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“Go to hell.” Frankly, he couldn’t care less about the man, now that his wife was gone. “If you weren’t dead, I would have killed you,” he bellowed, hurling his glass across the room. Unable to think or function, he sobbed, crying over his dead wife and his lost love.
Thank heaven Brianna had stayed with the Perkins. He wouldn’t want her to witness her father drinking and crying like this.
Exhausted, he reached for the bottle of scotch, sprawled on the bed, and swallowed the burning drink, ignoring the liquid mingling with his tears and sloshing on the pillow.
***
Sunlight flooded the room when he opened his eyes, shutting them right away, his head pounding. Holding his temples, he raised himself to a sitting position. “Oh my head.” Had someone hit him with a hammer or a pole?
The smell of alcohol emanating all around him nauseated him.
When he managed to crack open his eyes once more, the feminine clothing on the floor brought back the terrible memories of last evening. He stood, considered the silk and lace pieces scattered all around, and kicked a chiffon black pjs with transparent top.
Soon his cold lawyer mind took over.
He’d loved her more than his life and had done everything to make her happy, and had mourned her death.
Sadly, he had the proof that she’d cheated on him and their daughter. The plane crash had claimed her life, fate administering her punishment.
“Case closed,” he muttered. No one could learn the truth. Even if his heart had shattered last night, he would never allow anyone to damage his late wife’s reputation. His daughter would grow up adoring her mommy.
He steeled his back, forced himself to walk to the shower, and lingered under the hot water.
Today, he would close this chapter of his life. He’d been the nice, generous guy for too long, a goody-two-shoes as Annette had joked once. Not anymore. He’d make an effort to be the same strong person in his private life that he projected in his office as a lawyer.
After donning a sweat suit, he went jogging in the nearby park. The brisk cold soothed his rattled nerves, even if it didn’t help the deep wound in his heart.
Despite what he’d learned, he wouldn’t rush to change or ignore his feelings toward Annette. He’d loved her for ten years and couldn’t erase their past overnight. For the time being, he wouldn’t try to forgive and forget. His blood boiled with resentment, but eventually things would settle down. He often advised his clients togive it time. He would follow his own words of wisdom.
After jogging and walking for an hour, he entered a Starbucks and indulged in a strong coffee and a bagel with cream cheese, and then returned home, his mind less troubled, if not calm. He showered again and decided to tackle the mess in his room.
He brought several trash bags, stuffed the first one with the lingerie scattered on the floor, and threw it into the trash barrel in the garage. He banged the barrel cover and heaved a sigh of relief. As far as he was concerned, his wife had never owned this junk.
Examining Annette’s belongings with a cool calculating mind, he set aside the jewelry and items his daughter might like to have as keepsakes, carefully wrapped them and arranged them in a plastic box that he moved to the storage room in the basement.
Back in his room, he filled more bags with Annette’s clothes and accessories and moved them to the trunk of his car to drop them off at the charity store.
As he crossed his room with the last full bag, he noticed his phone uncharged on the night table, plugged it in to charge it, and saw several texts from Erin.
Tim, are you okay? I hope the food didn’t upset your stomach.
He snickered. “The food was okay, sweetheart, but my whole life is messed up.”
The next text read something along the same line.
We’re worried about you, Tim. Please, call.
The latest text had been sent this morning.
Please, call.
He wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, but reassured her with a brief text.
Sorry, I forgot to charge my phone and found your messages now. I left when I remembered an urgent case I forgot to study. All is good now. I’ll pick up Brianna this evening.
Erin texted back right away.
The girls want Brianna to stay over another night or two.
