Page 34 of Wynns of Change
“It was a single scene with only you. Something about the angle was off. Steven assured me it won’t take long, maybe a couple of hours.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Harlow promised.
“I figured as much. He’s expecting your call.” Robert cleared his throat, a sign he had something on his mind or he was nervous. Judging by the sweat on his brow, Harlow guessed it was a little of both. “I’ve…uh…have been doing a lot of thinking.”
A sliver of hope bubbled up. Perhaps Robert had a change of heart about holding her to the management contract and was ready to hammer out an agreement to alter the terms. “About what?”
“About us. The divorce.” Robert hurried on. “We’ve had a good life together, Harlow. A great life. It seems a shame to throw it all away.”
“It does,” she agreed. “I’ll be perfectly honest…ending our marriage was the last thing I wanted. Your actions, showing so little compassion and caring after my accident, was a real eye opener. You basically washed your hands of me.”
Robert hung his head. “I know. Looking back, I guess I freaked out. I wish I could change how I handled things. Unfortunately, I can’t.”
“Not to mention sending someone here to spy on me.” Harlow rolled her eyes. “Why would you do such a thing? You also told people you thought I was having mental issues.”
His contrite demeanor disappeared. Robert’s eyes flashed with anger. “I never said you were having mental issues.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
“Maybe I made a comment or two out of concern, but I never told people you were a whack job or a fruitcake.”
“Look.” Harlow held up her hands. “There’s no sense in rehashing the past. My main concern is to avoid dragging the divorce out. It will only benefit the attorneys. We’re bothreasonable adults. The goal is to sell the properties, pay off our remaining debts, split what’s left down the middle and call it a day.”
“Except for the agreement. I’m one of the best in the business.”
It was true. Robert was very good…excellent at his job. He’d snagged some extremely lucrative deals for her. Picking ones that suited her personality, allowing her to shine on the big screen. “Let’s get through the divorce first.”
“What if I told you I don’t want a divorce?”
Harlow stared at her husband in disbelief. “I thought we agreed. Again, I hate to keep reminding you how crappy you were.”
“And I’m truly sorry.”
Before she could stop herself, Harlow blurted out, “What about Jillian?”
“I fired her.”
Her jaw dropped. “You fired Jillian?”
“Yes. I see now how we spent too much time together and how it hurt you.”
“I’m shocked. When…did this happen?”
“A couple of days ago. I’ve done a lot of soul-searching.” Robert’s tone grew earnest. “I’m sitting here asking you…begging you to reconsider. We can enroll in marriage counseling, try to figure out how we got so far off track. What do you say?”
Harlow’s mind reeled. “You caught me off guard. I need time to process all of this.”
“I understand. In the meantime, I’ve asked my attorney to hold off submitting a response.” Robert picked up the menu. “I’m starving. I see they have some healthy dishes for you.”
Out of habit, her husband rattled off what he thought Harlow should order.
In the few short minutes since Robert dropped the bombshell of wanting to reconcile, it became crystal clear to Harlow he hadn’t changed. Despite his apologies and wanting to start over, he was the same controlling spouse he’d always been.
The server arrived, ready to take their order.
“You go first,” Robert said.
“I’ll have a fried chicken sandwich with extra mayo and French fries.”
