Page 126 of Mine Forever


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Marlene sighed. “If you’re asking whether the school has called, yes, I’m vaguely aware of something like that.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I narrowed my eyes. “You knew about this?!”

“Well, Thomas, I’m not sure what you want me to do,” Marlene said coolly. “He’s just going through a phase right now, it’ll pass.”

“He could get thrown out of that school!” I could feel my face turning red with anger but there was nothing I could do to stop myself now. “That’s the best goddamn public school in the city! I had to work so goddamned hard to get him accepted!”

Marlene shrugged.

“I’ve suggested a private school might be better for him,” Hannah simpered. “I went to private school, and I just think it’s such a better idea.”

I rolled my eyes. “Private school is off the table,” I said sharply.

“I don’t know, Thomas, maybe she’s got a point.” Marlene was picking her cuticles, she didn’t even deign to look at me as she spoke. “Maybe we should reconsider where we placed him. You know, a change could do the boy good.”

“It’s not happening,” I said firmly.

Marlene’s eyes flashed with anger. “You’re being a cheapskate,” she said. “You don’t even want to spend money on our son’s education!”

“It isn’t about that,” I said hotly. “It’s about his attitude! I don’t want to reward him for this shitty behavior. Like, oh, son – you’ve been acting out but it’s okay because Daddy is going to put you in an expensive school full of other little rich shits!”

Marlene and Hannah were both staring at me.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Dealing with all of this is really fucking stressing me out at the moment.”

The rest of the meeting didn’t go much better. Hannah and Marlene turned on each other, and then I was suddenly the mediator. By the time we were done, I was exhausted. I felt a huge amount of resentment towards both of the women in my life, and I knew it was irrational, but I didn’t care.

“In the future, you’re not coming to these meetings unless you can behave,” I told Hannah sharply as we left the building.

Hannah batted her lashes at me. “Oh, Thomas,” she said sweetly. “I just want what’s best for you and Brett.”

I stared at her. My anger was rolling over me in strong, palpable waves.

“I trust that you’ll let me make those decisions,” I said sharply. “Because I’m sure as fuck not going to let you start parenting my son.”

Hannah’s cheeks flushed and eventually, she dropped her gaze.

“Fine,” Hannah muttered. “God, I was only trying to help.”

“We’re done for the day,” I told her. “I’m going home to see Brett, he’s been waiting for me and I know I’ll be late if I don’t hurry.”

“Want me to come?” Hannah looked hopeful. “We can order a pizza, I’ll watch Brett while you work out?”

“No,” I said sharply. “I need to start spending more time with my son.”

Hannah looked at me expectantly.

“Alone,” I added in a sharp voice. “Without you around, got it?”

Hannah nodded meekly. “Fine,” she snipped. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”

I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. I hadn’t looked in a mirror all day, but I could tell that the stress was really getting to me. My skin felt puffy and old, and when I closed my eyes, a dull ache began to spread through my whole head.

I knew that I was going to have to do something about Hannah, but for the moment, I was stuck with her. I couldn’t find another personal assistant who would be as knowledgeable and helpful as Hannah – at least, not without weeks of searching. And with a big project coming up at work, I wasn’t going to be able to take that kind of time off. I supposed I could always organize a committee and put them in charge of finding me a new person, but that would have to wait until things calmed down, just a little.

And Marlene! She was a fucking cipher – she always had been. When we’d first divorced, she’d been almost pleased to be out on her own. But I could tell that it was taking a toll on her, too. She obviously hated the fact that she was “forced” to work in order to maintain her luxe condo, and I knew she probably blamed me.

I also knew that I shouldn’t care. But it was difficult – after all, we had a child together. And Brett was the most important part of my life. I wasn’t going to write off his mother just because she’d been a shitty wife. That would have been incredibly unfair to him.

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