“I’m sure you’ve talked to Dad,” I say as I pull out a pair of shorts and a top.
“Yeah, and Má. She told me he used you to get to Kyle somehow. I don’t know all the details about what went down with you two, but it sounds messed up.”
“He more than used me. He sent Kyle to me, as some kind of incentive to buy the dock. He knew all about us, even before I introduced Kyle to the family.”
“Shit. Seriously?” I can tell Ricky is shaking his head. “Where are you now? Do I need to come and get you? You know you can always stay with me.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m in Hilton right now, staying with a friend.” I walk out of the bedroom, looking at the door Marcel just walked out of to go to work less than twenty minutes ago.
“Is it that landscape guy?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I tuck my hair behind my ears. “Is that dumb?”
“Is he keeping you safe?”
“Yeah. He bought me this phone and checks in every hour.”
“Then no, it’s not dumb, staying with someone who has your back.”
I smile at his statement.
“Anyway, I’ll be busy this weekend, but I wanted to hear your voice. I’ll try and come out to see you soon if I can.”
“Okay, Ricky.”
“And do me a favor, Gabby?”
“What?”
“Answer Dad’s call the next time. I know you don’t want to hear it, but he told me you ran out before he had time to completely explain himself.”
I scoff. “What more is there to explain, Ricky? He set this whole thing up, and all that time I thought what Kyle and I had was real. It wasn’t, and now I have a bruise on my face because Dad cared more about his business than anything else!”
“It’s not like he knew Kyle was abusive, Gabby! Look, from what Dad told me over the phone, he went to Kyle and told him to cancel the investments he’d made to the docking company when you two were about to get married. He wasn’t happy with what he’d done and was willing to let his company take the fall, but of course Kyle declined. The contract had already gone into effect and couldn’t be voided for another year. You guys were getting married sooner than that. I assume he only sold it to Kyle in full because he thought things were working out between you and Kyle.”
I blink quickly. “Wait…what? Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Apparently, Dad didn’t want to tell you about the investments to the dock in the beginning because he knew you would have gotten upset and probably would have stayed with Kyle anyway, and if he’d told you about the whole setup, you would have lashed out then, too. All it would have done was back you into a corner. He felt guilty, Gabby. He saw it was going too far, but he was desperate, and I know he did it for us. He wanted to tell you, but Kyle told him there was no going back and not to mention the arrangement at all to you. Kyle threatened that if he said anything about the arrangement to you, he’d find a way to cancel the contract. Dad didn’t want to lose everything, including you, so I guess he swallowed his pride and kept quiet about it. Just sucks you had to find out this way.”
I sit on the edge of the sofa, staring down at the floor. “Wow.”
“Yeah. So, not saying you have to answer him right away, but you should consider it. Dad has done a lot of fucked-up shit, yes, but I don’t think he completely sold you out. He just jumped the gun a little too quickly and did what he thought was right to help the fam. He most likely assumed this would get his foot in the door with Kyle, but didn’t expect it to get that serious between the two of you.” He clears his throat. “Besides, you’re his favorite,” he chuckles. “He wouldn’t do you dirty like that.”
I huff a laugh. “Thanks for telling me, Ricky.”
“No problem.”
“Talk to you soon.”
I hang up, placing my phone on the coffee table and running my palms over my face. I have no idea what to do or what to believe anymore.
I get up to clean a bit, but it’s not distraction enough. As I feed Callie and make myself a mug of coffee, I can’t help thinking about one woman who plays a major role in Kyle’s life.
His mother.
She knows all about him. She wanted this marriage to happen just as badly as my father.
I’m sure once she hears that I’m filing for divorce, she’ll come running, and when she does, I will seek answers.
Her son wasn’t made a monster overnight. They allowed this to happen…and I want to know how it all started.
Chapter Fourteen
Marcel
“I can’t take that.” Gabby’s voice is firm as she glares down at the white envelope in my hand.
“You can and you will.” I toss it on the bed beside her.
She unfolds her arms to pick it up and then stands, grabbing my hand and placing it in my palm again. “I won’t take your money to get through my divorce, Marcel. Seriously. This is my fight. I’ll figure out a way to pay for everything.”
“Didn’t I tell you I’m here to help? I have money to spare, Gabby. This is just enough to get you to New York and get lodging and whatever else you need while you’re there.”
“Yeah, but I can’t take this money from you. You’ve already done so much for me and—”
“And I will do much more, so just take it.” I hand it back to her, and she sighs, looking down at it. “I want you out of that fucked-up marriage. I don’t care how much I have to hand over for it to happen.”
Her eyes swoop up to mine. “You are either the craziest person I’ve ever met, or the sweetest.” Her lips smash together. “Thank you. Seriously.”
“Don’t mention it.” I give her a smile, heading for the fridge. “Just find yourself a good pro bono lawyer so you can get the process started.”
“I’ve been doing some research already for pro bono lawyers in New York who deal specifically with domestic cases. I haven’t been here long enough to make a case in South Carolina, but I can in New York, since that’s where Kyle and I filed our marriage certificate. There are a few good lawyers there that may be able to help me.” She sits on the sofa. “The one I found deals with domestic circumstances a lot, and all of her domestic cases have been won.”
