©2024 AMDS/Imaginationgirl35
Warm lips pressing against my head rouse me from sleep. It's so comfy. I don't want to wake up yet. Not when my body is so deliciously sore.
"Wake up, beautiful," Daniel whispers before gently pressing another kiss on the soft spot behind my ear, sending little zings of pleasure throughout my body.
"Mm," I moan as I burrow further into the blankets. "No, thank you. But more kisses would be nice."
"No, you don't. We have somewhere to be. Up!"
With a whoosh, chilled air crashes against my bare skin. My eyes snap open and I scowl at my soon-to-be-dead husband. I'm about to rip him a new one for disturbing my slumber, but my words get caught when I see he's already dressed, wearing a pair of jeans and a black, button-up shirt. The sleeves of which are rolled up to his elbow. My mouth waters as I take him in. His hair is wet and wavy and appears to have been brushed through with his fingers. I don't understand why he bothered getting ready when he's just going to end up undressed shortly. Seems like a bit of a waste to me.
Oh well. His problem.
With a flirty smile, I say, "Why are you so clothed?"
"Nope. Put those eyes away. We have stuff to do today. Get up and get dressed. I'm going to check in with Huck and Lucy. I'll meet you at the car."
"Wait. What's going on?" I ask as I pull myself up into a seated position.
Seeing the concern on my face, Daniel leans down and gives me another kiss as he mumbles, "Everything is fine, little Lottie Girl. But, I have a surprise for you and we need to get going. Okay?"
My eyes stare at him, and I see his sincerity, so I nod. "Okay."
"Good. Now hurry," he says, gently smacking my side butt before spinning around and leaving the cabin without another word.
Well, darn. I look at the clock on my bedside table, shocked that it's almost noon. How did I sleep through the Pigsley alarm? Last night must have taken everything out of me, I suppose. With a surprised shake of my head, I get out of bed and head into the bathroom. I hop into the shower, rinsing off quickly. I dress in a dove-egg blue maxi dress and beige gladiator sandals. I leave my hair down so it can air-dry into my natural waves, and I add a little mascara to brighten up my eyes, but I don't bother with any other makeup.
As soon as I'm ready, I walk out toward the car and find Daniel standing by the passenger side with the door held open for me.
"Why did you want me to meet you out here?" I ask as I slide into my seat.
"Because if I looked at you naked any longer, we'd not only be late, but we wouldn't make it at all. And today is important." He closes my door and walks around so he can get into the driver's seat. He slides inside and pulls out his phone.
"When did you get that?" I ask.
"Jack dropped it off last night with Huck. When he couldn't get a hold of us, he took some initiative and hand-delivered it. Huck gave it to me when I went to tell him that we'd be gone for a few hours," he says as he turns on the car, and pulls out of the ranch.
"He seriously deserves a raise."
"Already working on it, woman." Daniel smiles cheekily.
For two hours we drive. I keep asking Daniel questions, but he avoids answering them, and I'm growing paranoid.
Why do we need to go into the city?
I get my answer as we pull up in front of his parents' house. My stomach sinks. I hate it here. The last time I was here was the night our marriage imploded and forced us to wake up from the carefully constructed lie we spent years building together. I left in tears, believing my marriage was over. I guess, in a way, that's still true. The marriage we had is over. Now we're working toward a new marriage. Hopefully, a much better one.
I look directly at Daniel. He's already looking at me with understanding.
"Do you trust me?" he asks.
"Yes," I say without hesitation. "I trust you."
"Good," he says, pressing a kiss to my wrist. "I know I left you alone in our marriage before. You aren't alone anymore. It's you and me. We do this together."
We're in this together, I think to myself.
We get out of the car, and Daniel grabs my hand. His demeanor instantly changes to his business persona, and I know he's not leaving until all of his terms are met. He doesn't even bother knocking before entering the house, pulling me alongside him.
Our footsteps echo throughout the foyer as he leads me to the living room. I step around Daniel, taking in the room. I'm not surprised to see Daniel's mother and Abigail are already here, sitting on the sofa. I am surprised to see my mother, though. Aside from a few family dinners early in Daniel's and my marriage, my parents rarely ever came here.
"I'm glad you could be here on such short notice," Daniel says coldly.
"Oh, Daniel," Abigail says, standing and taking a step toward us. "I'm so glad you called. Wait...what is she doing here?"
"By she, you mean my wife?" he says, wrapping his hand around my hip and pulling me into him.
