For them, I must continue dealing with this creep. I can’t hand him any more ammunition against me in the divorce and custody battle.Work, Esther.Okay. I take another breath and concentrate.I still need to think of a way to convince Miles to accept this interview.I frown for a moment, then take
It has been a very, very long first week of work. By the time 6pm rolls around, I’m ready crawl into a hot bath with a glass of red wine and a good book, and forget about life for a while.But, as a mom, that desire gets placed on hold, because the first thing I both need and want to do is visit my
“You done abandoning your kids?” Garnar asks. He doesn’t look away from the screen.“That’s not what I’ve been doing.”Garnar shrugs. “Call a spade a spade, Esther.”He’s baiting me, I can tell. I need to stay on target and not fall for his games.“I’d like to move into the guest room for now,” I sa
When I make my way to my desk, the entire cubicle pit is buzzing about the new rumors. Miles agreeing to an interview with a competitor has the entire office in an uproar. Most people are excitedly sharing the news and their opinions. Many are stressed or annoyed. Only Amber looks actively depressed
When I get to the house with my suitcases, I’m surprised to find that the girls are staying at a friend’s house again. “On a Monday?” I ask Garnar, who is ignoring me in favor of kissing Thea’s cheek.“They asked,” Thea answers. “Who are we to say no?”Thea’s already stepping into the step-mother ro
Reading my message, questions flood through my mind. The biggest being, how the heck does he know I’ve moved? I haven’t told him, and I doubt Garnar would. Thea doesn’t know him.Cynthia’s message flashes through my mind. Sorry.Oh my God, Cynthia. What did you do?Before I can confront her, though,
He hangs up before I can reply. He always seems to have to get the last word in.For me, he said. Like I wouldn’t be careful for myself.Although, as much as I hate to admit it, that does seem to motivate me a little more to be careful. Maybe I will buy a mini-fridge for my room, to keep Garnar or T
To distract myself from my terrible home situation, I continue to throw myself entirely into my work. I push myself to the limits, even eating at my desk to work through my lunch. I don’t take any breaks during the day, except the occasional five minutes to run to the bathroom.Eventually, my work s