Chapter 20 - The Envelope
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“You can’t throw me out of my own home!” Garrett yelled, desperation finally breaking through his anger as he looked at the packed suitcases.
“It’s not your home,” I corrected him. “And the smart locks on the front door have already been reprogrammed. Once you step out, you’re never stepping back in.”
I held out the black leather folder. He stared at it as if it were a bomb.
“Take it,” I commanded.
With a shaking hand, he took the folder and flipped it open. His eyes scanned the legal jargon, landing on the words Dissolution of Marriage and the injunction freezing his bank accounts for the missing $48,000.
“You’re divorcing me?” he whispered, all the bravado finally draining out of him.
“I’m excising a tumor,” I replied.
I walked over to the door and pulled it wide open. “Take your bags, Garrett. Your mommy is waiting for you in the lobby.”
He stood frozen, tears welling in his eyes. For a second, he looked like he was going to beg. But I didn't give him the chance. I shoved the bright red envelope into his other hand.
“And give this to Lorraine and Tabitha. Tell them Happy Birthday from me.”
Garrett looked at the red envelope, then down at the divorce papers, the reality of his shattered life finally crashing down on him. Without another word, he grabbed the handles of his suitcases and dragged them out into the hallway.
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I didn't wait for him to reach the elevator. I slammed the door shut, the heavy smart-lock automatically engaging with a satisfying, electronic beep.
I walked to the kitchen, poured myself a fresh cup of coffee, and sat by the window to watch the sunrise. Down below, on the Phoenix pavement, I wondered exactly what Lorraine’s face would look like when she opened the red envelope.
