“I’ll assume that was Michael.”
“Why don’t you record that, Leon? You and Michael will enjoy watching my social missteps repeatedly, I have no doubt. With the right camera angle, you could create an incredible meme.”
Juliette meant to say this, but she didn’t owe him loyalty or friendship. He dated a woman who wanted to destroy her simply for existing.
“I never took that video. All I did was bring it to Michael’s attention. After all, as his wife, he deserved to know it existed.” His jacket shifted as he straightened and shrugged his wide shoulders.
Michael and Leon were a pair of trust fund babies with looks, education, and wealth. People sought their company for the sake of appearances. They needed to scrape the women off, even as those women fought for their attention. Even now, women vied for Michael’s attention to take Juliette’s place. Michael never refused a fun time with them.
“Leon, I don’t care. I’m tired, and there’s a room full of people waiting for Michael. It's time to inform everyone the party’s over.
“I’ll do that for you.” Leon was offering what? Kick everyone out? What excuse would he use? “Look for what it is. I’m sorry. But I offered. Don’t blame me when you do it.”
“Nothing changes. I’ve done it all. I put in all the effort. For what? Never mind, I’ll suck it up.”
“So, you’re having a pity party?”
“No.”
“If you say so.” The doorbell rang, interrupting any more conversation between Leon and Juliette. Walking to the door, she half expected Aria to be there, looking for her boyfriend, Leon.
It wasn’t Aria. “Can I help you?”
“I have a delivery for Mrs. Juliette Barron or Mr. Michael Barron.” He read their names from an envelope in his hands.
“I’m Ms. Juliette Monroe Barron.” The man handed her the envelope as if it held something toxic.
“That’s for you. Enjoy your party and try to have a good evening.” The man quickly rushed off to summon an elevator.
Juliette could feel her guests’ curiosity, and with Leon’s gigantic frame looming behind her. She was extremely self-conscious of this odd delivery.
“What’s that?” Juliette wasn’t sure what she expected, but for Leon to pretend that he didn’t know floored her.
Juliette caught the return address logo on the envelope and knew it was from the firm Michael used for his private legal needs. All their contracts came from them.
She should have known Michael set this up to ensure it had the maximum impact on her. Juliette wouldn’t cry, she was determined not to.
“I’ll wait for you to get your phone out and start recording this. It’s probably best to go along with his preferred method.”
“Juliette, what is going on? Who was that at the door?”
“One moment, please Tiffanie. Leon should record this for the record.” Juliette couldn’t stop her voice from faltering as she spoke.
“Leon, she’s, our host. It’s the least you can do.” Juliette didn’t care who said what anymore. Assuming this was her belief, she would hardly, if ever, see them after tonight.
“Fine, I will.”
Under pressure from the crowd, Leon quickly recorded the room on his phone before turning it on Juliette.
“I suspect what is in here and it’s fine.” Juliette said, but it wasn’t fine. After this, she had to push up the date of everything and she worried she wasn’t ready.
“Is it a deed for a house? A yacht? Or a new car?” A guest asked as everyone watched her open the envelope. Juliette knew it wouldn’t be a gift. He didn’t give her gifts or things of value. He’d toss a little money her way in hopes she’d go away.
The thick stack of documents slipped smoothly from the envelope. They didn’t clear the envelope fully before Juliette saw the words, Separation and Divorce Agreement.
“Oh, come on! Let everyone see what he got you?!”
“What no key?!”
Some people genuinely believed Michael would get her something like that, and they voiced their thoughts. The women here expected the designer bags and fashion trips to Paris. Juliette expected what she got. Michael had finally found her replacement.
“I guess he’s really not coming home tonight. I’m sorry, there’s nothing to celebrate with everyone. You witnessed both the beginning and now the end.” She stepped over to the secretary desk and took a pen from it.
Everyone witnessed her sign in several places before she turned to show the documents with her signature in place. Juliette made sure that Leon’s video caught everything.
