wasnât following behind him this time.
âYou ready?â he asked.
âYeah, just give me one second. I wanna see whatâs in these boxes.â I tore open the first box. My computer equipment was neatly packed in this one. Perhaps Jessica was sending some of our stuff ahead so we wouldnât have the truck so loaded down when we made the move from Seattle. That was smart, I decided, but I was still going to get on her about the phone not being paid.
There was a letter taped to one of the boxes. I ripped it off, thinking I would read it at the airport since we were starting to run a little late, but something made me open it. My heart nearly stopped when I read the enclosed letter.
Dear Sonny,
I packed up all your stuff and put it into these boxes, so thereâs no need for you to get on a plane to come back to Seattle. And if you do, thatâs on you, because thereâs nothing here for you. Me and the kids are gone. I know what youâre thinking. Why is she doing this to me? But deep down inside, you know exactly why Iâm doing this. You need to learn how to treat a woman, Sonny, and stop taking advice from those low-rent friends of yours. I hope you enjoy being back in New York with your friends. The three of you deserve each other.
Please donât try to find us, Sonny. Weâre moving on with our lives. And if you donât understand what that means, let me make it very clear: Itâs over. I donât love you. I havenât in years. I was just playing along until I could have my freedom.
Your ex-wife, Jessica
P.S. I sold the car and took all the money out of the bank, so there is really no need for you to come back.
âOh, no, not my âVette,â I mumbled.
âSonny, whatâs the matter?â I could hear Jamesâs words, but I couldnât answer as I read the letter again. I think I was in shock. This shit had to be a joke of some kind. âSonny, whatâs the matter?â This time James was shouting.
I handed him the letter, then ran to the front door. Jessica was probably playing a trick on me. She probably flew in this morning and was waiting outside the house to surprise me. Knowing James and Brent, they were probably in on it. But when I looked outside, nobody was there. I pulled my cell phone out and dialed my home number. I got that stupid recording again and almost threw my phone across the room.
âShe canât do this to me, James. She canât just up and leave me and take away my kids.â
His response was anything but supportive. âI told you she wasnât no good. Sheâs been a gold-digger since you met her. And who the hell she think sheâs calling low-rent?â
âNo, man. Itâs got to be a mistake. I gotta get home. Somebody could have kidnapped her or something.â
âSonny, be real. Do you think a kidnapper would take the time to pack up all your shit and mail it to you? She probably had some other man on the side the whole time. Just was waiting for you to leave so she could make her move.â
I wanted to grab him by the head and scream, âNooooooo!â at the top of my lungs, but instead I said, âJames, sheâs never cheated on me. Iâm sure of that. And there is no other man, awâight?â
âButââ
âJames, I donât wanna hear it, okay? Just take me to the airport.â
âOkay, but donât say I didnât warn you.â
16
Brent
Alison and I left Paradise Island more in love and devoted to each other than when we arrived. Iâd never enjoyed a vacation as much as I enjoyed my honeymoon. Weâd been close before our marriage, but now our relationship was more tightly bonded on a spiritual and emotional level. We prayed together, ate together, slept together, and woke up to pray again together. Iâd never felt closer to anyone than I did to her, and that included my boys, Sonny and James. She was no longer
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