by Jessica Gray
“Why didn’t you listen to him and tell me?”
Yes, why? Because I was a stupid idiot. He locked eyes with her and said, “Please don’t freak out, okay?” When she nodded in agreement, he continued, “At the beginning I thought it wasn’t important.”
Karen was about to explode and he put a hand on hers, feeling the familiarity of the touch, and said, “Please let me finish. I never felt married. It was always just a piece of paper. And I had tried so well to lock that memory somewhere deep down, I had almost forgotten about it.
“And when we started dating seriously so many things happened. Peter’s accident, Lara’s suicide attempt, Peter’s depression…there was so much turmoil around us, I never found the right opportunity. And the more time passed the more difficult it became. Frankly, I was afraid of how you’d react. That you’d leave me.”
He paused and believed he saw a spark of empathy in her eyes. “Trust me on that. I’ve been feeling guilty every single day. Many times I was so close to telling you, but then I just couldn’t. I was a coward. I’m sorry, I never intended to hurt you, babe.”
“But you did. A lot.” It was said matter-of-factly, but he knew Karen well enough to know how much pain was hidden beneath those words.
“I know, and I hope one day you can forgive me.”
Apparently Karen wasn’t ready to discuss that part and said, “You’re digressing from your story. What did Peter say?”
Goosebumps appeared on Robert’s neck, and he involuntarily raised his shoulders at the memory of the scene with Peter. “Gosh, he was furious. He tried to convince me to divorce Marcela. And I agreed half-heartedly. But the moment I returned to my hotel and saw her sleeping in the king-size bed, so small and vulnerable, I changed my mind.
“I didn’t want to be responsible for sending her back into the reach of her uncle, and her potential death. I just couldn’t do it.”
“So what happened?” Karen asked.
“We tried to make it work.” He laughed dryly. “A full three weeks. But we didn’t mesh. In any way. Outside the bedroom we didn’t have anything in common. It’s not that she isn’t a nice person, but nothing about her excited me. Not like you did when I met you.”
Karen squinted her eyes in response, but kept quiet.
“I finally told Marcela we needed to go our separate ways, and she begged me to not divorce her. Unbeknownst to me, she’d been cornered by an immigration official, who’d demanded to see our marriage license. He’d accused her of only getting married to stay in the country and threatened to have her immediately deported if he ever got wind she’d gotten divorced. So we separated and never looked back. Until I met you...”
“Where does she live?” Karen asked with a calm voice, but she couldn’t fool him. Agitation was written all over her face.
“I wish I knew. I’ve never seen Marcela again, and I have no idea what happened to her.”
“You haven’t seen or heard from her since?”
“No. And I wasn’t interested in contacting her either.” He locked eyes with Karen, his heart on his sleeve, “Karen, can you ever forgive me? I’m so ashamed that I kept this from you, and riddled with guilt for hurting you. It’s been eating me alive the entire time we’ve been together, but I was so afraid you’d kick me to the curb when you found out.”
When Karen was quiet, he feared all was lost. “Karen?”
“Did you love her?”
“No.” He watched Karen for a moment and then saw her eyes harden and her face close down. She’s not going to forgive me.
Chapter 6
Karen stared at Robert, trying to process everything he’d said and organize her thoughts. In different circumstances she might have been able to muster up some compassion for the woman’s plight. But how could she forgive his lie? Or forget he was legally married to someone else? That was too much to deal with.
She squared her shoulders and forced her voice to remain steady. “Robert, thank you for explaining the whole story.”
“So, you forgive me?” he asked, hope in his voice.
Karen chose to ignore his question. “I cannot be with you while you’re still married to someone else. I won’t knowingly be the other woman any longer.”
“What?” He paled and grabbed onto the table with one hand as if he had to steady himself.
“As long as you’re married to her, we can’t be together.” With every word, her self-confidence became stronger. Yes, this was the right way to go, even if it meant she’d be crying from a broken heart for weeks and months to come.
“But, I haven’t even seen her in over four years,” he said.
“I don’t care. You either divorce her, or we’re through. For good.”
“Karen, you don’t understand what you’re asking.”
“No, you don’t understand.” Despite her best effort, her voice became brittle.
Robert paused for a long time and his steel-blue eyes became dark with pain. “It’s not only that I have no idea where she is, but there are legal ramifications for both of us. If it was ever discovered that our marriage was a fraud, not only would she be deported, but I could face a prison sentence of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000.”
“This is your problem. I can’t be with you if you’re still married to …” Her brain refused to remember the name of his wife.
“Marcela.”
“To Marcela.”
“Karen, this could ruin me. If I was to get convicted, I’d have a criminal record and my company would fire me immediately. Nobody else in Silicon Valley would hire me because they wouldn’t want to be under the scrutiny of the United States Immigration officials.”
Karen looked at him, loving him so much it hurt. Her heart wanted to forgive him, but her mind needed closure. No, she couldn’t go back pretending nothing had happened. If he wasn’t man enough to suck up the consequences and rather wanted to continue living a lie, he wasn’t the right guy for her. “You need to fix this. I don’t care how you do it, but until you file for divorce, I’m not coming back home.”