“I’m sorry, but I’d like everyone to leave now. I must pack my things. Leon, were you wondering if you could do something? Please make sure everyone picks up their gifts as they leave. Thank you. Have a good evening, everyone, and again, I’m sorry.” She said in a firm voice that sounded brittle.
Juliette returned the pen to the desk and grabbed a business card from her purse. Her expression was blank, and she moved mechanically, as if on autopilot.
The party goers were stunned in silence as they moved out of her way. Juliette left the door to Michael’s home office open as she entered.
Juliette put the signed documents on the desktop of Michael’s antique mahogany desk with the business card.
With that done, she left the office. Sabrina Jenkins, wife of one of Michael’s country club friends, stopped her as she walked past. “What are you going to do, Julie?”
‘Julie’ that was a name Michael wouldn’t let anyone call her. He wouldn’t let them call her anything but Juliette Monroe.
“I’ll be fine. You won’t see me at the spa weekend this month. Have a nice life.”
“Will you visit the club this weekend?”
“No. It’s Michael’s membership. I was only ever his plus one. Just go home Sabrina and enjoy your life.” Juliette’s smile wasn’t one of happiness and it fell short of her eyes.
Leon was still recording the reactions of everyone as they left, but he recorded Juliette’s words. When she took two full bottles of wine from the kitchen and disappeared into the master bedroom, Leon figured she’d gone to unwind with a bath and drink like every woman he knew.
Leon stood amidst the remnants of the party after seeing the last guests out.
When he turned off the music, the condo fell into silence he’d expect to hear in a tomb.
Leon punched in Michael’s phone number. Michael didn’t answer, so he left a message.
“You’re really a piece of work, friend. You give your wife divorce papers for your third wedding anniversary. Cold dude, real cold. She had a room full of guests waiting to help you celebrate your anniversary when she received the papers. Everyone saw them. I think you better get home before she’s gone. Dude, you fucked up badly this time.” Before he disconnected the call, he added. “It’s too late anyway if you don’t try. She signed the papers in front of witnesses and made me record a video.”
Before Juliette left the living room with her laptop bag, purse, and overnight bag, Leon didn’t have a chance to put away his phone. She had little with her when she stopped in front of him.
“Please send that video to me first. Here’s a phone number you can text it to.”
She handed him a slip of paper with a phone number he didn’t recognize written on it. “Whose phone number is this?”
“Not important. I just want the video saved.” She stood there, staring at his hands. He didn’t have a choice. Sure, this would screw with Michael’s plans, whatever they were. But Juliette wasn’t like Aria portrayed her, and Leon felt guilty for his part of being a jerk to her. Leon thought Juliette was good for Michael, despite his crap. If Michael wanted it to end, it would be done.
“Fine. If you want it, I see no reason not to give it to you. Which hotel are you staying at tonight?” He wanted to know what he could. Anything to have one over on Michael. If he asked, Leon would say something, but if he didn’t ask, Leon would give him nothing.
“I’m not. I’m leaving. That’s all you must know. Michael can now communicate with my lawyer if he needs anything from me.”
“If you’re not staying in a hotel, where are you going to stay?”
“Leon, you’re as bad as Michael. You made sure everyone knew who your friends were, and I wasn’t one. Why would I tell you where I’m going? Why would you care? So, you can tell Michael? So, this can continue? Sorry, but it’s not your business to know. You didn’t earn it.” Leon wasn’t expecting this reaction from Juliette.
Juliette was sunshine and rainbows. She always spoke kindly to everyone. He’d never in all the years he’d known her, heard she’d never refrained from answering a question.
Leon was uncertain how to handle this. He knew she’d been drinking, and he could see she’d been crying as well. Leon also knew that she didn’t drive and used Michael’s driver’s service.
“Do you want me to call for a driver? Or can I take you somewhere?”
“Leon, no, you won’t do that.” She looked at her phone when it pinged and nodded. “Thank you. Have a good life, Leon.”
Juliette took a jacket he’d never seen from the hall closet. She set her bags down to don a simple, old black coat over a sweater and jeans. She’d changed out of her emerald cocktail dress and wore no jewellery, but she still wore her makeup.
