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William’s laugh sent a shiver down her spine. “Where are the police reports? The hospital notes? Where is there any proof that I ever laid a finger on you – except in the way you wanted?”
Her cheeks flared with a bright pink. “You know you hit me,” she responded, her cool tone slightly weakened by the shaking in her voice. “You might want to lie about it here, but you hit me.”
“I’m afraid that’s your word against mine. And who would believe you? A broke single mother, with dubious friendships.”
“Oh my God!” She snapped, rolling her eyes. “You’re unbelievable. You emptied my bank account! That’s why I’m broke. And I’m a great mom, single or not. As for my dubious friendships, you can talk! Jeez, William. What’s this all about? What do you want from me?”
The room was so silent, a falling pin could have been heard as it dropped to the carpeted floor. “That’s simple, Chloe. I want you back.”
Her legs were shaking beneath the table. “No.”
“Yes,” he demurred. He turned to his lawyer and nodded. Ian reached into his briefcase and pulled out two documents, stapled together. He handed one to Chloe and one to Clint. “This is what I’ll be seeking in our divorce – if you decide to proceed.” He leaned back in his chair, his smile supercilious on his handsome face. “If, however, you come down off your high horse and move back into our home, I’ll forget all of this ever happened.”
Chloe felt the breath evaporate from her body, as she lowered her gaze to the document and began to read it. Disbelief piled upon outraged disbelief as the lengths William was willing to go to were revealed in black and white.
“You honestly think you’d get full custody?” She asked sharply, her eyes enormous in her face. “You don’t even want her, Will. You don’t know a thing about her. You haven’t even asked for so much as a picture!” She sucked in a deep breath. “Why are you doing this?”
His laugh was like fingernails on a chalk board. “Because I want you, darling. Back in our home. Back in my bed. Back in my life. If that means she has to be part of the deal, then so be it.”
“Oh my God.” Chloe turned beseeching eyes on Clint, who was frustratingly calm beside her. Say something, she implored him, but he only shook his head slightly from side to side.
“We’re playing to win, Mrs Ansell-Johns. You need to think long and hard about just what you hope to achieve by going through with this.”
“I hope to achieve my freedom, Mr Walsh. My freedom from a man I married when I was a stupid teenager, far too young to know any better.”
“But you’ll never be free of me,” William pointed out coldly. “Not while we share a daughter. You’ll forever have to put up with me in your life in some way or another.”
Nausea made her vision blu
r.
“Thank you for the information,” Clint responded with a curt nod. “We’ll review it and be in touch.”
Three of the four of them stood. Chloe couldn’t. Her legs were shaking so badly she wasn’t sure they’d hold her weight.
“Chloe.” It was William. His voice cut through the room, and scored marks straight into her heart. “Come with me. Let’s have coffee and talk. Maybe the two of us can work this out.”
“My client won’t be having any conversations with you without her representation present,” Clint responded forcefully, before Chloe could express her own disgust.
“Fine,” Ian said, baring his even, white teeth. He reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of yellow paper. “Here’s our petition for immediate access to the child. We’ll see you in court.”
The words were still slamming through her mind when she took the lift to Hendrix’s office afterwards. “Oh my God,” she said to herself, moving through the spacious foyer without taking anything in. “Oh my God.”
It couldn’t be happening. It was a dream. No. A nightmare.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” One of his assistants forestalled her, but Chloe didn’t hear.
Here’s our petition for immediate access to the child. Ellie! “Oh my God.”
“Ma’am? Mrs Ansell-Johns?”
Chloe’s hand was on the door to his office. All she needed was to see Hendrix. She needed to feel his arms around her. Hell, she needed him. In every way. She was kidding herself to pretend that she wasn’t hooked on him.
“Ma’am! Excuse me! Do you have an appointment?”
Chloe finally startled, shaking her head and focussing her attention on the woman. “Yes,” she said simply, pushing the door inwards.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the assistant followed behind Chloe. “I know you said you weren’t to be interrupted, but …”
