Page 29 of Never Have We Ever
She couldn’t bite her tongue any longer. “How long have you and Lena been fucking?”
André’s face dropped. “Excusez-moi?”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Somehow, saying this in English was more satisfying than German. “I know that you two are cavorting like lovers. I want to know how long it’s been going on, and if there have been other women.” Valeska pulledher notebook out of her bag and opened it to her list of carefully curated demands. She thought five was a perfectly good number. She had started with ten, though. “Spare me anything that makes it sound like you think I’m dumb. I don’t have time for it.”
André remained too flummoxed to speak. The few words that did burst from his throat were so French that Valeska had to pretend she understoodhim.
“Eight years, André. It’s been over eight years of marriage, and this is what it has come to. You fucking the God damned nanny, even when I’m home.”
“Why do you say this?”
Valeska hadn’t wanted to do this, but she came prepared. As soon as her phone was out of her bag, she had the photos of André and Lena in Monaco out for him to see for himself. “Do you care to explain this?”
“Howdid you get a photo like this?” André scoffed at the pictures. “What do you think you see? Because it is nothing.”
“Nothing? I have other photos, André. Don’t you worry how I got them. All I know is what I see… and that you would never find pictures of me like this with another man, because I have been nothing but monogamous with you.”
“And I…”
“Don’t embarrass us both, André.” Valeska carefullyplaced her purse in a chair and glanced around the room they had called theirs since returning from their honeymoon eight years ago.Do you remember that honeymoon, André? We barely left the hotel rooms. You made me feel like the most spoiled bride in Europe. So much loving attention. Now what?Would he throw it away for another woman’s pussy? Maybe Marlene was right. The whole world truly didrotate around one man’s cock – and every man was convinced it was his.
André took a large step back. “I have nothing to say to such baseless accusations. I can see that you will believe whatever you wish. Did your mother tell you this? Or your sister?”
“You leave them out of this. Because this isn’t about them. It’s about us and our marriage. The way I see it, we have two options.” Valeska handedhim her notebook. “We can either get a divorce, or we can amicably stay together for the sake of our children and our images. Either way, I have demands.”
This was a conversation they should have had six years ago. If only Valeska had not been blinded by her naïve love back then. Perhaps she could have saved herself a heaping of heartache.
***
Valeska had foolishly believed that Andréwould fall in line and agree to placate her in return for her marital compliance, but the bastard adamantly maintained his innocence until she had no choice but to turn on Lena for proof.
“Are you kidding?” She was as pale as the lace doilies on the coffee table. “I would never do such a thing! Monsieur Dubois and I are simply friends! Like you and me!”
Unless the nanny confessed, Valeska didn’thave a chance at getting her husband to also confess. So much for diplomacy. This marriage was about to go nuclear. Because not only had they disrespected her by going behind her back, but they dared to deny any relationship at all. They truly thought she was a fool, didn’t they?
Fine. She would show them what a fool she was. She would start by filing for a divorce.
The day the papers wereserved to André in their own home was a bittersweet one.
The man had been sulking for days. He had even canceled one of his business trips.To think, I would have celebrated such an occasion not too long ago.Valeska used to dread her husband’s departures and having to sleep alone once more. Now she couldn’t wait to leave this house.
They were no longer sleeping together now. Lena was removedfrom the house, and André took up temporary residence in the spare bedroom next door. The only one who noticed that something was amiss Daniela, who cried when Lena left.
André took to coddling her. Valeska allowed it, but only because she didn’t know what to tell her daughter.
Now, with his demeanor decrepit and his posture positively destroyed, he sat on the window’s ledge in the spare bedroomwhile Valeska’s lawyer presented him with an announcement of an intent to divorce.
His scathing look when the lawyer left and he was alone with Valeska insinuated that it would be a long, grueling divorce.
“I don’t want the house,” Valeska announced from the doorway. “I’ve already told you that. I daresay that the only thing you might contest is the custody of the children.”
He said nothing.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t want to disturb their childhoods. I intend to take them back to Austria with me and attend school there. They can go to the same schools my sister and I attended. Of course, they can come visit you during holidays. Daniela loves it here, anyway, but she’s young enough to weather such a big change.”
André slammed the papers onto the floor.
“Fine.” Valeska didn’tlet him see her tremble. “Be that way. Let me know when you’re capable of an adult discussion. It would be a nice change of pace.”
