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“Come in.”
I open the door and she looks up. The smile on her face quickly fades. She breathes, “Oh fuck.”
I smile. “Good to see you too, Cassandra.”
“Don’t let her see you. She’ll kick you in the balls.”
“I saw her last night.”
“Well, you’re alive, so that’s promising.”
“Barely. She’s different.”
“Pft. That’s the understatement of the year.”
“What happened to her?”
“You, Dominic. She snapped when you dumped her so abruptly. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Darian was deeply depressed for a long time after her husband passed, but Beth has been something different. She’s cold and bitter in her personal life, and nasty and calculating at work.”
“Tell me what’s going on with her.”
“She clammed up. I mostly only see her in the office. I barely have a relationship with her anymore. She’ll drop Luke to hang with my kids now and then, but that’s it. I don’t know what to do for her. I’m at a loss.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She was in love with you. It’s not like you gave her the slow let down or she saw it coming. You just called her and ended things without any real explanation, and you completely cut off communication. You canceled your fucking cell phone. She barely left her bed for the first month. She was a zombie for two or three more. Then one day, she just put up a steel curtain and she’s been that way ever since. She said her days of being a pushover are done. She’s been cruel and distant ever since. With everyone.Everyone.”
I sit down, unable to stand a moment longer. “What can I do to help?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. Why don’t you start by explaining yourself. I’m pretty sure you loved her too. Something doesn’t add up to me. It never has.”
I nod. “My ex-wife’s maiden name is Navarro. Does that mean anything to you?”
“One of the most wealthy and powerful families in Cuba. Our paths have crossed on a few deals.”
“Notoneof the most powerful.Themost powerful. I don’t know what Beth has shared with you, but I married Gabriela out of family obligation. My mother’s maiden name is Amoroso.”
She nods in understanding.
“As I’m sure you know, the Amorosos have one of the most successful sugar cane businesses in Cuba. It’s been around for generations. My mother and Gabriela’s were childhood friends. My mother’s dying wish was for our families to finally unite. I did it for her.”
“What fucking century do we live in?”
“I know it’s hard for you to understand. Regardless, it happened.”
“Go on.”
“Gabriela’s father was agitated that the kids were with me instead of with her in Cuba. When we landed in Cuba for the funeral, I saw her father’s men waiting to escort us. I knew that was trouble. In Cuba, the mother has most of the rights. A Navarro hasallthe rights. Every judge and politician are in their back pockets. I don’t think Gabriela wanted to stay in Cuba, but her father pulls all the strings, especially her purse strings.”
I take a deep breath. “I called a lawyer down there right away. He told me I had rights but was looking at a two-to-three-year process to see it through. In the meantime, the kids would have to stay with Gabriela and her family. If I left Cuban soil, it would basically mean I was giving up my rights to my children.”
“Wow, Dominic. I’m so sorry. It sounds terrible.”
“They take everything into account, including intimate relationships. My lawyer told me I needed to end things with Beth. I did it so abruptly and without explanation because if I told her what was really going on, we both know she would have waited for me. I couldn’t do it to her.”
“You’re right. She would have.”
“How could I ask her to wait three years for me? I couldn’t come home. She definitely couldn’t come there. I told her what I did hoping to give her a clean break. The chance to move on.”