“Aren’t you going to speak to Michael? Maybe there was a mistake made?” Leon knew he needed to stall her as long as possible until Michael arrived. However, Leon sensed the diminishing likelihood of rectifying the situation, uncertain if Michael had received his message or his current activities.
Juliette’s laugh sent goosebumps slithering over his skin. “Michael always knows what he’s doing. I received my walking papers. Let’s go. It’s time to leave.” She walked to the door and held it open for him to leave first. Leon surveyed the messy condo.
“What about the cleanup?” His well-manicured hand directed their attention to the mess in the large living room.
“That mess is no longer my problem once I signed the separation and divorce papers.” He followed her out. But he couldn’t escape the feeling Juliette wasn’t in a good mental state. He questioned himself if he should insist, he stay with her.
“I really believe you should stay and speak with Michael, Juliette. This is wrong on too many levels.”
“Not my problem anymore, Leon. Go home and forget about tonight. Oh, and don’t forget to show Michael the video. I’m sure he’ll find satisfaction from what you recorded and how easily he got what he wanted.”
By now, the elevator stopped at the main lobby. Juliette stopped at the concierge’s desk and left her key card there with instructions to return the card to Mr. Barron when he returned home.
She next poked and fussed with her phone. After finishing, she glanced up to find Leon still there, silently observing her with a peculiar expression. If Juliette didn’t know any better. Leon was worried about something. It wasn’t her problem anymore.
“Goodbye Leon. Go home. I don’t want or need your kind of help.”
“Fine.” That’s when he left without saying goodbye. Juliette figured that was typical of his personality to people he believed were inferior to him. What Leon didn’t tell her was he decided he’d follow her. He rushed to recover his Benz from the parking garage and brought it around to the front of the condo building in time to see Juliette climb into a cab.
Leon followed the yellow cab through the crowded streets because he knew this was a shit-show of Michael’s making and Juliette always ended up knee deep in its consequences. He kept wondering why she allowed herself to be injured by Michael’s actions. Leon worried Juliette would injure herself one day when Michael went too far, and she wouldn’t be able to get past her humiliation. Juliette knew two things on her wedding day about the prenup agreement they had forced her to sign. Michael kept everything from before and during the marriage, and she would receive nothing. Michael ignored a minor detail saying that anything she created during the marriage belonged to her. Since he’d destroyed anything, she’d brought into the marriage and believed he’d kept a tight rein on the money he gave her to use. Michael also believed he’d made it impossible for Juliette to work so that he could keep her where he wanted her. Despite Michael’s efforts, Juliette found a way to work and
-Three Hours Earlier- Michael Barron sat in his office overwhelmed by many unfinished projects. There were several prospective acquisition propositions to be assessed and approved. Another long evening awaited him at work. He refrained from complaining as he battled the urge to read the private investigator’s report on his wife. Michael couldn’t understand his fixation on something irrelevant. He battled several emotions after the investigator informed him, she either was having an affair with some foolish author or she planned to leave him. Regardless, she no longer visited the spa and was now renting an apartment. She had him paying for her love nest. That irked him to no end. Michael knew he needed to call her and ensure she avoided him. He couldn’t face her right now. Michael felt he would harm her or do something completely in appropriate. He knew it was too late about the latter problem. He’d called his personal lawyer and orde
“Micky, are you in a mood? Can I help you make it better?” Aria pouted as she leaned on the glass top of his desk, knowing she gave him a full view down the top of her blouse. The woman’s loose blouse revealed everything, since she wasn’t wearing a bra. She clearly offered him whatever he wanted. He wanted a moment of procrastination. Maybe he could forget it was her lips wrapped around his cock? He was also uncomfortable with that. Lately, he’d found he wasn’t interested in other women touching him intimately. Michael would usually brush it off as some weird anomaly. He was uneasy about testing a suspicion he had. Either he had lost interest in sex, or only his current wife could satisfy him. That part currently bothered him. What if he found his desired second wife before the five years were over? He pondered his desires too; what if he found his next wife less enticing than Juliette? Was his desire for her stronger now? Or could Aria make him forget? She used to do