“That’s good. Keep me updated on all of it.” I take a beer out of the fridge.
“I will. Do you mind if I use your laptop?”
I look at my bag on the sofa, and my heart beats a little faster. “I was actually about to do some work on it. You need it right now?”
She shrugs and laughs a little. “Doesn’t have to be right now. I was just going to show you the lawyer’s firm, get your opinion of it.”
I avoid her eyes. “Yeah. After I finish some work, it’s all yours.” I put on a lopsided smile, opening my beer and then picking up the laptop bag, going to the table.
I’m glad she doesn’t notice my hesitation. Instead she gets off the couch and picks up Callie’s leash. “Okay. I’m going to give Callie a quick walk.” On her way out the door, as I’m setting up at the table and taking out paperwork, she kisses me on the cheek.
When she’s gone, I log into the computer and close the browser I was on before getting home, then I blow out a breath, raking my fingers through my hair.
Now that she’s staying with me, I have to get used to her asking to use my stuff. I’m almost certain the last thing I searched for would require a lot of explanation, and I’m really not in the mood to talk about it right now. Not only that, but she’s already going through a lot right now.
I told myself I’d let this go a long time ago, but I still haven’t.
I need to get myself under control before Gabby catches on and I ruin this too.
Chapter Fifteen
Gabby
Four days later, I fly to New York, thanks to Ricky buying a ticket for me, and am now seated behind Jasinda Humphrey’s desk.
I went to file a report at the police station about my domestic abuse shortly after we got back from Virginia, then Marcel took me to Venice Heights the follow
ing day—a Saturday—to see if Kyle would be arrested.
We camped out for about two hours before the cops showed up and took him in, but he wasn’t in handcuffs, so we followed them to the police station and waited four more hours. Luckily, Marcel had time to kill.
Kyle walked right back out of the station, but he wasn’t alone. There was a man in a suit at his side.
By the vein bulging on Kyle’s forehead, it was clear he was pissed. I was pissed because he walked out with a simple slap on the wrist.
“Doesn’t matter,” Marcel muttered. “You made the report; it’ll be in the system when you file for a separation and take this to a hearing.”
I guess he was right, but it didn’t make me any happier to know he was still walking around like nothing had ever happened.
The walls of Mrs. Humphrey’s office are a robin’s egg blue, the tile floors shiny and spotless. She has her college degree tacked to the wall behind her, and on her desk are several photos of her with other people. She’s shaking their hands in front of her office door, so I assume they are her clients. Each person is smiling, which I hope means their case was won.
There is one photo that stands out the most to me—an image of Jasinda with a man who is slightly taller. They’re wearing sombreros and holding margaritas, smiling at the camera together. I assume the man in the photo is her husband. It’s nice to see her in a relaxed state, because right now she’s dressed to impress, and at first sight, she is sort of intimidating.
“Can I get you some coffee? Water?” Mrs. Humphrey asks as she steps around her desk.
“Oh, no thank you. I’m okay.”
“Okay.” She smiles, sitting down with bright red lips and long brown hair. Her eyes are hazel, and there are fine lines around her mouth and eyes. She has beautiful brown skin. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s in her mid-forties. “So, I read your email and I have to say, I find this case very fascinating—not fascinating about what you’ve gone through, of course, but the case itself.” She pauses. “Apologies. I just love my job and fighting for cases like these.” She gives me a cautious smile.
“No apologies necessary.” I smile a bit wider to let her know her comment didn’t offend me.
Pressing her lips, she picks up a sheet of paper in front of her to read over it. “So, you mentioned in the paperwork that your father knew Mr. Moore before you did, and that the relationship was arranged without your knowledge?”
“Yes.”
“If you could give me a number of times Kyle visited the restaurant, how many would you say?”
“Um…” I think on it, chewing on my bottom lip. “Maybe fifteen to twenty times. He came over the span of three months, maybe a little more. Around the third month we got a little more serious, but prior to that it was just a lot of flirting and exchanging questions.”
She writes something down, nodding. “Okay, and when you met him, did you see any signs that he might be abusive?”
My head shakes. “No. None. I thought he was a genuine, sweet guy.”
She points at me with her pen. “Before I go on, did you take pictures of what he did to your face?”
“I had my friend do it, yes.”
“Good. I will need you to email those to me, as they will come in handy. Is there anyone you think would be able to write up a testimony as a witness, other than your friend, Mr. Ward?”
“My best friend Teagan could. I went to her the first night he hit me. She saw the bruise around my eye and the bruises from the first time, when he choked me. Also my neighbor, Meredith. She took me in and even saw Kyle get aggressive with me and threaten me.”
“That’s good.”
I sit forward a little. “Would Marcel be able to write one?”
She gives her head a simple shake. “For your case, it won’t look too good if the man you had an affair with is sharing his thoughts. The judge will consider his statement biased, and if Kyle has good lawyers, they will definitely catch onto that and make it a point. That, or they’ll direct the attention to the affair, make both of you seem like the bad people instead of Kyle. It’s better if Marcel takes no part in this at all, so that it is only about you, Kyle, the abuse, and getting a divorce.”
