“Mr.Wilson.” The man sitting across from Clair got up from the table. “I need you to sit down now, please.”
Don halted. Spun on one heel. “She can have everything.”
“What?” Clair, Madge, and Don’s attorney all said at the same time.
“This is my fault.” He walked to the table but didn’t pull out the chair. “I cheated on my wife. Now I can see there’s no turning back. So Madge can have whatever she wants. The lake house, our house, the cars, my pension.” He waved his hand. “It’s all hers.”
“Mr.Wilson,” the lawyer said, hurrying to his side. “Let’s not be hasty—”
“Call me when you’ve drawn up the paperwork, Barry.” He kept his gaze on Madge as he spoke. “I’ll sign whatever you put in front of me.” Then he walked out of the room.
Barry turned to Madge and Clair and held out his palms. “I’ll go talk to him—”
“Ah, ah, ah.” Clair held up her index finger, the short nail colored in sheer beige polish. “You heard what Mr.Wilson said. He wants to give my client everything.”
Madge blinked, the full impact of what Don said hitting her. If he gave her everything, what would he have left? “But—”
“Mrs.Wilson,” Clair said, putting her hand lightly but firmly on Madge’s forearm. “I’ll do the negotiating. That’s what you pay me for.”
The bald spot on the top of Barry’s head turned brightred, along with his ears. “I can assure you my client isn’t going to give Mrs. Wilsoneverything, regardless of what he said today.” He picked up his legal pad off the table, then his briefcase from the floor. “I’ll be in touch.”
Once Barry was gone, Clair’s lips curled into a grin. “That was easy,” she said, her voice almost purring. “He admitted to cheating, and he’s not going to contest the divorce. He also said he’s willing to give you everything. Even if he changes his mind, we can use that against him.”
A sour feeling churned in Madge’s stomach. “I—I don’t understand,” she whispered. She knew how important money was to Don. It was why he’d insisted on working so many hours. That and using the time to have the affair. But even thinking of him sleeping with another woman didn’t cut through the confusion. This wasn’t like Don. He didn’t give up easily, and he never gave in completely.
“I’ve seen this before, Mrs.Wilson.” Clair turned in her chair, the cool, satisfied expression still on her face. “He’s pretending to be generous to soften you up. Then, when it comes to hashing out the fine details, he’ll turn on you. Don’t fall for it.”
Madge stared at the handle of her purse. She had no idea what to think. This was the last thing she expected Don to do. And although she needed to keep Clair’s words in the forefront of her mind, she remembered the defeat in his eyes when he left the elevator.“Happy now?”
“Don’t worry, Mrs.Wilson.” Clair rose from her chair. “I’ll handle this, and we’ll keep in touch. This is the first meeting in the process, but I think it went very well.”
Numb, Madge stood and walked out of the office, thenleft the building. Don’s Lexus wasn’t in the parking lot. Crisp brown leaves whirled around her ankles as she made her way to her car and got in. She should be relieved Don had admitted the affair and that he wasn’t going to contest anything. Actually, she should be happy.
But she wasn’t. Not even close.
***
“I’m sorry I’m late!” Harper rushed through the back door of Knots and Tangles to see Riley, Olivia, and Anita already seated for their weekly girlfriend meeting. “I had to stop by home after work, and I lost track of time.”
“You lost track of your shoes too.” Riley gestured to Harper’s feet.
She looked down and saw one red high-heeled pump on her right foot and a purple one on her left. Good grief, how had she missed wearing two different shoes? Granted, they were the same type of shoe, and she’d bought three pairs in different colors, the third one canary yellow. Oh well, no one else would see her mistake except her friends.
“I brought y’all a treat,” she said, putting the plastic cupcake carrier she held on the coffee table next to a half-filled bowl of pretzel twists and a container of cheese dip. She pulled off the cover, revealing a dozen carrot-cake cupcakes smothered with cream-cheese frosting.
“Those look amazing.” Anita leaned forward. “Where did you get them?”
“I made them.” Harper removed her red-and-silver scarfand stuffed it into the pocket of her coat, then slipped it off her shoulders. She draped it over the back of one of the comfy chairs, sat down, and placed her phone on her lap.
“Youbaked?” Olivia’s eyebrows lifted.
“I didn’t know you knew how to turn on an oven.” Riley grinned.
Harper rolled her eyes. “Very funny. I used to bake all the time before I got so busy with my business.”
After yesterday’s bombshell from her parents, she’d closed her office for the rest of the day, gone home, and baked up a storm. In addition to the cupcakes, she’d made a loaf of yeast bread, two dozen chocolate-chip cookies, and a scrumptious chess pie. She’d also downed a whole pot of coffee last night, and because of that she was operating on two hours of sleep. She half expected one or both parents to call her, but neither one did. Hopefully no news was good news.
Today she had planned to call Jack but instead spent the day doing paperwork she’d put off for too long. Actually that was an excuse. She’d need all her emotional resources to talk to him, and they were in short supply at the moment. Besides, if Jack attempted to contact her mother again, Madge would definitely put him in his place.