"Daniel, there's no reason to continue the charade with her. I'm divorced and you have the divorce papers. Just sign them so we can finally be--"
"Stop talking," he says sternly. "I have questions and you're going to answer them. Every. Single.One. If I so much as suspect you're lying, I will press charges. That ring on your finger that you've been holding onto for months, Abigail? Is considered grand theft, sweetheart."
Our entire marriage, he'd call her that with adoration. But that's not the emotion behind it this time. No. He says it as if it were acid on his tongue and he can't wait to spit it out and hit his intended target.
"D-D-Daniel?" Abigail pleads.
"Do you understand?" he asks.
"Daniel, this is no way to talk to the mother of your child and your future wife," his mother pipes in, standing and taking her place beside Abigail, the daughter-in-law she always wanted but the daughter-in-law she isn't going to get.
"What's the meaning of all this, Charlotte?" my mother finally steps in. I can only imagine what's running through her head. I haven't spoken to her since before I left for the ranch and now she's witnessing another woman claiming to be pregnant with Daniel's child.
Abigail twitches and her cheeks redden in discomfort.
"Abigail," Daniel says through his teeth. "Please explain to my mother why it's impossible that--if you even are pregnant, which I highly doubt--it's mine."
"I just wanted us to be together. We always wanted children. We can have them now!" she shouts with a stomp of her foot.
"You're not pregnant?" his mother asks.
Tears begin to fall down Abigail's cheeks. "No, Katherine."
"Then why did you say so?" Katherine asks.
At the same time, my mother asks, "Can someone please fill me in here?"
"We'll be asking the questions," Daniel intervenes. "Now that we clarified Abigail is not pregnant, I need to know how you knew about the purchase of the ranch."
Neither woman speaks, but I don't miss Katherine's gaze sliding toward Abigail. Once again, Abigail moves in discomfort and her eyes flick in the direction of the exit. Daniel must see her movement too because he steps in front of the exit, ensuring no one can leave.
"How could we not know, Daniel?" she shouts, pointing a finger at him in rage. "You've been living there for months. Do you know what a laughingstock you've become in society? Did you stop to think how you would look to the most powerful men in the world? Who would want to do business with a foolhardy man who'd run off after some prissy, pathetic wallflower--"
"Insult my wife again, Abigail, and so help me, I'll destroy you with everything I have."
Her eyes widen in shock. She's not used to Daniel speaking to her like this. A smile twitches on my cheeks.
"Daniel, what's gotten into you? You're acting as if you're in love with her!"
Daniel chuckles. "That's because I am in love with her."
"Y-you can't be!" she screams as she takes two steps toward Daniel. "It was supposed to be me! I spent my entire childhood following you around like a kicked puppy, making sure I always acted the part of your perfect little damsel. I did it all so I could guarantee a future with you, a future that was promised to me since I was a child!"
"Abigail," I say, trying to defuse the situation.
"Don't," she seethes. "Just don't, Charlotte. I'm better for him than you in every way." Her eyes snap back to my husband. "You think you can leave me, Daniel? Leave this life? Ha! How well did that work out for you the first time you decided to up and leave? You'll be back. You're bigger than some farmhand with a backwoods bed and breakfast."
Daniel's shoulders stiffen. "Very few people know about me purchasing the ranch, Abigail. Very. Few. Even fewer know about the bed and breakfast. So, again, I'm asking how you know all of this?"
Her lips thin, knowing she's just dug herself a bigger hole.
"This is all so ridiculous," his mother says. "Abigail was only concerned, Daniel. These past few months you haven't been yourself, so she took some precautions to make sure you were okay since your so-called wife didn't care enough about you and how you looked to your friends and colleagues. She"--his mother's hand flies in my direction--"turned you into the laughingstock of society." His mother's eyes slide to mine. "Selfish, spoiled, stupid girl. You never were good enough for him, Charlotte. You never had what it takes to be with a man like my son. Now, Abigail, she knows what it takes."
Well, ouch. I clear my throat and squeeze Daniel's hand as I ask, "And what does it take, Katherine?"
His mother closes her mouth and glares at me.
"Grand theft won't look good on you, Abigail," Daniel taunts, pulling out his cell phone and taunting her with it. "Imagine what society would think, and all it would take is one phone call."
"A bug!" Abigail shouts. "This is all so ridiculous. I planted a bug in your office, okay? I needed to make sure you didn't make any rash decisions. It's a good thing I did, too! Because that's exactly what you were going to do! That's why your mother and I were at your office yesterday to talk you out of this nonsense. Unfortunately, you weren't there, but luckily Charlotte was."
