Our Wicked Lies by Gledé Kabongo (books for new readers TXT) 📕

partner in his father’s sports agency. I’m not privy to the details of the stock portfolio or other investments.”

“Don’t worry. I did some digging. It’s nothing concrete, but enough to give me an idea of what we’re dealing with.” He leaned in. “Alicia, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I can count on one hand the number of clients who were in the position you’re in.”

“What position is that?”

“Your children are almost adults. They can decide which parent they want to live with. Custody issues and the destruction of a family notwithstanding, it often comes down to money. Your husband can afford to be generous is all I’m saying.”

She pondered his statement. Was he right? Twenty years, two children, laughter, joy, pain, love, passion, loss. It would come down to a bunch of documents that said, Thank you for your loyalty these past twenty years, but your services as a wife are no longer required. Please accept this severance package as a token of our appreciation. Goodbye.

“You keep saying I will be fine. What does that mean?”

“If the divorce is uncontested and even if it is, it means, Alicia, you could walk away with a multi-million-dollar settlement.”

Alicia sagged deeper into the chair. She had difficulty forming a response to Wes’ pronouncement. Instead, she peered down at her left hand. The platinum wedding band and dazzling diamond engagement ring suddenly felt heavy and out of place. How had she missed the signs? She replayed every possible scenario in her head, round and round, looking for the tiniest sliver that might have indicated there was a growing chasm in her marriage, but she came up empty. Until the mysterious call he’d claimed was work-related three weeks ago, she’d had no reason to suspect Eliot of cheating.

There were no changes in his behavior to suggest he was growing bored or restless. His attention to her and the family never waned. He didn’t pick random fights with her or exhibit any secretive behavior. The sizzle factor in their physical relationship still made her weak in the knees. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had missed something crucial that had seemed insignificant at the time.

She recalled the day he proposed. At twenty-two years old, she had been naïve in believing that the fairy tale would last forever. It just had to.

He had rented out an elegant, private event space at an exclusive Boston restaurant. Large bouquets of pink and blood-red roses, seemingly endless candles in vases decorated in Swarovski crystals, and large balloon clusters adorned the space.

“Eliot, what is all this? It’s not my birthday,” she had said to him.

“I know it’s not your birthday, baby. But I’m hoping by the end of the evening, it will be the birth of a new beginning for us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Alicia, you’re the kindest, most selfless person I’ve ever met, with the biggest heart. You possess a light and an innocence that’s so intoxicating that I wonder if I’m good enough for you.”

When he got down on one knee and reached into his pocket, her heart had stopped.

“Alicia Gail Thomas, I don’t deserve you. I’m not a perfect man, but I never knew that I was capable of loving someone as deeply and completely as I do you. I can’t let you go. I want you to be my wife. Say you’ll marry me.”

She had stood dumfounded, gaping at him as if he’d just said something thoroughly obscene and scandalous. He’d held out a small, black jewelry box and popped open the lid to reveal a diamond engagement ring that put the blazing candlelight in the room to shame. She was convinced it was a fake. It had to be. She’d only seen rings like that in movies or on the fingers of wealthy celebrities. Girls like her didn’t get to wear them.

“So, what do you say?” He’d smiled up at her, nervous, yet hopeful.

“Um, yes?” Her answer was but a squeak.

He’d raised a brow.

“I mean, yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Fast forward twenty years later, an entire lifetime, and everything had changed. The fairytale was fractured, the princess broken-hearted and confused. Her prince charming had turned out to be a lying, manipulative philanderer. And nothing in the kingdom would ever be the same again.

CHAPTER 28

The entire family sat at the breakfast table as they had many times before. Though the sight pleased Alicia, a melancholic mood snaked its way around her heart. Could this be one of the last times they all sat at this table, in this kitchen, and had breakfast together? Alicia glanced at her daughters. So young and vibrant. Secured. The happy family they had been born into would remain so. Only it was a lie.

“Have you decided about prom yet, Marson?” she asked, sipping her coffee.

“Not sure, Mom. It’s too much work. I have to find a dress, shoes, jewelry, and put on makeup. Spend at least three hours at Crystal’s for the hair appointment. Besides, all the limos are booked, and there might not be any tickets left. And I don’t want to stress out Will.”

“Marston, Marston, Marston,” Lily chimed in, shaking her head. “Lame excuses, all of them. You can wear one of the dresses I bought. I settled on the red one, so you have two to choose from. You can borrow jewelry from Mom if you don’t want to wear yours. You and Will can share the limo with Jeff and me and Colby and her date… And Jeff and I got an extra pair of tickets in case you changed your mind.” She beamed at her sister, as if she’d planned it all along.

“You shouldn’t miss out on your prom, kiddo,” Eliot said. “If you don’t go, you’ll regret it. You’ve been working so hard. No one deserves to have a fun night out more than you, right, Lily?”

“Dad’s right,” Lily concurred.

“Tell you what.” Eliot grinned. “I’ll throw