidance only works for a certain amount of time, and her time is running out.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Edwards. Nice of you to attend our meeting here in London,” she says, not looking my way for even a second.
The projection screen slides down, and the lights turn off. The