Katherine nods, crossing her arms around her chest in solidarity with Abigail. "It was all for your own good, Daniel."
"Mother," he says through his teeth. "You truly are, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a fatuous old bridge troll."
He did not. My eyes snap in his direction. He's holding back laughter, and I have to look away or I'm going to burst out laughing.
"D-Daniel," she says, pressing her hands to her chest. "You cannot speak to me like this."
"I just did." He turns his back to them, looking at me directly. "Are you okay for a minute? I need to call Jack."
I nod. I can tell he's hesitant, not wanting to leave me alone with them, but I know the conversation he's about to have with Jack shouldn't be in front of them. "I got this. Just, don't be long. I can't promise there won't be bloodshed."
"Okay," he steps around me and walks out of the room.
Once we're alone, they immediately burst into aggressive chatter. I lift my hand, palm open to silence them. Surprisingly they shut up.
Good girls.
With confident steps, I walk up to Abigail, keeping my eyes focused on her radiant blue eyes. Behind her is a mirror, a mirror that forces me to look at myself next to her. We're close in height. Her blonde hair is styled into a perfect bun, not a hair out of place. My hair falls to my shoulder in a messy wave. Her face is covered in flawless makeup. My face is covered with sun-painted freckles. Her dress is expensive, a one-of-a-kind. My dress is simple and cheap. But none of those differences do I find most striking. No. The biggest difference between us is she looks trapped and, well, I look . . .
. . . free.
For the first time since knowing Abigail Susan Coleson, a genuine smile pulls onto my face. It's a shame such a beauty could be so ugly.
For years, I measured myself to her, always finding myself coming in short. But that wasn't the case now, was it? The truth is, I could never compare to Abigail because she and I are nothing, and never have been, anything alike.
Huck's words echo through my mind: "Ya thought ya was a pebble, small and insignificant...invisible. And, well, I saw a woman about to figure out she was never a pebble, to begin with."
I hold out my hand.
"You have something that belongs to me and I want it back," I say. My voice is strong, a voice I could be proud of, a voice I always should have been proud of.
Abigail's jaw tightens as she removes my ring from her finger, placing it in my hand. Daniel and I didn't have a lot to love at the beginning of this marriage, but I did love this ring, and there's no way I'll allow Abigail to have it.
"He'll come back to me, Charlotte," she hisses. "We're meant to be."
Daniel barks in laughter behind me. My husband has returned. "I'd sooner eat pig sh--"
"Daniel!" I say, holding my laughter back.
"You're right, beautiful. Not the time." Daniel's lips twitch as he fights his smile.
My eyes shoot back to Abigail, making sure my brown eyes meet her blue eyes, eyes that I spent entirely too much comparing. "They never belonged to you, Abigail. They were always mine."
She flinches, knowing I'm not just talking about my rings.
©2024 AMDS/Imaginationgirl35-- Second No More is a novel published on Wattpad. If seen on any other site, it's stolen from the author. Please read the entire story at https://www.wattpad.com/story/349290622-work-in-progress-second-no-more-a-novel.
"Charlotte, I need you to explain this circus to me. This entire situation is ridiculous and an absolute waste of my time," my mother snaps. She's clearly over being ignored.
I look at her, preparing myself to unload years of anger on her, but her appearance stops me. Her lips are inflated, bigger than I've ever seen before. On the surface, she looks like a woman put together. But I see the lies--years of them. Dark circles line her eyes and she's thinner than I've ever seen her. I couldn't even tell you how much money she's spent on Botox, face lifts, and other enhancing surgeries all so she could try and stay relevant to my father. Her clothes are perfectly ironed and stunning on her. But the void behind her eyes is too loud to miss. How can a woman who supposedly has the answers to everything and supposedly has it all look so empty?
"Where's father?" I ask. It hasn't escaped me that neither Daniel's nor my father are here, which means they're likely away on "business".
"You know your father"--she flicks her hand in the air as if she isn't bothered by his absence at all. She does care, though. Her indifference is her tell that my father is on a "business" trip with his secretary--"he doesn't have time to deal with this kind of drama, Charlotte."
"It's Lottie," I correct.
My mother rolls her eyes, "Charlotte, you know how I feel--"
"It's. Lottie."
Her jaw clenches as she glares in clear disappointment. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you will not speak to me this way. I'm your mother."
How could I ever forget?
"Your husband is always right, Charlotte. Always apologize for your disobedience. Your marriage will work out better that way."
Only my father was rarely right. He didn't show up for dinner; My mother apologized. He missed an event; She apologized. He cheated; She apologized.
