Licking Her Wounds

What the hell was going on? Evelyn frowned, tapping her foot restlessly. The thugs she'd hired to deal with Kate were not picking up her calls. 

And now, the bitch had gone off the radar. Nowhere to be found. Evelyn didn't like things like this. Her control was slipping and the whole plan was going to shit. She knew Kate had changed but something about the way she had looked that day in the living room was unsettling. 

But it's Kate, Evelyn thought with a touch of doubt--naive, simple Kate, what could she possibly be up to? 

Oh, the stress was getting to Evelyn. She primped and fussed over the mirror, another day like this and she'd start looking wrinkled. 

She dialled Alex's line on her phone. It went straight to voicemail. "For God's sake!" She screamed, smashing a perfume bottle against the wall. She'd thought that after Alex signed the divorce papers, he'd come back to her fully. But no, he became more and more distant, like he couldn't even stand the sight of her. It was all very frustrating for Evelyn. She'd done everything to erase Kate from their lives but she had refused to stay dead.

---

Alex couldn't get Kate out of his head. His thoughts kept returning to that very moment in the Lawyer's office when she'd told him she was done with him. It was like the rug was pulled out from under him.

When he'd made calls to keep track of her, his PI had come back with no news, it's like she'd vanished from the face of the earth. 

Alex went to stand in front of the window. Manhattan was spread before him in all its glory. Where are you, Kate? He wondered, staring into space, before eventually walking away when his question remained unanswered. 

It was time he closed the chapter of that book already. He had to. 

---

Evelyn was feeling pretty confident when Alex walked into her apartment that night.. "I've been trying your line for days now." She whined, helping him out of his coat. 

"I'm sorry, Evie," Alex said, looking apologetic and slightly drunk. "I was... I needed time to process all of it."

"Of course, of course, take all the time you need," Evelyn said sweetly, like as if she understood. But in her heart, she was filled with jealousy. She was angry he hadn't picked up her calls, she had made tantrums and cursed Kate out of hate. 

But now she smiled with pretence, hiding her true feelings. 

"I loved her dearly, you know," Alex said, "I remembered the first time we met, she was so full of life and beautiful. We had our problems but..." Alex rubbed his face with his hand. 

Enough already! Evelyn wanted to scream. I'm better than her, you should be happy I ended that miserable marriage of yours. 

"I know you are hurting right now, but just remember it's for the best," Evelyn said instead. "You'll get over it, I promise." 

Alex lifted his eyes to her, "You've been so understanding, Evelyn, thank you."

"I'll do anything for you, Alex. I love you so much." If only he knew the extent of what she had done and was willing to do to keep him by her side. 

She slowly massaged his shoulders, pleased when he sighed with pleasure. Oh, she was good. Having mastered the art of deception since she was little, Evelyn was used to getting her way. 

"I think we should go ahead and announce our relationship," Evelyn suggested, thinking it was a good time to broach the subject. "No use hiding it anymore. I mean the papers have already carried bits and pieces of it."

Alex's eyes snapped open. "Don't you think we should give it a bit more time. I just got divorced from Kate. What would people say?"

"Who cares what they say?" Evelyn blurted out before catching herself in time. "I mean, we shouldn't really care what they have to say, you are above them, Alex, their opinion doesn't count. Besides it won't be long before it leaks eventually. I think we should own the narrative."

Alex still wasn't looking convinced. "It could have a bad image for the company." 

"Not if we spin the tale carefully," Evelyn said, her face turning sly. 

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, looking confused. God men were so silly.

"We say you found out she was unfaithful, and that I was there for you. We dated once remember, it should be easy to--"

"No, absolutely not," Alex said, looking appalled. "Kate wasn't unfaithful, that is so distasteful Evelyn, I can't believe you would suggest that!"

Shit, it was still very early, maybe she pushed it too far. "Okay, fine, we don't say that, we say something else, Jesus!" Evelyn's frustration was getting the best of her. 

She saw that Alex was still looking at her strangely, as if seeing her clearly for the first time. She needed a way to salvage the situation.  

"Do you even care about me in all these, Alex," she sobbed, her voice breaking. "I've been the one there for you, I've been the one taking care of you, I've been the one there to listen to your complaints, do you even care I'm affected by it. Don't you even want to protect me too?"

She watched the look on Alex's face change from shock to guilt, and sure enough, he came to pet her. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I should have considered this might be a lot for you too. Forgive me." 

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's okay Alex, things will get better with time." 

 "Yeah, I suppose, it would," Alex said, stroking her back.

Evelyn's smile was triumphant. She always had her way. It didn't matter if that bitch had escaped her. She had taken everything that belonged to Kate. After all, Kate had no connection, or money, for all Evelyn knew she probably ran away licking her wounds. The bitch was gone for good and that was all that mattered.