Page 31 of Never Have We Ever
Chapter 9
For some asinine reason, André Dubois refused to respond to his wife’s cries for a divorce. Pride, was it? Or were these his true colors coming out?
It didn’t help that he also refused to talk to her, while also making it sound likeValeska’sfault.“I will not entertain these terrible accusations until you come to your senses. Start by reading my letters.”What thehell was that supposed to mean? Was it mud slung at Valeska’s lack of French skills?I get it, André, I do. I’m too stupid to be your wife. I’m too stupid to call this country my home.
It had never been her home. Not Paris, not Monaco, not any part of the Francophone world. They werefaçadesbuilt to give the illusion that she might have a place in them. Her children fit in better than she did.Every time Daniela cried for her papa, she did it in French, as if intending to slide a knife right into her mother’s heart.
The worst part? André wasn’t even in France. He had flown to Monaco to “attend to some matters” while leaving his broken home to further crumble in Paris.I’m not hanging around for this.Valeska had already started packing her things. Her sister had come down from Londonand insisted on helping, even though Hailey’s definition of “help” was sitting on her ass and using it as an excuse to escape her brood back in England.
“I honestly didn’t think you would respond like this, Leska.” Hailey lay across the master bed, watching her sister choose which clothes to get rid of and which to permanently take back to Vienna the following week. Pretty soon, the only peoplestill living in that Parisian townhouse would be the staff.Come back home and take care of this shit, André.Valeska hoped her departure would have that effect on him. Knowing her luck, however, he’d come track her down in Vienna and demand to take the kids back to Paris.
This was going to be a long, messy divorce, wasn’t it?
“How did youthinkI would respond? Were you and Mother of somesame mind?” Marlene had crowed over the phone that her daughter was a foolish brat for demanding a divorce. It didn’t matter how many times Valeska explained André had forced her hand by refusing to admit to his affairs. At that point, it was Valeska’s pride and self-worth on the line. André had forgone negotiations when he treated her like a stupid, naïve twit.
“For one,” Hailey said with asigh, “I thought you would go get yourself a boyfriend in retaliation. It’s about time you treated yourself to one.”
“Doyouhave a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Really?”
Hailey shrugged. “I love my husband and he’s been good to me? We have no need for other people.”
No shit. You guys keep having kids.There were as many stereotypes to throw at Hailey’s Irish husband as there were to heap upon FrenchmanAndré.I suppose I look like the raging German bitch.Everyone could go fuck themselves.
“I loved him too.” Valeska sat down at her vanity. “He had been good to me, too. Honestly, I saw the affairs coming, but… I can’t stay with a man who will deny them. I will not be married to a liar. How dare he insult my integrity like that?”
“Have you considered that he’s actually telling the truth?”
Valeska almost knocked over her face creams. “Are you kidding me? You saw the pictures Mom received. He was cavorting with the nanny atleast.I’m not going to let him get away with lying about fucking her in my own home. The kids are around and will only understand more as they get older. For all I know, they fucked in that bed.”
Hailey looked at it with sudden disgust.
“Yeah, okay, but haveyou considered that Mom is an overreacting woman with her own issues? Dad’s been cheating on her for years, and she’s convinced herself that it’s okay because she gets to keep his money and properties when he dies. She thinks it’s a price she pays for marrying rich. Do you know how many times she’s tried to convince me that Dillon is fucking our chef?”
“Is he?”
“No!”
“How do you know?”
Haileysat up. “Because I actually trust the asshole. The man is still head over heels in love with me. He told me he wanted ten kids with me. Can you believe it? I told him after this last one that I think I’m done. Time to retire the ol’ uterus and be happy with five kids in ten years. Know what he said?”
Valeska shook her head.
“He told me that our five children were more than enough to make himhappy ‘til his dying day. Okay, so I don’t get across how romantic he made it sound, but the truth is… that man picked me out of a crowd because he knew the cosmos had brought us together for a reason. Hell, Leska, who am I to turn down the cosmos?”
“Did you get religious during your marriage?”
“Maybe a little. You kinda have to go with it if you’re going to be Catholic in England.”
“I suppose.Never thought I’d hear you say stuff like that.”
“All I’m saying is that André always seemed madly in love with you. Maybe it’s not what you think.”
Valeska bit her lip in trepidation. “You think he was madly in love with me?”