"Your value is wrapped up in your husband, Charlotte. That's why it's so important you choose a man of high power and status. With a husband like that, you can own the world."
Memories of my childhood flash before my eyes. I was five when my mother walked into the room in a stunning golden dress, a smile on her face as she looked up at my father, hoping--no, yearning--for his approval. She was radiant; she looked like a princess, and I remember I wanted to be like her when I grew up. However, he was too busy on the phone to pay her any attention because he was too busy talking with his secretary.
"Men don't leave valuable women, Charlotte."
And yet, my father is nowhere in sight, now is he? Sure, my parents may be married. But, my mother has been alone in this marriage since day one. I doubt her value had anything to do with it.
My eyes look over to Daniel. Our beginning wasn't right and it was painful. But he showed up. He could have gone with the status quo; he could have given up and let me have the divorce. But he didn't. He showed up when most men would have shrugged a shoulder and moved on. He made a choice, and that choice was our marriage. His choice was me. My mother doesn't have this, just like her mother didn't before her, and that makes me so incredibly sad. I take several hesitant steps toward her and wrap my arms around her, knowing she's living the life I ran away from, and she's been living it a lot longer than I have.
"Charlotte, what's gotten--"
"I forgive you," I whisper in her ear, squeezing her as her arms hesitate beside me. I should be angry. I should hate her for everything she's done--for everything she's said. But, how do you hate someone who is living your absolute nightmare? How do you hate a woman who will likely die living your absolute nightmare? A woman who will never know what it's like for the man she loves to fight for her. A woman who will never know what it's like to fight for herself.
"I forgive you," I repeat.
"Charlotte, I don't know what you have to forgive me for--"
"But," I interrupt, "this is goodbye. I will not end up like you, Mother. I won't allow it."
I let her go. Tears line her eyes and tears fall down my cheeks. The little girl in me cries for her mother to hold her--to comfort her--but I'm not a little girl anymore and I don't have to live my life trying to attain the unattainable. My mother isn't the mother she should have been, and I have to stop living my life expecting that to change.
I step away, knowing that unless she changes, this will be the last time I see her. The weight of childhood lifts off me, and I know that regardless of how my relationship with my mother turns out, I can move on with my head held high.
I look at Daniel as he cocks an eyebrow at me. "I'm ready. Thank you for bringing me here."
Before he can speak, the doorbell rings, and he reaches for me.
"That's our cue to leave," he whispers into my ear, pulling me toward the front door. The doorbell rings again as Daniel pulls the door open. We're greeted by several men in uniforms and badges.
"Mr. Montgomery?" the man at the front of the group asks.
"Yes."
"Daniel, what is this?" his mother asks from behind us with Abigail standing beside her in shock.
"You said you wouldn't go after me if I spoke to you," Abigail says panicked.
"I said I wouldn't go after you for the ring. I never said anything about bugging my private office." As we walk out, he says over his shoulder. "Oh, and by the way, expect a restraining order soon--all of you. My attorneys are already working on them as we speak."
"You can't do this to us!" Abigail screams as the police begin to shuffle into the house.
Once in the car, I look out my window, finding the police leading a crying and screaming Abigail and Katherine out in handcuffs. Their faces are red and puffy. I can't help but think Abigail isn't so pretty with her hands handcuffed behind her back.
Daniel chuckles as he starts the car, and pulls out of his parents' driveway. He doesn't look back once, and that settles something deep in my soul.
"That was amazing," I laugh.
"I have to admit, the police timing was perfect," Daniel jokes. He squeezes my hand in his lap.
I expect us to return to the ranch, but he turns left when he should be turning right.
"This isn't the way home," I say.
"We have a few more stops," Daniel says with a pompous look on his face. I swear I hear him whisper under his breath, "Sanctimonious shmuck."
I'm surprised when we pull up to my attorney's office.
"Daniel--"
"Let's go. We have got things to settle here, then we need to go to the police station and give our statements and my recording."
"You recorded everything?"
"I sure did." He smiles as he gets out of the car, and I quickly follow. "We're in a one-party consent district, after all."
"Surely, my attorney can wait--"
"Nope. It's being handled today." He walks toward the office giddily. I've never seen my husband giddy before and I'm not sure what to make of it. He pulls open the glass door, letting me enter first.
"Hello, welcome to Beauchamp"--At seeing my husband, all politeness on the girl's face drops--"No. Don't even think about it. He's on the phone--"
My husband doesn't stop and walks right up the hallway as if he knows exactly where he's going. I'm on his heels, trying to get him to wait. The girl is on my heels, trying to do the same. But, Daniel doesn't stop. He pushes open a door, revealing a room with Alexander Beauchamp, my shark of a divorce attorney, sitting at his desk.
