"Uncle Tristan, Mommy punished Daddy. Does it still hurt?" Four-year-old Nathan saw the blood running down my forehead and broke into a grin, his tears forgotten.
"With you looking out for me, Nathan, it doesn't hurt nearly as much." Tristan smiled.
Marina stood and glanced at my luggage. Contempt dripped from every syllable. "Without me, you're nothing."
Tristan spoke up. "Ms. Pruitt, since Godfrey here is so desperate for a divorce, let me make a suggestion." He paused, savoring the moment. "Make him leave with nothing. No assets, no custody. The kid stays with you." His eyes slid to me. "Let's see if he has the guts to agree."
"Brilliant." Marina's answer came without a second's hesitation.
Within minutes, her assistant had drafted a divorce agreement exactly as Tristan dictated.
Marina signed it with a flourish and tossed the papers at my feet.
Tristan's mouth twisted into a crooked grin, pleased that his scheme had worked.
Marina and Nathan both expected me to refuse.
I picked up the pen and signed my name without a moment's hesitation.
"Can I go now?"
I clutched the papers tight, rose to my feet, and asked quietly.
"Three days."
Marina's lips curled upward. "Come back within three days. Apologize to me and to Tristan. Stop interfering with the baby I'm carrying. Do all that, and you can still be my husband."
I didn't answer. I shouldered my bag and limped out into the night. Within moments, the darkness swallowed me whole.
I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in five years.
"Hey, old friend. It's been a while. Any chance the company still has a place for me?"
The voice on the other end erupted with excitement.
"Are you serious? You finally came around?"
"We've been waiting five years for this call!"
"Oh, and there's something you should know. A year ago, the government absorbed us. We're a classified unit now. I'm sending someone to pick you up right away."
