Jenelle declared, rais

against Jenelle's. "To my dead husband." She drained the glas

ication pinged on Jenelle's phone-the eight-million-dollar payment from Carlisle Indus

ded slightly. Sh

ached across the table and squeezed Carla'

sold the foolish girl who owned that

the raw edges of the day's humiliation-and the sting of being stood up at the courthouse

lle was slumped over the table, happily incoherent. Carl

and essential ID were still in the safe at Darien's apartment. She needed them for the filing tomorrow mo

to that place making her skin crawl. But

d still worked. She let herself into the penthouse. The apartment was pi

ing for the study. She was halfway across the living room when an arm shot

sive whiskey and Darien's familiar cologne filled he

appening, his mouth was on hers. The kiss was nothing like the cold, obligatory pecks of their m

with the shock. She struggled, pushing against his

gainst her lips, his voice a harsh ra

her strength, shoved him hard enough to create a sliver of space, and slapp

ng a divorce!Can't that woman satisfy you? You

"What about you? You say you want a divorce, then you run here in

r sides, clenched slightly. She replied irritably, "I didn't get p

hed into her purse, pulled out the copy of the divorce agreeme

appointment this morning. If you don't show up again tomorrow,

in his eyes flickered, replaced by something she c

rriage, she's always be

nd to everyone in his family. She goes out o

she's become a comple

old as ice. She really couldn't wait to get away from him. "Are you serious?" He forced out those

she reached the door, he finally spoke, his voice tight with a r

bs. It wasn't until she was safely back inside Jenelle's pla

efore. It buckled her knees, and she collapsed onto the floor, curled in a fetal position, col

nside, but the bottle wasn't there. With a sickening lurch, she rem

s starting to tunnel. She found his numb

. It was a sleepy, feminine voice, laced with annoyance. "He

s Eve

n she left the a

an eye, he was

ut of her mind to even cons

rla, colder and more painful