Chapter 7
Back when I first married Samuel, I tried hard to integrate him into my circle of friends. But he always found them childish, saying he couldn’t relate. Eventually, he even started pulling me out of our gatherings, insisting he didn’t want me “picking up bad habits.”
I knew it wasn’t that; he felt out of place around my peers, most of whom were younger, and his insecurities flared. I tried to understand and saw them less, but I never cut them off. I stayed in touch through a second account, sharing my frustrations with them.
When news of the divorce broke, my friends were ecstatic, celebrating that I’d “finally seen the light.” They came from all over to cheer me on.
At city hall, as I signed the papers, I noticed Lila’s child staring blankly into space. It struck me as odd. Given my mom’s background as a pediatric specialist and my training in pediatric neurology, something seemed off. The child might have cerebral palsy, possibly a rare genetic disorder.
I mentioned it as a warning.
Samuel shoved me. “How dare you curse a child? I’m an expert, unlike you, a dropout. I know better.”
I smirked. “Believe it or not, that’s on you. I’m just speaking my mind.”
Without the weight of my marriage, it felt like I was regaining my old self. My friends and I even watched Samuel and Lila exchange vows without a hint of emotion.
Alex leaned in. “Your ex’s hands are shaking. Guess he finally got his ‘dream girl.”
I caught the sarcasm in her eyes. As a lawyer, Alex knew more than most about Lila’s past. Her first marriage to an entrepreneurial icon ended in scandal, and she’d been kicked out with nothing.
Lila’s version of the story was that her ex had cheated and tricked her into transferring their marital assets. The truth, according to Alex, was more sordid.
“Don’t tell me you actually thought Lila was some innocent little flower. She cheated with three different guys, and her husband forgave her- until he couldn’t anymore.”
She had funneled his money to a younger man who ran off with it, leaving her penniless.
“I wanted to warn you guys, but your ex jumped right into her trap.”
But that was Samuel’s problem now, not mine. As I left city hall, Samuel stopped me.
“I’m not taking the kid. I plan to focus on raising Lila’s child as my own. I don’t want to create tension between two children.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll tell my son his father died a long time ago.”
Samuel chuckled. “You’re tough when you want to be, Morgan.”
A
He turned to open the car door for Lila, but I shut it.
“My car. It’s a pre–marital asset, remember? Hand over the keys.”
Alex and Camille jumped in, and I sped away, leaving Samuel in a cloud of exhaust.