Divorced! Now what?

Chapter 18

Bethany POV



This morning, Theo was not at the pool, and though I was a little disappointed that I had missed him already, I pushed myself to continue my day. I was running out of holidays, and today, I was going to visit my Dad in his new apartment and talk to him about what was happening. 

I did not think Dad's decision to leave Mum was a new thought for him. He told me numerous times that he did not like some of the things Mother was doing and how much she was changing. Dad was up for promotion but turned it down to pander to Mother and her needs. Since our last conversation, he has taken the senior detective position. The opening became available as the current senior detective was retiring. Dad was still young enough, so he took the job this time. He will be close by. I loved the idea that Dad was in this city. I was going to miss him, but now I can catch up if his work lets him, and mine does, too.

My lawyer sat before me in an office he had in this city. He had a thick file in front of him and looked at me with sympathy.

'No, your sister is not pregnant. The latest report was that she was faking it to get Bret to marry her; this time, it would be real. But for some reason, Bret is resisting her attempts for him to marry her. It appears that you're leaving him has opened his eyes to a number of things. Since you left, Bret has been in court. He tried to cause a lot of problems with the person who purchased the old place. He called the police, and he was charged not only with disturbing the peace but with damaging property. As he tried to get through the gates, he hit the guard who was doing his job and was charged with assault and battery. He was lucky that he was not sent to jail. He contacted a good lawyer who had a judge in his pocket and got a rather hefty fine.' I looked at the police reports and smiled. 

'What about weddings?'

'That is still being investigated. We have four fake weddings now, and the detective is looking after the case. He wanted to collect more evidence before he went and charged him. So far, he has gone back two years, and he wants to go back to when you were courting and see if he can pinpoint when those weddings started.' 

'That makes sense. Is there a chance that I was not the one legally married to him, and if so, would that impact me in any way?

'That is an interesting idea. She could be the one married to Bret, and your marriage was false, but you would not be the one to get charged; he is the one who was fooling you, and your sister is an accomplice.'

'If the media got hold of this, it could hurt my job and a new position in the hospital.' I was in a panic, thinking my sister could still be hurting my life and my career.

'No, it won't reflect badly on you. You will always be the victim. If anything, it will improve your position, being the hurt person in this.'

'The jewelry? Did your bailiff collect it?' I asked, changing the subject, as I was starting to feel uncomfortable with being called the victim, even if that was what I was.

The lawyer grabbed a bag and handed it to me. I unzipped the bag, and inside were several small jewelry boxes. I pulled one out and opened it. A beautiful diamond necklace glistened back at me. I looked back in the bag and saw at least eight more boxes. I placed the box back into the bag and zipped it up.

'What are you going to do with them?' He asked, leaning back in his chair and watching me put the box back in the bag.

'I am not sure, at the moment, most likely put them in my safe and think about them, could donate them to a good cause.'

'You are a good lady, and I am sure you will work it out.' 

'Thank you for flying here to see me; talking face to face was nice. Have a safe trip back, and you know where I am if you need me.'

'Sure thing, anytime for you. Have the police taken your statement yet?'

'No, Will they need it?'

'It does not look like it; they have had plenty of time to speak to you if they did. You gave them plenty of information and proof.'

'Thank you for getting the case for my father. It helps that you already know some of the background. It saved him trying to explain to someone else.'

'You're welcome. I can't talk to you about that.'

'It is okay; Dad is here now; I am having lunch with him shortly. He will fill me in.'

My lawyer stood up and shook my hand, and I left his office, taking the bag with me.

The restaurant was a small Italian one. I was shown to the table. I arrived before my father. I ordered a coffee whilst I waited for Dad to arrive.

'I hope you have not been waiting long, Honey.' Dad kissed me on the forehead and took the seat opposite me. He was dressed in a blue suit, which told me he had been to his new office and most likely introduced himself to his new workmates.

'How are you, Dad?' I looked at his face; it seemed to have that happy glint in his eyes he had lost years ago.

'Happy. You have to come and see my new apartment.'

'I would love it if you could come and see my place too. It is a bit more upmarket than I planned, but it has everything I need and is within walking distance from work. I love the changes to your hair; you look smart, younger, and carefree.'

'Me, too. Mine is within walking distance, which sold me on taking it.' We sat and ate. Dad was chatting about his new job, which he would officially start on Monday, the same as I was. We joked and caught up on the gossip.

'You did what? Already?' Dad asked, surprised at what I told him.

'Yeah, it was after you sent me that picture of the happy family, and somehow, it went from crying on his shoulder to being in his bed. Dad, I do not regret it. If anything, I want to do it again, have a friend with benefits, and have a nice ring to it.

'I hope you know what you are doing.' He sounded skeptical, and I don't blame him; it is fast, faster than I expected, and he is also vulnerable, just out of a bad marriage and is susceptible.

'You should try it, Dad. If you come across a lady that makes you want to rip her clothes off and ravish her, go for it. I won't judge. If anything, I will applaud you. You need to rid yourself of Mum and her selfish ways completely.'

'I hear you, and if I am offered the chance to copy you, I will. You are my inspiration to get out there and find myself again.'

After the meal, Dad and I walked to his apartment. It was a nice place. It suited Dad well. He then walked me home, and Dad fell in love with my penthouse and the fantastic view. We talked a bit more about our plans. Now we are both single again, and we promised to catch up again if the possible plan and weekly meet up, or something like that, both agreed to settle into our new jobs and schedule.

The following day was Friday. Time has flown by. I was going out to check in some stores. I had seen some cute outfits I thought would suit work. They were shirts that had either a matching skirt or pants covered in hearts in various colors. Being in heart gear for work might be amusing as a heart doctor. My boss did not mention a dress standard at work, and I had seen in the children's ward at my old job nurses wearing fun clothes for the kids, and I thought I would copy, try, and put on a more relaxed appearance in a very stressful time in a person's or family's life.

As I left my home, I bumped into Theo. He looked rushed and tired. I hope he is okay. We greeted each other and made plans for tonight. Now I have a spring in my step and plan to make dinner. I was wondering when I would get to see him again. Strangely enough, I have missed his company.

2024-05-19 07:24:36

Chapter 19 - Divorced! Now what?