I nod, sighing. “I get it. I don’t want that for him.”
“Neither do I. You mentioned your parents saw you days after the last assault?”
“Yes. My best friend saw the bruise, as well as my mom and my dad.”
“And do you think all three are willing to write a testimony against Kyle?”
“I believe they would, yes.”
“You’ll have to talk to them, let them know they may need to write statements. The one who will get questioned the most is you, to see if your story wavers, but if you’re telling me the whole truth, I have no doubt it will be fine. My mission is to make Kyle seem as guilty as possible. Whoever the judge is, they will see the images of your face and have no choice but to be shocked, but I have to warn you, the system can get a bit tricky when it comes to domestic divorces that involve an affair and a lot of money. Considering the fact that Kyle is a very wealthy man, he will fight hard to make sure he goes out of the divorce without owing you much and without tainting his reputation. If he’s willing to go to trial over this, then we will have to call him out on his abuse and possibly get the judge to recognize the other things Kyle has done to you.” She allows a brief pause. “Do you understand where I’m coming from when I say that, Gabby?”
I nod, twisting my fingers in my lap. “Yes, I think so.”
“He raped you. You mentioned that in the email.”
I swallow hard, my eyes burning now. I look away and bob my head.
“We can try hard to let it be known that he did that to you, but there are complications when it comes to situations like this. If anything, we may not even be able to use it in court. You are married to him. Not saying sex with your spouse is always consensual, but you were the only one there, therefore there are no witnesses, which means it’s your word against Kyle’s. He can easily lie and say it was consensual. Without evidence, it’s difficult to prove.”
“That’s bullshit,” I huff, wiping the tears out of my eyes.
“You’re frustrated. I know. Trust me.” She picks up a box of tissue from her desk, offering one to me. I snatch one out, dabbing the corners of my eyes with it. “May I ask you what you want out of this? Is it money?” she inquires.
“No.” I focus on her eyes. “I mean, money would be great, but I honestly just want my freedom back. I don’t really care about his money.”
“You should get something out of this disaster. It will be hard to pick up and rebuild a new life without money.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“I was thinking I could reach out to Kyle’s attorney and make him a settlement offer.”
“What would the offer be?”
“I could ask his attorney to request Kyle to willingly release all your assets and to give you enough money to get back on your feet. If he agrees to that, then we can let him know you will not take it to trial.”
“You can try, but I’m telling you, he won’t do it. He’ll want to see me in court, try and intimidate me. He’s a jackass that way.”
“We will try. If he turns the offer down, we will proceed with getting a hearing for your case. Even so, when it comes to divorce, you must be separated from your spouse for at least six months.”
“Really? That long?” I blow out an agitated breath.
“Yes, but with your restraining order in effect that should make things a little easier for you.
“Okay.” I nod. “That would be good.”
“Great. In the meantime, I want you to think about your story with Mr. Ward, and think hard. Figure out why you had the affair with him. If this goes to court, Kyle’s attorney will grill you about that affair, so you have to make every word count. Make it so believable that the judge will have no choice but to sympathize with you.”
I nod, pushin
g to a stand as she does. “I will.”
“Good.” She extends her arm, offering a hand. I shake her hand then walk around the chair. “If there is anything else you’d like me to know, please feel free to call or email me,” she says when we’re outside the office.
I tell her I will do that, and then I head out to the rental car Marcel booked for me. I watch Mrs. Humphrey go back into the building, and when she’s gone, I rest my forehead on the steering wheel, taking a moment to breathe.
As badly as I want to cry, I don’t. This is in motion now. I know for a fact Kyle won’t take a settlement. He has too much pride for that. He’d much rather take the opportunity to make me look like an idiot or a whore.
But if he’s willing to fight, so am I.
* * *
I’m not the least bit surprised when I get an email stating that Kyle has turned down the settlement.
I read over Mrs. Humphrey’s email several times, sitting on the sofa next to Marcel. I got home about two hours ago.
She got a response much faster than I expected, but this is Kyle. He probably shot the idea down before his attorney even had the chance to finish his sentence.
“What’s up?” Marcel asks, looking from the TV to me.
“Kyle turned down the settlement.” I sigh.
He sighs too, pulling his arm off the top of the couch and wrapping it around my shoulders. “You knew this would happen. I guess it’s time for you to gear up, huh?”
“I guess so.” I get off the couch. “I’m gonna make a call.”
He nods, and I walk out the back door. I study the phone for a while, at the number on the screen, then I cave and push the call button.
It rings a couple times, and then there is an answer.
“Gabby?” Dad’s voice is full of surprise.
“Hey, Dad.”
He wastes no time launching in. “I’m glad to be hearing from you! Listen, sweetheart, I am so sorry about what I did. I didn’t mean for all of this to happen. I just wanted what was best for you and the family, and I was at a low point. I didn’t want to lose the house and I wanted to help your mom stay here, and also wanted to help you get through school without worrying about your loans and—”
The Man I Need Page 11