"I'm so sorry about this. I'm having a bit of Deja Vu. Let me give you a callback," he says before hanging up.
Daniel says, "Alex--"
Alexander holds his hand up in a gesture to give him a minute. He pulls out a black clock and presses a button.
"You know the drill, Mr. Montgomery," he says, offering my husband a smile. His eyes slide to mine. I don't remember him talking this slowly the last time I was here. "Ah, Mrs. Montgomery...or, should I say, Lottie now. Isn't that right?"
"She's still Mrs. Montgomery," Daniel adds. "And she's going to continue to be Mrs. Montgomery."
"Is that so? Well, I'll be." He leans back in his chair, placing his hands on his stomach. "You agree with this, Lottie?"
"Yes, Alexander. Thank you for everything you've done. You've been great, but Daniel and I have decided to work on our marriage. Give it a real go this time," I say with a genuine smile. Daniel wraps his hand around my waist pulling me in close and pressing a kiss to my temple.
Alexander doesn't respond right away. Rather, he sits with a gentle smile on his face as he takes Daniel and me in.
"You remember that little tidbit of information about Martin Van Buren that I shared with you the last time you were in my office? You know, the one where he didn't mention his wife once in his autobiography?"
My eyes slide to my husband who nods.
"I remember," Daniel says.
"Well, I have another fun fact for you. You know, because this noggin' of mine holds onto a whole lot of useful and, oftentimes, useless information. Just the other day while I was weeding my yard...ah, well, I just lost that thought. My apologies. What was I talking about again?" Alexander's lip twitches as if he's holding back a smile and I have a feeling he didn't forget anything at all and that his whole demeanor is to solely get under Daniel's skin.
"Van Buren," Daniel says in irritation.
"Ah, yes. Martin Van Buren. He was the eighth president of the United States and, like me, had a fascination with the law. Of course, we chose entirely different fields. But, I suppose, divorce wasn't as prevalent then as it is today. Anyway, I've gone a bit off track, haven't I?" Alexander takes in several long, deep breaths. "As I was saying, Van Buren and his wife were childhood sweethearts. Did you know that? After she died, he never did remarry. Take that for what you will, Daniel. We may never know the full complexities of their relationship, but I think it's safe to say when it comes to love, sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some. In this case, I'm happy for you both."
Daniel clears his throat. He seems taken off guard. I don't think he'd expect my attorney to be so understanding. "Thank you, Alexander."
Alexander's eyes shift to me. "And, Lottie, should you ever need my services again, you know where to find me. I'd even give you a repeat customer discount, except we both know he's on the hook for the bill. Might as well take him for all he's worth." He winks at me, and I can't help the giggle that slips out as Daniel growls beside me.
"She won't be needing your services again," Daniel says.
"I may be a bit biased here, but I do hope to see you again, Lottie," Alexander responds as if he didn't hear my husband. Daniel begins pulling me out of the room. "As for you, Daniel, I'll have Madeline close out your invoice and send it to your assistant when available."
I can hear Alexander chuckle as we move further down the hallway.
Madeline stands by the office door, holding it open for us. She glares at my husband in contempt with her arms crossed over her chest. I fight my need to laugh as we leave the building.
"What was all that about?" I ask.
"It needed to be done," he says with a shrug of his shoulder.
We both burst into laughter, and I can't help but feel good about our future. I know we still have work to do, a lot of work, which brings me to what I need to say next.
I take a deep breath trying to ease my nerves with what I'm about to say. "I think we should see a marriage counselor and maybe I should see someone to help me work out all these jumbled thoughts I have in my head." I bite my lip as nerves swarm inside my belly when he doesn't respond right away.
He lifts my hand and kisses it. "I think it wouldn't hurt. We've been handed the world's worst toolbox when it comes to relationships, little Lottie Girl. Perhaps some new tools wouldn't hurt."
The world's worst toolbox. He's right about that. Honestly, we didn't stand a chance, not before and not with what we had. But maybe now . . .
. . . we'll have every chance.
©2024 AMDS/Imaginationgirl35
***
Author's Note: Two chapters left to go. Woot woot! Thank you for reading and for all the support. I can't thank you guys enough.
Several readers have reached out and recommended that I include copywriting blurbs in the middle of the writing to help combat plagiarism. Hopefully, it helps other readers from wasting their time on those PPC sites :)