After spending the entire morning and some of the afternoon with my lawyer, walking into work fills me with some confidence. I'm happy my divorce proceedings have started and within the next few days, Chris will be served with the divorce papers.
It'll come as a shock to him that I want a divorce but it doesn't really matter what he thinks. All that matters to me right now is getting out of this shambles of a marriage.
From the look on Andrea's face as I pass her on my way into my office, I know Chris isn't in the office. If he was, she'd be nodding slightly as a silent way of telling me that he's in.
"Any mail for me today, Andrea?" I ask before stepping into my office.
"Everything's on your desk and so is the paperwork you need to sign off on," she responds. She flashes me a small smile and I return it before walking into my office.
I walk straight for the desk, sit my bag on top of it, and pick up the pile of envelopes that's sitting neatly on the desk. I scan through them quickly, most of them likely being confirmation letters and bills which aren't as important as the ones marked 'Urgent'.
On a sigh, I drop the letters back onto the desk and shrug out of my black trench coat. The coat falls to my wrists when my eyes fall on the bouquet of flowers sitting on the coffee table at the sitting area. I stare intensely at the flowers while walking towards them and drop my coat onto to the chair.
I inspect the white rose and lily array of flowers, my eyes ultimately looking for a card to see who they're from, but I can't find one. The bouquet is beautiful and judging by the looks of it, they're on the luxurious end of the scale.
"Andrea," I call.
"Yes?" Andrea asks when she's in my office.
I look over at her and point down to the flowers. "Where did these come from?"
"I don't know," she answers. "They weren't here when I brought in the mail and paperwork."
"And when was that?"
"Before lunch."
"Was there anyone in the office during lunch?"
"Not that I'm aware of, no. I locked your office door before leaving and opened it back up when I returned from lunch."
I nod and look down at the flowers. I believe her when she says they weren't here when she was in and if anyone tried to go into my office, I know for a fact that she would stop them from going any further than the threshold.
I know Josh isn't in today as he's dealing with a supplier for the Weybridge house. I don't know what it is he's dealing with, but I know I can rule him out of being the one who has left me the flowers. Plus, if he was going to give me flowers, he'd just give them to me at the townhouse. It'd look suspicious if he were to give me the flowers here.
That only leaves one person.
I take a step away from the flowers.
"Has Chris been in at all today?" I ask, my voice quivering as I ask.
"He was just before lunch," Andrea informs.
"Did he leave before or after you at lunch?"
"He had a lunch meeting, so he would no doubt have been in his office for the entire lunch hour."
And there it is! I knew it would have been too good to be true. I knew he'd never leave me alone, especially when we work together.
"Andrea, get rid of them." I walk over to my desk and take a seat. "Now would be great."
"Of course," Andrea nods.
I don't watch her pick the flowers up or walk out of the room with them. I just busy myself with logging into my computer and when I hear the door close over and see Andrea walking towards the reception area, I place my head in my heads.
It's easy for Chris to get to me here. No one knows what he's been up to and if I really wanted to, I could tell everyone what's been happening. I'm just not that evil to do something like that. I wish I could do that because then it would save all of the gossiping I know that goes on behind our backs about us.
I know all too well that people gossip about our working relationship, as well as your relationship away from here. I know what they think and for some of the things they say about us, it's true but others aren't.
How my life has turned out to be like this is all my fault and the only way I can make it right is to leave it all behind. It's only then that I'll be truly free from the double life I'm leading. There's only so much I can take and do this for before it begins to get to me.
It seems like that's now.
Everything's getting too close for comfort nowt hat I know what Chris has been doing when I go out. I never set out to fall for someone when I started this but I have. I never thought I'd be getting a divorce because I've fallen out of love with my husband. Basically, everything I thought wouldn't happen to me with this, has and is happening.
The only way for me to be happy and have no reminders for this is to get away from it. Run and run as fast as my legs can take me. Wherever that may be, I don't know but it'll be better than what's happening here.
I lift my head and reach for my bag that's still sitting on top of my desk. Rummaging through everything that in the confined space, I pull my mobile free and quickly dial my lawyers phone number. It rings only twice before his assistant answers.
"Good afternoon, Kent Shaw's office, Kristi speaking, how may I help you?" A female answers.
"Hi, Kristi, it's Abbey Benton. I was wondering if Kent's available to speak to me?" I ask with a small smile appearing on my lips. I'm calm and polite which is something I'm on the inside right now.
"He is," she answers sweetly. "Would you like me to put you through to him?"
"Yes, please."
"If you just hold on, I'll transfer you over."
"Thank you."
The line goes dead momentarily but before I know it, there's a strong male voice coming through the phone that's full of calmness.
"Kent Shaw," the male says.
"Hi, Kent. It's Abbey Benton."
"Ah, Abbey. Surely you haven't changed your mind about the divorce already, have you? It's only been an hour at the most since I spoke to you."
"I haven't, but I was wanting to ask you something about that actually." I rub my forehead with my fingers of my free hand and sit back in my chair. "How long will it take for my divorce to be finalised? Just a rough number will be fine."
"Someone sounds like they're in a hurry to get a divorce," Kent hummers.
"You could say that. It's just so I can plan my life out for what to do after it's done, that's all."
"Well, after our meeting, you'll be happy to know that I took your divorce papers to the court and they are being looked at as we speak."
Wow, that's fast. "Really?"
Kent laughs and I know he's smiling. "I could see how much you wanted this divorce, Abbey. It was written all over your face and I could see the pain he's caused you. I don't like seeing my clients like that which is why it's being processed the now."
"That's good news," I sigh with relief. My divorce will hopefully be done before I know it.
"It's very good news and if my calculations are right, Chris will be getting served the divorce papers at this time tomorrow."
"You sure know how to work quickly, Kent."
"It's what happens when you're a respected lawyer and been in the business for as long as I have. You get to know everyone and how they work."
"Thank you, Kent."
"Was there anything else you wanted to ask me about?"
"No," I smile. "That was everything."
"I'll be in touch soon," he says confidently.
We say our goodbye's and end the call. I place my phone down on my desk with a smile plastered firmly on my face.
I can't wait to see Chris's face when he gets given the divorce papers.
It'll be priceless.