Chapter 2 - Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

I pick up my phone and dial James' number. He doesn't pick up. I dial again. Nothing. I dial Nate's number, James' executive assistant.

"Hello Mrs. King. How can I help today?" Nate answers.

Finally! "Hi Nate. Can I talk to James, please? It's urgent and he's not answering his own phone."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. King. He's in a very important meeting and demanded not to be distubed."

"Nate, I am going to ask you a couple of questions, okay? And you are going to answer them. I know you signed an NDA when you became Mr. King's assistant so there are things you litterally cannot talk about. But you and I are on decent terms, right? Wouldn't you say?"

Nate hesitates in answering my questions "arhm....yes Ma'am."

Good. He's nervous.

He is an excellent assistant...now. I'd saved his job on more than one occation when he was still training to James' assistant-the hardest job in the world with impossible standards to fulfil. And I'd always said I'd come collecting one day. I meant it as a joke at the time, but he doesn't need to know that.

"When I ask you who he is meeting with right now, I know you cannot litteraly tell me. But if I guess correctly, you will say the words "Extra mustard, please" instead of yes. That way we go around your NDA and you are not in breach of your contract, okay?"

"...."

"Answer me, Nate." I demand

"Extra mustard, please" Nate says

I smile. "Good boy. Now...is Mr. King in a meeting with Carrie 'O´Malley? She's a redhead, skinny and probably all over him."

Silence followed.

The relief I felt was staggering.

"Is he meeting with his mother or any of his brothers?"

Nate was silent again

Okay, so far so good. "Is he meeting a client? Or anyone from the company?" I ask.

The silence continued.

Dread suddenly filled me.

Fuck...what if....

"Nate....is he....is he meeting with Dwyer?"

Silence...

Then Nate mumbles the words "Extra Mustard, please"

....

FUCK!

James is meeting with his family law attorney. The same attorney who wrote the prenup and contract I had to sign before the wedding.

"Thank you, Nate" I hang up and look at Jonathan. "It appears he is in a meeting with his family law attorney."

Jonathan swears quietly under his breath.

"Jonathan, I think I need to be alone, okay? I have to think. I need a plan...or at least what my next move is going to be."

Jonathans stands up quickly "suresuresure...of course! No problem! But you have to call me if you need anything! And I'll just tell the press no comment as usual." He picks up his jacket near the kitchen’s backdoor "The food was amazing as always! I love you. Talk later", and quickly leaves out the backdoor.

I sit in the quiet kitchen. I feel like my entire world just fell apart.

Is my sister already trying to get back with James?

With MY husband?

Couldn't they at least have waited until after we divorced first?

I pick up the remote to the smart tv in kitchen and turn it on. I've tried to avoid the news like the plague during my marriage to James as I discovered early on, online trolls are viscous!

Shit…there she was. It truly was her-I’d recognize her anywhere.

My sister, the harlot, is truly back in town. I know it’s mean to call her a harlot but I've never been close to Carrie and most of the time, we despise each other. I cannot stand the way she uses and treat people and manipulate our parents. She's without a doubt their favorite child. She just never wanted younger siblings. My brother was acceptable as he's older than her, but they're not close either. Me? She despises with her entire being...I'll even go as far as saying she truly hates me.

I happen to know that she had a very active "social" life in her years abroad. Nothing wrong with that. Whatever floats your boat, you know....But she was also very active during her college years but just never told James about it. I found out about it because before our marriage, I began dating a guy, Daniel, who to my horror, apparently had slept with Carrie during Junior year at Uni. He shared quite a bit of info about her reputation and their time together that just so happens to overlap with her being with James. Daniel also loved the idea of having slept with sisters, so he really pushed for us having a good time....to which I had to say...

No thank you very much!

I had to dump him...immidiately. I'm not touching my sister's leftovers....or...well...I guess I kinda am since Im with James now...at least publicly. But with the exception of him...no leftovers here.

Geez...They're on every channel!

My throat feels like it’s choking on air.

My hands are shaking.

My heart feels like its breaking...again.

On the screen Jamie seems to be protecting Carrie against a sudden bout of hail falling from the sky. He’s taken off his coat and is holding it over them and looking down at Carrie while she is pressing her body as close as she can get against his.

He never looks at me like that. They look like they're in love. Carrie's staring up at him as though he's the best thing she's ever seen. It kinda looks like she's hero-worshipping him.

Kinda like when I look at homemade bread I suspect.

And aid hands James an umbrella. Now he's protecting her from the rain with it and smiling gently down at her and she's cuddling into him. From certain angles he even looks like they're kissing as close as they're standing together.

I press 6 on the remote and tv changes channels. Oh....on the Starlight channel....there's no doubt. Carrie is on her toes and kissing James on the month...and certainly doesnt look like he's complaining about it. The host is commenting on the pictures on the screen "...is most certainly not Mrs. King! Though the woman on the picture does look a bit like Mrs. King. I mean, look at that nose and that chin. Similar, you know! Nevertheless, James King has some explaining to do to wifie at home! Or...well, the King is a very private man so maybe...maybe he's divorced without telling anyone? Although I doubt it. It seems more likely that there's trouble in paradise. Our perfect King might finally have found a vice in his nature that"

I turn off the TV.

I call James again. Still no answer. I call Theo, his budyguard. No answer. I call Rob, his personal assistant who’s with him 80% of the day. No answer, Have they been told to screen for my calls? Well…if he doesn’t want to walk to me….I pick up my phone and write a text message to James since the bastard wont pick up.

"5 years have almost passed and I can see on news that Carrie is back in town. Your inheritance should be secured and safe by now. I want a divorce. That way you can be with Carrie again and I can find my own happily ever after. You're welcome."

I reread the text. There. It doesn’t sound too pissed of or angry. More neutral and objective. A cooperative tone.

Im just about to press send when my phone rings.