She noticed the look of desperation spread across his face and tried to hide the waver in her voice, focusing on her anger instead of the hurt. “You have four weeks to sort everything out.”
“Four weeks? Karen, that’s not enough time…”
“Four weeks, Robert. Not one day more. If you truly love me, you’ll figure it out in that time frame.” Then Karen couldn’t hold her emotions back any longer, pushed away from the table, and quickly left the coffee shop.
She didn’t turn around when he called out after her, nor did she acknowledge the greeting from the barista. She needed to get away to a place where she could cry by herself.
Over the next few days, she found herself sinking into despair. She was still staying with Peter and Rachel, and she was growing weary from trying to pretend she didn’t feel like crying all day long.
Rachel had expressed her worry on several occasions, and Karen had made a concerted effort to fool her best friend into believing she was handling her separation from Robert okay. She put on a brave face, and whenever things began to spiral downward, she would excuse herself on the pretense of needing to get some work accomplished.
In reality, she’d spend ten to fifteen minutes wallowing in self-pity and then pull up her big girl panties and get on with the act of living. She immersed herself in work, grateful she had something to fall back on. She didn’t want to become any more of a burden to Rachel than she already was, and that meant she needed to act as if life was moving forward.
Getting back to work was the best medicine for her broken heart. Her boss had assigned her a new project, and Karen dove right into translating the manuscript of a best-selling Spanish author into English. Thankfully it wasn’t a romance novel, but a fast-paced thriller.
She allowed herself to get absorbed by the story and as soon as she’d worked through the first page, she was transported into a different world, where heartache and lovesickness
didn’t exist. Since she was getting paid to not only read the book, but also translate it from Spanish to English, she gave herself over to the experience, allowing her imagination to run free, bringing the storyline to life and making sure future English readers would fall in love with the book.
But the moment she stopped working on the thriller, her mind reverted back to thoughts of Robert. She’d given him an ultimatum, and while she hadn’t actually expected it, she was still disappointed that since leaving the coffee shop, she’d not even received so much as a text from him.
She loved Robert. That fact had hit home when she’d sat across from him in the coffee shop. But not even her love for him would make her resign herself to a lifetime of feeling cheated and put in second place. If Robert truly loved her, he would get divorced, no matter what it took.
Karen hoped he felt the same way, because she couldn’t imagine a life that didn’t have him in it. The last week had been hard enough. Decades? No way.
Chapter 7
Robert was a wreck. The days after Karen walked out of the coffee shop were even worse than the days after she’d run from him at Lee’s wedding.
Even while he put on a brave face at work, his mind was stuck on the ultimatum she’d given him. Four weeks. Four weeks to find a woman he’d not seen or heard from in over four years.
On the third day, he sat in his office and pondered the manifestations of his success. His job. His house. His cars. His money.
Things that would bring joy to most people. But he had come to the realization that without Karen, none of it meant anything. If he couldn’t have her in his life, nothing mattered. She was his world. His life.
He had to take action or risk losing Karen forever. But five years in prison? That threat was the sticking point for him. He needed expert legal advice, before he could make an informed decision, and so he picked up the phone.
“George. Robert here. I need some help.” George Caldwell had been his legal voice for years, and Robert briefed him about the situation.
“Robert, that’s not an easy task. I wish I had the expertise to help you, but in this instance, you need a specialized divorce lawyer. Someone who knows all the ins and outs of gaining a divorce decree without the consent of one party.”
Robert cringed and then asked, “Happen to know anyone like that?”
“I wish I did. Let me put out some feelers and see what I can do.”
“Thanks, George.”
“I only wish I could have been of more help,” George said and hung up.
So do I. Robert buried his head between his hands, short of banging it onto his desk. He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there, his earlier hope fading away, when suddenly he remembered Lee.
She had been a divorce lawyer prior to quitting her job to move up to the mountain with Rocco and becoming an environmental lawyer.
I wonder if she’s back from her honeymoon yet? Deciding there was only one way to find out, he pulled up his computer contact list and located her cell phone. While he was waiting for the call to connect, he thought about how to explain his situation.
“Hello?” A female voice answered.
“Lee? Robert here, Karen’s boyfriend. Sorry to bother you.”
“Robert. What a surprise! No, you don’t bother me.”
“I’m not interrupting your honeymoon, am I?” He drew stick figures on a sheet of paper to contain his nerves.
Lee chuckled, “No. We got back yesterday. What’s up?”
Robert almost chuckled at the loaded question. If she only knew. He briefly explained his fight with Karen and asked to meet with her in person to discuss the situation surrounding his marriage. This situation called for a delicate touch, and the utmost confidence. He didn’t want to say too much over the phone. Just in case.
“Wow! You really know how to get in a mess.”
“Thanks. I guess the question is whether or not you’d be willing to help me out?”
“Rocco and I are heading up to the mountains, but I could stop in Santa Clara on our way. Would that work?”
