“Hello,” Asher said. His voice nearly boomed compared to the sly tones of Beatrice and Solomon. “Thank you for inviting me to this meeting. I definitely appreciate your concern. I think we have a lot to discuss, don’t you?”#p#分页标题#e#
I shoved through to the edge of the empty spot where we all now stood just in time to see the end of Beatrice’s wide-eyed glare.
“What are you doing here?” Solomon asked.
“Are we going to play this game, Solomon?” Asher said. “Shall I ask you the same thing, or can we cut through this nonsense?”
“You shouldn’t know about this,” Beatrice said, more annoyed than distressed.
“Yes, well, you can thank Jessika for that.”
I’d rejoined Asher by his side, keeping a step back like he’d asked me. Turning towards me, he acted as if he were introducing me to the group. Beatrice and Solomon recognized me, but for wildly different reasons.
“So that’s why you were in my office the other day,” Solomon said. “If I had known Asher would come for you, I’d have dragged you somewhere else and had my way with you. Locking the door against the man with keys to every office isn’t much use, I suppose.”
“You know her?” Beatrice asked him. “This is outrageous. I let you into my home and was accepting of you. I went to that filthy doctor’s office just to offer my support for Asher’s ridiculous plan, and you do this to me?”
“Shut up, Beatrice,” Asher said. “Stop being dramatic. I know you’re not infertile, too. You weren’t accepting of Jessika, you were going to use her to further your plans. Obviously it didn’t work.”
“Well,” Solomon said. “We’re at an impasse, I suppose. What do you propose now? What’s done is done, and I have a hard time mustering up the inclination to undo my part of it.”
“You can stop this,” Asher said. “Both of you. Let’s be adults here. I’ll need to let you go, Solomon, but I’ll sign a nondisclosure agreement about your release. For all anyone needs to know, you left the company for personal reasons. I’ll give you a good benefits package and a brilliant reference to anyone who wants to hire you, though I doubt you’ll need it.”
To Beatrice, he added, “And you obviously never respected our marriage, Beatrice. Why did you have to do it this way, though? Couldn’t you talk to me like an equal and explain that it wasn’t working out? I tried, I did everything I could to make you happy, and you betray me like this? If you wanted a divorce… I would have done it. I wouldn’t have left you empty-handed, either. We could have worked it out.”
“It’s not all about you, Asher!” Beatrice nearly spat his name out. “I do want a divorce, but not on your terms. I don’t want to settle anything, I want to rip it out of your hands. I’m tired of you and your presumed kindness. You’re altogether far too nice. You take in people off the streets, like Jeremy and Jessika. You associate with the servants in the house as if they were wonderful people. It’s ridiculous. They aren’t wonderful, they are hired help. We don’t need to be friends with them, we need them to do their damn jobs!”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I really, truly am.”
“Yes, well, if you like them so much, then why don’t I help you become like them? That was my thought process, you know? It’s wonderful, isn’t it? I’m a very loving wife.”
“How can you be so mean?” I asked in a sudden outburst. I was scared and worried and anxious, but I needed to speak. “Asher’s so loving. I don’t understand how you could hate him so much.”
“Yes, well, you wouldn’t, would you? My father treated Asher better than me most of the time. He acted like Asher was the son he wished he had. I was just a bargaining chip, really, to join our family’s together. I don’t expect you to understand that because you don’t have the class to. It’s a simple reality and I knew from the moment I met Asher that we’d need to marry. A necessity and nothing more, and now I can be rid of him and shame him in front of both our families.”
“And if I tell your father?” Asher asked.
Beatrice cackled, pretending to almost fall off her feet. “Are we in kindergarten, Asher? Let’s be real here. Despite what my father thinks of you, he won’t care one bit for you or your words once you’re living in ruins. I’ll be the smart one who saw through your ruse, recognized your mistress for what she was, and silently sold off my stocks in hopes of beginning a new life once I had hard evidence of your indiscretions. I’ll be the woman every woman wishes she was. Strong, confident, independent.”