Eventually, he tried to sleep, but that wasn’t working for him. He’d made her sleep with him and now he was used to holding her. Now a pillow was a poor substitute for her soft curves, even though it smelled like her shampoo and her. By morning, he was in an increased foul mood. Angry, he went to cancel her bank and credit cards. Her gym membership and her country club membership card. But he found he was too late. The cards and accounts had already been cancelled. In utter frustration, he texted her phone. [Where are you? Come home right now. This is ridiculous and absurd. We need to talk now.] The reply he expected to get never arrived. What he received was this: [I am home. The separation and divorce papers are all signed. The guests observed me signing the papers, and I have dated everything.] [They are on your desk in your home office. I added a business card to the pile with my lawyer’s contact
Juliette’s morning started out differently from her usual morning. She didn’t set her alarm, having slept in for once, because she could. If sleeping until seven in the morning counts as waking up late. Last night she took care of what she called ‘operation clean break.’ She cancelled her life with Michael, packed up the remains of it when she finished, and sent the pieces back to Michael. Actual pieces, she’d cut every card into many pieces. Let him figure out what he received. The last payment, thankfully, made to pay him back for paying her student debt, was in the bank account before she cancelled her card. She was free to start her new life without him. The payment was slightly larger, but she wanted to finish before he caught on. He’d argue about it until he had his way, and she was bound to him financially again. Despite all her efforts the previous night, she still experienced a moment of panic upon waking up naturally, without the aid of her
Michael received no answer when he went to the apartment building Juliette was supposed to have her love nest in. It annoyed him, but he came up with a phone number for this A.K. Crusader and when he called it, no one picked it up. It went straight to voicemail. A voicemail message clearly recorded by Juliette played. “Leave your name and number with a brief message.” This was only getting stranger as he went along. Michael didn’t want to talk to her lawyer. He wanted to talk to her. His investigator claimed he’d followed her and found her meeting with two men. One who followed her as she went shopping before returning to this apartment. They left shortly after arriving. A quick call to the investigator told him he was sitting outside of her lawyer’s office and the man went inside with her. Was this man A.K. Crusader? Michael wanted to know. “Who is he? Is he, her lover?” “I’m unsure about that currently, but he follows her around like a lost puppy dog. I’ve not seen them kiss o
“Aria, what are you doing tonight?” “Oh, I don’t know. What am I doing? You tell me Michael.” He briefly glanced at his phone. Didn’t she run out of his office last night with her lipstick smeared over her lips? She was embarrassed because Leon called him while she was trying to give him a blowjob. This was another strike against her. Michael knew he couldn’t stand to have a stupid wife. She’d have to prove she’s smarter than she sounds right now for him to even entertain the idea. “Not now, maybe later Aria. I need to get into an art gallery this evening for a private showing. It’s the Levee Gallery. Are you familiar with it? Would you have a connection there? Who could get us in there?” Michael waited for the disappointed whine from her when she realized this wasn’t a booty call. “Oh, that’s perfect Michael. I thought I’d have to miss it all together, because I would not attend alone. Nothing more boring than wandering as the const
Julie entered the bathroom in a hurry. She didn’t want to miss anything. Julie wanted Hugh Dawson, the artist, to see her as acceptable. Who’d been sweet enough to do her book covers for nothing but only for her mention that he’d created them for her? She mentioned every time he made the covers for her. With three books published, his name appeared on each cover as the cover’s creator, beneath her name as the author. Tonight, Hugh wanted to unveil publicly the cover of her fourth book for her to thank her for the exposure of her books gave his work. Rising Tides and Passions Voyage, was her latest novel, a second chance romance of two single people on a couple’s cruise. Julie was nervous he’d expose her identity in his showy excitement. She told Hugh that she’d be here, but she didn’t want him to identify her as the author. Juliette stressed that this was his event, and she didn’t want to detract any attention from him. She wanted to avoid people seeking photos or autographs from her.