Page 98 of Sweet Wicked Vows
“Was this meant to be our home?” He snuck a peek over my shoulder. “The color scheme definitely would have been the first to go. Not to mention the fact that it’s way too small. We always wanted something grander, didn’t we? Somewhere with a big front garden for our kids.”
Whatever game Laurence was playing, I was not in the mood.
“I don’t have time for whatever this is,” I clicked my tongue. “Goodnight, Laurence.”
A lazy, knowing smile curled on his lips before I could close the door. “Flynn passed along your details. The two of us had a rather interesting chat the other night at the boat club.”
It unsettled me that Flynn told him where I was living. I knew we were not on the best of terms, but I didn’t think he’d stoop as low as handing my ex-fiancé my home address without consulting me first.
“He’s quite upset with you,” Laurence said. “You know what your brother is like. After a bottle of vodka, he’s very loose-lipped. He lets all sorts of secrets slip, especially when he is upset.”
Time itself stilled.
“He told me all about your father, how it’s only a matter of days before he finally dies,” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me how sick he was?”
“Dad asked for us to keep it secret.”
Laurence rolled his eyes. “Of course, your father merely has to say jump and you will happily ask how high.”
“Did you honestly come all the way to stand here and insult me? Because if you have, then damn, your life truly is pathetic.”
“You do realize it’s the reason I ended it with you? Your utmost loyalty to your father. It’s not as endearing as you believe. The second he got sick, you fled back to him, abandoning me and our life without as much as a second thought.”
“He’s my dad!”
“Between him and that brother of yours. You always found a way to put them before me. I want a wife who is devoted to me, andonlyme. Your family always got in the way of that, and you let them.”
A strangled laugh burst from me at his utter absurdity.
Months of my life were wasted crying over him. Picking apart the four years we were together, trying to find the reason he walked away. I tortured myself, believing there was something wrong with me.
My love for my family killed my engagement.
“Flynn enlightened me about your situation,” he said. “He told me that your marriage stunt is nothing more than business.”
“He told you that?”
“Here I thought you went and married that fucker to try and make me jealous.”
I was stuck between slamming the door in his arrogant face and unable to move from shock. There were many times Flynn had been upset with me. His tantrums normally lasted a couple days, sometimes only hours.
The fact that he went behind my back to the man who left me completely brokenhearted and told him private things about my life, was a slap in the face.
Flynn was my brother. He was supposed to look out for me. Ialwaystried to do my best by him, always putting him first and keeping his head above water, always putting him and my dad first.
And this was how he repaid me?
“I’ve had a talk with a member of my legal team. They said they can help you file for divorce, maybe even swing for an annulment, if we play our cards right,” he said. “Couple weeks and then you will be rid of this mistake.”
I blinked several times. “Excuse me?”
A car’s engine echoed through the empty street.
“Don’t get me wrong, it will be expensive. Knowing what I know about the Dades and your lack of prenup, they will go after everything you have” He inspected his fingernails. “But we can spin that you married him during a moment of insanity. You weren’t in the right frame of mind. Whatever it takes to make your silly error in judgment go away.”
Was he being serious?
Laurence grabbed my hand, holding it between both of his. “I can fix this for you. We can find a way to make it work between us again.”