On Friday, the day before I planned to take matters into my own hands, I called Kimberly, to ask her advice.
“Have you talked to him about the situation?” she asked.
“Yes. Well…I tried,” I said as I paced my office. “He doesn’t want to talk about it. Brenda said he’s liquidizing a bunch of his assets, prepared to hand it over. This will devastate him, Kimberly. It might even bankrupt him.”
“It won’t bankrupt him, Livy. Not even close. The man has way too much money for that. Plus, he is so smart, he’ll make it all back in no time. Don’t worry about that. But he will have to start over on some things. All because of you.”
I leaned against the wall. “I should feel blissful and happy that he likes me this much, but all I feel is guilt.”
“He hasn’t said he loved you, but he’s prepared to lose practically everything for you…”
I could hear the excitement in her voice. She was missing the point here. “Kimberly, this isn’t a romantic situation. I can’t do this to him.”
Kimberly scoffed in exasperation. “Olivia, he’s making a choice. He could just marry Blaire, stay with her in a sham marriage for however long, like he’d originally planned, and then get an annulment. Who cares—certainly no one else would. That setup isn’t unheard of. The fact that he won’t do that and keep you as a mistress…”
I gripped the phone in anger, hating Kimberly’s squeals of delight. I put my hand to my head. I felt sick. “I have to fix this.”
“Do not tell me you’re going to go through with your dumb plan.”
I wandered through the empty flat, which was huge and lonely. Hunter was staying at his place tonight, having said he would be working late. I thought he just wanted some time alone. Or maybe he intended to have it out with Blaire again. He had a lot at stake. I didn’t begrudge him taking some time to reflect.
I just wished that didn’t make me have to reflect too.
I plopped onto the couch and leaned back, closing my eyes. “I have to. It’s the only way. He’s trying to sacrifice for me, and what am I doing?”
“You’re giving him what no one else can—a loving woman who isn’t after his money.”
“I’m giving him a headache at the same time as bleeding him dry.” I shook my head. “I have to go.”
“Well, then, I’m going with you,” Kimberley said firmly.
“No, you’re not.” I rubbed my eyes, feeling tired and strung out.
“Olivia, if Hunter finds out you went to his father’s house, he’ll never trust you again, especially if you go alone. And if it works? He’ll totally think you had sex with his dad. You don’t want that. He doesn’t want that. You need a witness.”
“If you come with me, Rodge will know it’s precisely because I needed a witness. I doubt he would bend if it wouldn’t hurt Hunter in some way.”
Kimberly was silent for a moment. “True. Dang! Wait…I’ve got it. We can do both—send you alone, and give you a witness.”
“How? You have a crystal ball that works?”
I listened to her plan, feeling a fraction of relief work into my gloomy outlook. Her plan was a good one.
The next day, after I’d finished sorting out some things for Hunter and equally as much for Bruce, I slipped into a sexy, revealing dress and applied the brooch Kimberly had bought for me. The sun was just dipping behind the horizon as I walked out to the living room.
Kimberly and Janelle waited for me on the couch, their chatter dying down as I walked into their midst. Kimberly held up her phone, recording the situation on video.
“Okay, describe what you are wearing,” Kimberly prompted.
I took a deep breath and put out my hands. “A sexy dress that Rodge will think I am wearing to try to seduce him.”
“What else?” she continued.
I pointed to the brooch. “A spy brooch. This has a small camera in it that should catch most video, and will definitely catch the audio.”
“Hopefully.” Kimberly turned the phone so the camera was facing her. The screen pointed at me. “We tested—”
“Kimberly, all it sees is your chin. Turn the camera around.” I adjusted the brooch, letting my hands fall away as Janelle got up and came over. She took over adjusting so it looked right.
“Oh.” Kimberly rolled her eyes. “I’m stupid.” She turned the phone back around before tapping the screen. She pushed the phone away a little, no doubt making sure to capture herself just right, and started again. “We tested it, and it seems to get fisheye kind of video and pretty good audio. If Livy doesn’t go swimming with it, it should do the trick.”