Page 51 of The Perfect Divorce

I alternate between applying the towel and the cold can against my skin while Carissa stands over me, watching and anxiously biting her nails.

She closes her eyes for a second, taking several deep breaths, in through the nose and then out through the mouth. “I’m really, really sorry, Bob.”

“It’s fine,” I huff. “Accidents happen, but do you have a first aid kit?”

Carissa gives me an odd look before nodding and scurrying off.

I hear a ruckus, things being dropped and moved around, and then she returns with a small kit. It takes two Band-Aids to fully cover the wound.

“If you wanna skip the haircut, I understand,” Carissa says, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I’m already here, so there’s no point in not getting my hair cut. Just keep the scissors away from my neck,” I joke, attempting to put her at ease.

She laughs nervously. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, but it’s on the house.”

I can’t accept that because I know she only makes enough to stay afloat. Plus, she’s had her fair share of problems and unfair circumstances. “How about this?” I look at her in the mirror. “I’ll pay for the haircut, and you’ll pay for my dry cleaning.”

Her eyes dance around my reflection until she finally says, “Deal.”

I stare back at Carissa, wondering why she hesitated or even had to consider my generous offer to begin with.

TWENTY-EIGHT

SARAH MORGAN

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jess asks, taking the envelope from my hand. She’s seated across from me, dressed in a muted pantsuit. “If we go this route, there’s no going back.”

“I’m sure.” I lean back in my chair, looking out the large windows that line the sidewall of my office. The morning sky is a sea of gray overstuffed clouds, ready to burst at any moment. Even they can only take so much before they fall apart.

“I just want to be certain,” Jess says. “I know initially your main goal was to keep your separation private and quiet, and I can’t guarantee that anymore with this route. If anything, I can guarantee the opposite. It will be messy.”

I swivel my head from the window. “It already is.”

“Okay, I’ll get it filed right away and will request an emergency hearing to expedite the process.” She slips the envelope into her briefcase and gets to her feet. “I’ll be in touch,” Jess adds as she heads for the door.

Before leaving my office, she pauses and delivers a sympathetic look. “Take care of yourself, Sarah.”

“I always do.”

Jess tightly smiles and exits my office, leaving me alone again. I didn’t want to have to go this route, but Bob has left me with no other choice. I know he’s got something up his sleeve, some plan he’s working on. The warning he whispered under his breath—or in prison—changed everything. Plus, I can’t trust him to take care of Summer. The one night he had her, she got hurt because of his negligence, and I can’t take that risk again—not with my daughter. I wanted this separation to be quick and quiet. But no, he had to make things difficult.

That reminds me. I pick my phone up from my desk and type out a text.

Hey, Alejandro. It’s Sarah. I just remembered that I forgot to pay you for your work.

Three dots appear on the screen seconds later, bouncing up and down.

Did u forget on purpose just so u can see me again?

Did you purposefully forget to ask for payment, so you could see me again?

His message hits my screen before I can even set my phone down.

...Maybe ;)

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