AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
“Arthur, youhaveto do something.”
“I don’t, actually,” he said as he handed the signed document back to his assistant and then pushed his glasses up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
Hazel had been with him long enough that she was used to these phone conversations with Renata, and gave him a tight, sympathetic smile.
He would’ve thought once the divorce had been finalized he wouldn’t have to hear from his ex-wife anymore, but he’d been wrong about that. So, so wrong. Did all her former husbands have this…privilege? He thought not.
Lucky him, to hear from Renata at least once a month for the past six years. She was even re-married—again—and still calling him. Couldn’t—who was this one, David? Couldn’t David take care of this?
“Yes, you do. Saoirse only ever listened to you.”
It was true he’d gotten along well with Renata’s daughter during he and Renata’s whirlwind courtship and two year marriage. Even since the divorce he and Saoirse had stayed in touch. Not often, but he sent her birthday and holiday presents, he’d helped her find internships during college and law school, and she’d stayed in her old room a few times when she and friends had been in Clover City late and she didn’t feel like going all the way back to campus or wherever her mother was living at the time.
He liked Saoirse, he genuinely did, and he’d do anything he could for her. But what Renata was asking was above and beyond. He’d always told Saoirse—and he still believed—that you divorce spouses, not children, but surely there was some line and this demand crossed it.
“I’m happy to talk to her. But what you’re asking, Renata, it’s too much. Why can’t she stay with you and David?”
“David and Saoirse, they don’t… He doesn’t…”
Jesus. What she meant was that David didn’t want Saoirse getting in the way of their jet-setting lifestyle and he resented her existence.
Renata had always treated Saoirse like an accessory and when she was inconvenient, sloughed her off onto someone else. When Renata’s father had been alive it was Grandpop Sully, but Jim Sullivan had passed a couple of years ago. Apparently Arthur was next in line.
He wanted to ask Renata what the fuck was wrong with her that she wouldn’t choose her daughter who clearly needed help over her latest man, but what purpose would that serve? They’d had similar conversations when they were married, and his frustration over Renata’s refusal to be a more attentive parent was one of the many reasons they’d eventually split.
And if David didn’t give a shit about Saoirse, he and Renata would either abandon her to knock around their big house in Springfield alone, or they’d drag her along wherever they were off to and ignore her when they had more exciting things to attend to. Which, given what little Renata had told him, wasn’t going to do Saoirse any good.
A bright and driven girl like Saoirse didn’t start failing her classes in the third year of law school and drop law review for no reason. It infuriated him that Renata was treating this as an annoyance, because to him it screamed that something had gone very wrong and Saoirse needed help.
Was it fun to handle problems your kid was having? No. And it wasn’t easy, but that's what you signed onto when you became a parent. For fuck’s sake.
“David sounds like a really great guy.”
Arthur regretted the cutting words as soon as they were out of his mouth. It wasn’t his business who Renata married now, and the thing was, she’d always been like this. Nothing he could do or say was going to change that. So he might as well do what he could for Saoirse since her mother and latest stepfather would be worse than useless.
“I don’t need any lectures from you, Arthur. You can go straight to hell. Or even better, go fuck yourself.”
“Look, I apologize. That was uncalled for.”
Even if it was true.
“Where is Saoirse now? I’ll talk to her. See what I can do. And if she wants to stay here for awhile, she can. Her room is always ready.”
“Thank you so much. I’ll get her on the next flight out from Chicago. You can pick her up from the airport can’t you? You’re such a doll. Why did we ever split up? You’re the best, and Saoirse will be so happy to see you. Thank you, thank you. I’ll send you her flight info.”
“That’s not actually what I—”
“I’ve got to run. Bises, darling.”
Goddammit.