“That would be perfect.” Tension he didn’t know was there left his shoulders and they sagged in relief.
“Why don’t you give me some more details…”
Robert interrupted her. “I don’t mean to be difficult, but I’d rather wait until we can discuss things in person.”
“Are things that serious?” Lee asked.
“They could be.”
“Well then, I’ll be in Santa Clara in a few hours. Where do you want to meet?”
Robert gave her his office address and said he’d be waiting for her arrival. Hopefully she would have some ideas for him. If not, he was screwed.
“So, let me get this straight,” Lee asked two hours later. “You got drunk, had a one night stand with a woman whose visa was about to expire, felt sorry for her, and married her so she wouldn’t get deported?”
He could see the shock on her face and hear it in her voice, but he stayed the course. “That’s about it. And before you say it, I know how stupid that was. I’ve regretted it for years, after she disappeared. I haven’t seen or heard from her in years.”
“Is that the only reason you haven’t sought a divorce before now?” Lee asked, jotting down a few notes into the notebook in front of her.
“Well, that, and until meeting Karen it didn’t actually bother me. You know, it was just a piece of paper.”
She rolled her eyes and then tapped the eraser of her pencil against her bottom lip. “You do know you need to get out of this marriage, like yesterday. Right?”
“I do, and that’s where I need someone with expertise. I need a lawyer skilled in divorces to walk me through this situation.”
Lee shook her head. “I’m not who you need. You should talk to Trevor Armstrong, my ex-boss. He’s a shark in the courtroom, and I watched him get marriages set aside that seemed impossible at the onset.”
“Could you arrange a meeting for me with him?” Robert asked.
“Sure, but you’d need to fly to Chicago.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“Okay,” she said, pulling out her cell phone.
Robert listened in shamelessly while she spoke to her old boss and arranged a meeting for him with the highly in-demand lawyer for two days later.
“Okay, you’re all set. Trevor is an interesting individual, but I think you two will get along well enough.” Lee jotted down Trevor’s office address and then smiled when her cell phone chimed, a picture of Rocco flashing on the screen.
Robert’s heart squeezed. He wanted to have again what they had.
“Rocco’s waiting downstairs,” Lee said. “Make sure you tell Trevor everything you told me. And if you remember anything between now and then, write it down and make sure you include that when you meet with him. Trevor has all sorts of resources and he’ll help you get to the bottom of this.”
Robert shook her hand and then walked her down to the foyer where Rocco was waiting with a bright smile on his face. “Hi, Rocco, thanks for taking time out of your trip to stop and let Lee meet me.”
“Sure, man. Hope she could help. I heard it was some kind of legal issue?”
Lee rushed into her new husband’s arms, before she turned to blow Robert a kiss. “Let me know how things turn out, will you?”
“Of course. If things work out, I’ll send you an invitation to the wedding.” Robert surprised himself with those words. As he headed back up to his office to get his secretary to rearrange his schedule for the rest of the week, he tried to figure out where his parting comment to Lee had come from.
Because you love Karen and can’t live without her. And the ultimate way of proving you love her is to marry her. It’s time to end your charade with Marcela. Way past time.
Robert landed at O’Hare Airport two days later and was pleased to see the town car he’d hired was sitting outside the terminal waiting for his arrival. He gave the driver the address to Parker & Armstron
g and then sat back to collect his thoughts.
He arrived at Trevor’s office with a few minutes to spare and spent them walking in the green space, hoping the coming meeting would yield results. Karen had given him four weeks, and the time was slipping through his fingers.
Robert entered the plush offices, gave the receptionist his name, and was immediately escorted back to a corner office that overlooked the city and lake beyond.
“Mr. Mitchell…”
“Robert, please,” he corrected Trevor Armstrong as he stepped further into the office.
“Robert,” Trevor acknowledged with a nod of his head and an easy smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Lee spoke highly of you.”
“As did she of you.” Robert shook Trevor’s hand and then noticed another man sitting on the couch off to the side.
“Robert, this is my cousin, Chuck Armstrong. He’s a private investigator, the best I’ve ever worked with. I took the liberty of inviting him to our meeting.”
Private investigator? Are they going to track Marcela down? Robert must have looked confused, because Trevor expanded, “After Lee’s briefing I thought we could need his services, but if you’d rather not…”
“No. That’s fine,” Robert said, and turned to Chuck, who’d risen from the couch. “I just hadn’t expected this. But you’re the expert here, not me.”
Trevor and Chuck each flashed a smile and it was obvious they were related. The same dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and most strikingly, the same gestures. Chuck was slightly smaller than his cousin Trevor, but more than made up for it with his broad frame that could belong to a MMA fighter.
“Nice to meet you.” Robert extended his hand to Chuck.
“Same here.”
“Robert, why don’t we have a seat on the couches and you can tell me the details about your case.”
“Sure.” Robert took a seat, knowing their choice of seating arrangement was designed to put him more at ease, but there was so much at stake here – he wouldn’t feel comfortable until Marcela was found, or Trevor found another way for him to achieve the divorce he needed.