Lord of Chaos (The Dragon Demigods #7) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,91

front. There was also her personal assistant. And the view. Her magnificent view of the park. “Image is everything,” she mumbled.

Patrick snorted. “You’re telling me. Problem is, image costs money. All of this costs more money than what you have coming in. A lot more.”

“I don’t get it.” Anger burned inside her. Vicky tried hard to get herself back under control and failed. Her world was crashing down around her. Just when she had started to feel marginally better. Just when she thought she could get over what that bastard had done to her. She jumped to her feet and paced to the large window, for once, not even seeing the green grass, the trees, the dogs on leads, the joggers, the ducks on the lake. None of it. “How is it that Jeff cheats on me and he’s doing better than ever, while I’m on the verge of losing everything?”

“I’m so sorry, Vicky,” Patrick offered. “It isn’t fair.”

It didn’t make her feel any better. “No,” she responded. “I really need to know. He lied, he cheated, he’s the bastard in all of this.” Her business partner ‒ make that ex-partner. Ex-husband. He was her partner once though, for better or for worse. In both business and life. The Love Doctors. The two of them had been the couple to see. The relationship specialists. “I got to keep the name, yet, he still manages to get the clients.” The Love Doctor. She felt like laughing. It hadn’t helped her one bit. Her clients had disappeared quicker than candy a birthday party. They all went to him now.

“He’s a bastard. No doubt.” Patrick shook his head. “What he did to you, Vicks …” More shaking of the head.

“Why then?” Her voice broke. “How is he still in business? Moreover, how is he still thriving? I don’t get it. I don’t.” She shrugged her shoulders once. They felt heavy. Everything inside of her felt leaden and weighted.

“He may have cheated but he ended up moving in with her. Jeff and his fiancée are very happy. At least, they look it on the surface. You said it yourself, image is everything.”

Jeff and that woman were happy and it made her feel physically ill. They had the family home, the dog, the … Arghhhh! She couldn’t think about it without getting upset. Let alone talk about it. Would it be rude if she covered her ears and started to make noises so that she didn’t have to listen to any more of this?

“Kerry is starting to show.” No more, please. “She has that whole glowing thing going on. She’s young and pretty and glowing and they make a really beautiful family. The wedding date has been moved up so that they can get hitched before the baby comes. I don’t say this to hurt you, Vicky.”

It did hurt though. Vicky bit down on her lower lip to stop it from quivering.

“I really don’t.” He reached over, looking for a second like he was going to clasp her hand and then thought better of it. “Point being,” Patrick continued despite her discomfort, “they look happy. They paint a perfect picture. The general population would rather buy advice on love from Jeff.”

“So, I’m the woman who couldn’t keep her husband? There’s something wrong with me then?” She pointed to her chest.

Patrick didn’t say anything. She pulled on her ponytail, letting her fingers slide down the length of her hair. “He cheated with a woman almost ten years our junior. I left him. I left his sorry ass. It wasn’t the other way around. No one knows that, do they? They don’t know how he begged me to forgive him. How he got on his knees. No, they see them playing happy families and assume there’s something wrong with me.”

“It’s not fair. It’s really wrong and yet …” Patrick shook his head, “that’s what the numbers are saying. I told you not to get that billboard. It cost more than what you had, Vicks.”

“I was so sure it would work.” Vicky pushed out a heavy breath. “Business has picked up.”

“You needed that phone to ring off the hook. You got … what? Three, maybe four new clients?”

“More like two.” She sat down on the edge of her desk, looking down at her shoes. “I really thought it would work.” Stupid, stupid billboard idea. “What now? What next?”

Patrick shrugged. “If you want to try to make a go of the business, you need to drastically downscale.” He looked