Chapter Thirty-One

Riley

I tap my fingers on my desk as I stare at the papers in front of me.

Now, this feels like deja vu. It's almost like the last day of Wed For A Week. Back then, though, the papers turned out to be fake. These ones aren't.

If I sign these papers, I'm saying Lena and I are over, and if she signs them, then we really are over.

Our marriage that should have been over long ago will be over for real. The media will have a field day.

"So you're getting a divorce for real, huh?" my father asks as he stands in front of my desk.

I forgot he was in the room.

I sit back in my chair. "I'm considering it."

He sits down. "Isn't that what you were supposed to do in the first place?"

I don't answer, but we both know he's right. And now I'm wondering if that was the mistake.

He taps his fingers on my desk. "You never did say why you didn't want to divorce her."

My eyebrows arch. "I didn't?"

I can't remember.

"No."

Why didn't I want to divorce her?

"I guess I just like her. And I felt she'd make a good wife."

"And you don't anymore?" my father asks.

I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously. We don't usually talk about personal stuff, only business stuff, so right now I can't tell what's going on in that head of his or what he's trying to do.

I just shrug.

He stands up. "Well, if you're getting a divorce, make it quick and quiet and as painless as possible."

"You make it sound like murder."

"And just because this marriage failed doesn't mean you're not getting married again," he goes on. "You had your chance. I'll give you a year and then you'll marry Judy with no more arguments or complaints."

I frown but say nothing.

He walks towards the door. "And no sulking. There's lots of work to be done."

"I understand."

Work. That's all he ever cares about.

He leaves, but the door stays open. A moment later, Jerry steps in. He comes straight to my desk and glances at the papers.

"What's this? You're really getting a divorce?"

I sigh. "My father just asked me the same thing."

"And you answered...?"

I shrug. "I'm still thinking about it."

Jerry leans on my desk. "What's there to think about? You know your marriage was a mistake."

"We have a child," I remind him.

"Who Lena seems to have ran away with. Or so Judy told me."

I say nothing.

"Is it true she left with another man?"

"I don't know," I answer.

And I don't care. It doesn't matter anyway. She left. And after what I did to her, she's not coming back.

Jerry sits in the chair my father vacated and sighs.

"I guess this is for the best."

I give him a puzzled look. "It is?"

"I'm sorry for saying this, but you're not a good match," Jerry says. "Not just because you're a McAllister and she's, well, she was a production assistant you met on a reality show, but because you're a person who cares too little and she's a person who cares too much."

I lean forward. "I care too little?"

"Not just about her. About everything. The only thing you cared a lot about was swimming. But maybe you didn't even really care about that, because you gave it up."

My eyes narrow at him. "You know I didn't give it up."

Jerry ignores me. "And then your job here at your father's company. I can see you're just doing it for the sake of, well, doing it."

"Aren't you the same?"

He chuckles. "At least I make suggestions every now and then. I try to change things up a bit and think of ways to make things easy and fun for everyone. Do you?"

I guess not.

"And let's face it, you've never cared for any of the women you've been with. And yes, we're the same in that, but I didn't marry any of those women. You did."

"I cared about Lena," I argue.

Even though she didn't think so.

"You cared about her just enough to not want someone else take her away from you," Jerry says. "But that's all, and that's not enough."

I frown.

He faces me. "If you really care about Lena, let her go and let her have some peace. Let her find happiness."

I stare at the papers on my desk. Isn't that what I said I'd do? Didn't I say I'd set her free?

I glance at Jerry. "You do realize that if this divorce goes through, I might end up married to Judy. Are you saying you want her to marry a man who doesn't care about her?"

Jerry shrugs. "She doesn't care about other people either. I'm sure the two of you will get along. And I don't care as long as she has what she wants."

I look at the papers again.

Jerry taps them. "Set her free, Riley. She's already left you."

Still, I stare.

"You know what? I'll even give her the papers myself," Jerry offers.

"You will?"

"It'll help things come to a smooth end between the two of you," he adds. "You both deserve that."

For a moment more, I stare at the papers. Then I take a deep breath and pick up my pen.

Jerry's right. This is what's best for Lena. This is what she needs, what she deserves.

I'm not going to tie her down and make her suffer any longer.

I sign my name.

"Atta boy." Jerry gathers the papers. "Now I'll go talk to the company lawyer and make sure these get to Lena."

"Thanks," I mutter.

"No problem. And hey..." He pats my shoulder. "You did the right thing."

Did I?

As I watch Jerry leave with the papers, I wonder if I did. If I did, why do I feel the same as I did on the show--like I just made a big mistake?

I sit back with a sigh.

Well, it's too late. I've signed the papers, and once Lena does, she won't be mine any longer.

It will all be over.

"Um, Mr. McAllister?" I hear Margot's voice from the other end of the door.

"Yes?"

She opens the door and peeks in. "I know you don't want to entertain calls from the media, but this one is from Danny Thurman."

I sit up. "What does Danny want?"

"Well, he was wondering if someone from the network could ask you and Lena a few questions as some kind of follow-up for the show."

"I see."

Margot shrugs. "I can tell him you said no if you like."

And she probably should. But then I remember what Lena said about me not speaking up, about me not doing something about all the rumors. This is my chance to say what's right, to clear her name. And yes, maybe it's too late, but this is my send-off gift. Maybe this way, she'll know that I did care.

"Tell him to send a reporter and maybe a cameraman," I tell Margot. "I've got some things I need to say."