Chapter 9 - The Aftermath
"I'll take you to court!" Mark roared suddenly, his desperation flipping into venomous rage as he realized I wouldn't budge. "I'll hire the best custody lawyers in this state! I have rights! I’ll get a DNA test, and the judge will force you to give me joint custody! You won't keep my flesh and blood away from me!"
David laughed aloud, opening the heavy glass door for us to step out into the crisp autumn air.
"Good luck with that, Mark," David called back over his shoulder. "In forty-eight hours, you'll be bankrupt. You won't even be able to afford the filing fee, let alone a retainer for family court."
We walked out to David’s SUV. I strapped Luke and Owen into their booster seats in the back. They were quiet, but they weren't crying.
"Mommy," Owen said, holding his stuffed bear. "Are we getting ice cream?"
I smiled, leaning into the car and kissing his soft forehead, then doing the same to Luke. "Yes, my loves. We’re getting all the ice cream you want."
I closed the back door and leaned against the side of the car, letting out a breath I felt like I had been holding for four long years.
David came around the front, handing me a bottle of water. "You okay, Claire?"
"I've never been better," I whispered, watching through the rearview mirror as the grand doors of the country club opened once more.
Mark had stumbled outside into the gravel drive. He stood there alone under the gray sky, his hands dangling at his sides, watching my car. A few seconds later, Diane emerged, crying, trying to put her arm around him.
Mark violently shoved her away. He screamed something into her face, threw his hands in the air, and collapsed onto the stone bench by the fountain, burying his head in his hands.
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His wealth was gone. His high-society marriage was over. His reputation was ashes.
And as David put the SUV into drive and accelerated down the tree-lined driveway, leaving Pinecrest Country Club behind us forever, I felt lighter than I had in my entire life.
