“Claire, don’t play games. You’re not making any sense.”
“I can assure you, this isn’t a game. I gave you an out, similar to the one you presented to me years ago. You may leave, with your freedom and a new identity. Being the generous person I am, I left you one million dollars—of your money—which is more than you gave me when you divorced me.” Claire heard an exasperated humph on the other end of the line. She waited, but when Tony didn’t speak, she continued, “That’s enough to support you for the rest of your life. You may need to cut a few coupons, but I believe you’ll eat regularly, otherwise, you may agree to be with me, on my terms, and we’ll work together to right some wrongs. The choice is yours.”
“Are you serious?”
“Am I serious? Well, I realize you’ve been removed from your life. I realize your reputation has taken a hit. I also realize your company is suffering. I can’t and won’t take responsibility for most of that, but believe me, I know what it’s like to have your entire world turned upside down.” She waited; he didn’t respond. “I also know who’s done this to both of us. I know that disappearing for a while is our best option, and most importantly, I want to spend my disappearance with you. Do you want to spend yours with me?”
He exhaled. “Claire, I’d give up everything in the world to be with you and our child.”
“Tony, that’s not enough for me. I want you—I want our baby—and I want our life back. Will you help me?”
When he didn’t immediately respond, Claire’s heart dropped. Would he take the out? “Tony?”
“I want it all too. What do you mean, your terms? Who did what to us? And who told you about the money?”
“Really, Tony? How many people knew about it? How many people would consider us both children of children?”
Claire waited as tears, once again, coated her cheeks. He was supposed to understand, forgive and trust—that’s the scenario she’d imagined. That was what she planned. Unable to contain the sound of her cries, Claire took a ragged breath and lay back on the bed. While she waited for Tony to respond, she felt their child moving within her.
When she, once again, heard his voice, she immediately knew it wasn’t the tone she’d hoped for. “Are you and our baby safe?”
She managed to say, “Yes.”
“Claire, if I call this number again, will you answer?”
Her head nodded, but her lips wouldn’t communicate the same message. Damn him! Didn’t he understand she’d been through hell too? “Are you saying you don’t want to be with us?”
“No”—he lowered his voice—“You don’t understand what I’ve been through.”
She clenched the ring on the golden chain. “Tony, it hasn’t been easy for me either. I need you—we need you.” It was more of an admission than she wanted to make, but somehow she wanted to make him understand.
He repeated, “Will you answer?”
Claire knew he didn’t like to repeat himself. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she said, “All I wanted from you was a simple yes. Was that so difficult?”
“Will you answer?”
She couldn’t lie; then again, she couldn’t be truthful. At that moment, Claire wasn’t sure of what she’d do. “I don’t know, Tony. Will you call?”
“I don’t know.”
The line went dead...
For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth.
—Bo Bennett