When we’d separated, our finances were frighteningly easy to divide. We closed our joint account at the bank and each set up our own. We both agreed to leave our meager savings alone for the time being and I trusted him not to touch it.
Besides, the amount was so insignificant that if he used every penny, I really wouldn’t have been that upset.
Although, I never would have told him that.
The only thing we still shared was our cell phone bill, which he’d offered to continue to pay for until our contract was up and we could go separate ways without paying astronomical fees.
I had been the breadwinner anyway and other than student loans, utilities and our mortgage, we didn’t have many other bills. Our parents had helped furnish our house and we’d accumulated our possessions slowly enough that there was nothing to pay off. He had his credit card, I had mine.
I had always paid the majority of our bills, so I got to keep the house. He moved out. It only seemed fair that I keep paying the mortgage and utilities.
It was a little depressing how easy our finances had been to split. At the time, I expected more of a struggle… more of a fight. But we’d dealt with everything as cleanly as we’d ended our marriage.
As I packed up my classroom for the day, I wondered how he could afford his legal help. It was seriously bothering me.
Where was the money coming from?
His parents?
No way. They had plenty of money, but he would never ask them.
At least I didn’t think he would.
Was he that desperate to screw me over in the divorce that he would go to his parents…?
I thought they liked me. Maybe our relationship had been strained and forced, but no more than their relationship with Nick. They’d never been close.
Nick had always been the wild rebel child that his successful parents couldn’t take seriously. And they had always been the part of his life he politely tolerated. I thought I had created some kind of peaceful bridge between them.
Apparently not.
Apparently, they hated me as much as Nick did.
Sure, I hadn’t heard from them once since Nick and I separated, but I didn’t think they wanted to take all of my earthly possessions and leave me out in the cold.
They had always been nice. Distant, but nice.
Apparently distant-but-nice meant they had been harboring some kind of intense hatred for me. At least they had something in common with Nick now.
Kate Carter, bringing families together since 2008.
You’re welcome.
If Nick was that desperate to ask his parents for money, then he really did want to make me suffer.
I dropped my coffee thermos on the floor as my entire world began to spin out of control. Nick couldn’t hate me this much.
Sure, we’d had a rocky marriage, but did I deserve this? Was I that terrible of a person?
“You dropped this.”
I nearly screamed at the intrusion. I snapped out of my internal breakdown and blinked Eli into focus.
“Oh, my god. You scared me.” My hand landed on my fluttering heart and I sucked in enough oxygen so my brain could process his sudden appearance.
He gave me a playful smile. “You’re kind of easy to sneak up on.”
Nick’s words bounced around in my head. You’re ridiculously easy to surprise.
Was I?
“Sorry,” I tried to smile. “I was lost in my head.”
Eli’s smile turned patient. “I gathered.”
He held out my coffee cup and I took it from him. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He shifted on his feet while I tried to collect my wits. “So, uh, you looked a little panic stricken when I walked in. Is everything okay?”
I nodded without thinking.
“You sure? You’re a little pale. Do you want to sit down?”
I looked down at my desk self-consciously. It took me a few minutes to figure out what I wanted to say. I had trouble disentangling myself from my riotous thoughts. Finally, I lifted my gaze to bravely meet his and asked, “Am I a terrible person?”
Eli’s eyebrows lifted with surprise. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “I just need to know if I’m a complete bitch. I can’t tell.”
“Well that should tell you something,” he said with no small amount of amusement.