Affairs & Atonements (4 page)

Eleven Years Later

He turned the wedding band in his hand. It had been the cheapest gold band in the store. He hadn’t thought it was worth paying for more. He hadn’t expected the marriage to last long. But he also hadn’t expected it to be as short as a night. While he never did see Christy again since that dreaded night, he was still married under law.

He clutched the band in his hand, leaning his head down in deep thought. In all these years, Christy never once left his mind. He had done his best to move on. He got himself an advertising degree and now he was working at one of the city’s top advertising firm, Carne’s Media Group. He had even been promoted to executive level, heading his own research team. He had a string of women moving in and out of his life and recently, he had also got engaged to a beautiful model, Naomi Landon. He had the best of life at his feet and yet, here he was burdened with the guilt of Christy Huntley.

If only he could be certain she had not suffered and had instead lived a good life just as he did, he could move on freely. But until then, Christy would continue to haunt him.

He looked down at his phone, his knee jerking impatiently.

He had finally broken through Hilda Eddings, now Hilda Gaynor. She had told him to wait whilst she clarified some details on Christy’s location. That was twenty minutes ago and he was still here waiting for her to call back like a desperate man. But he had no choice. He needed to atone for his sins. There was no way he would live his life in peace until he found out Christy was okay. And then there was of course the matter of divorce. How was he ever to marry Naomi unless he divorced Christy?

He had never revealed the sordid details of his marriage to his fiancee. Instead, he had tolerated her eagerness to get married in a year, hoping the time would be enough to find and divorce Christy.

His mind recalled the events following that night. His family had been mad with him for making such a stupid, immature decision that could very possibly ruin the rest of his life. And it almost had. He had achieved success, but he never enjoyed them like he had wanted to. No, Christy stole all that from him.

And the sister he had naively stood up to protect had at last separated from Marshall. She couldn’t bear that her husband had grown overwrought on finding his sister. She had given up on her marriage and moved out of the house and back to his parents.

He had assumed Christy would have made some contact with her brother too, but Marshall’s grieving condition told him otherwise. As expected, Marshall had roughened him by his collar when he discovered what he had done to Christy and he could shamefully do nothing more than apologize profusely.

A year later into her disappearance, Marshall finally began to find peace within himself. He won custody over Elise, remarried and was now living happily with his new wife.

“If Christy wants to be found, she knows exactly where I will be waiting for her when she is ready to come home,”
Marshall had told him when he had visited him two years after that night.

And he supposed Marshall was right. But it was he who had driven Christy away, not Marshall. He could never afford the peace Marshall had acquired over time.

He sighed, rubbing his face. He looked at his phone. Ten more minutes had passed. It seemed Hilda had also forgotten to call him back. No one was interested in looking for Christy anymore. She had disappeared once again as if she had never existed.

*****

His phone rang as he made another turn on his route back home. He turned the blue tooth on and Naomi’s voice came through before he could even answer it.

“Babe, it’s me,” she said. “Where are you now?”

“On my way home.” He smiled. “You’ll be there, right? I can’t wait to see you again. So be ready and waiting for me. Naked with a bottle of wine would be really nice.”

“Oh babe,” she groaned. “I’m in my car and heading to London. I’m really sorry, but this assignment just popped out of nowhere and I don’t want to lose it. It’s a brand name and could possibly put me on the map.”

“How long will you be?”

“Three weeks.”

Disappointment shrouded his face.

“Babe?” she asked when he didn’t answer.

He attempted a smile. “It looks like I would have to wait naked with a bottle of wine for you instead.”

She chuckled. “I’d love that and a ribbon on your cock, which I’d love to pull open with my teeth.”

“Mmmm,” he murmured. “Sounds delicious.”

“You know what I’d also love? A…”

His phone buzzed again. “Hold on there, Naomi. There’s another call coming through.”

She groaned. “Anyways, I have to go, babe. We can discuss the details later. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too.”

He disconnected and answered the other call.

“Ashton Pryor,” he said.

“Ashton, it’s Hilda.”

He froze, his hands clutching tightly onto his steering wheel.

“Hello Hilda,” he finally managed to let out.

“I know I’ve been late…”

“Three days too late.”

“I know and I’m sorry. But there were complications…”

“I don’t want to hear them. Do you know where she is or not?” he growled. “I don’t like being hung on the loop, begging for scraps like a dog, Hilda.”

“I didn’t mean to, I swear,” she pleaded. “I’m sorry about that. But Christy needed some convincing…”

He swerved to the side of the road and skidded to a stop, his heart pumping wildly inside him. “You made contact?”

“Well…yes.” He could almost hear her gulp.

“Is she okay?” was the first thing he blurted out quickly. He bit his lips, closing his eyes, hoping he hadn’t sounded so pathetically worried about her.

“She’s okay, Ashton. She’s just… been deeply hurt and that’s why she… we’ve been careful to make contact with you.”

He grew silent for a brief while. “I know. And I accept it’s my fault. I’ve told you this several times- anyone who would care to listen. I want a chance to correct my errors, Hilda.”

When she didn’t say anything for a minute, he panicked, wondering if he had lost her. “Hilda?”

“Yes, yes, I understand. I want you to promise me Ashton that you won’t hurt her again, no matter what she says… or done.”

“Hilda, of course.” He frowned. Wasn’t it expected for her to lash out at him?

He heard her take a deep breath and recite an address. He took quick note. This was his last chance and he was going to make the best use of it to make a clean break- to restart a new life, with Naomi.

*****

He sat in the small coffee shop as directed by Hilda.

“What was Christy doing all the way in Edgewood, Washington?”
he thought as he watched the cars go by the street outside.

His second cup of dark coffee steamed before him. If she was any later, he might have to order a couple more. He glanced at his watch. He had arrived early just to be sure he didn’t miss her. And now he had spent well over two hours waiting patiently for her.

His heart beat rapidly. Had she changed her mind?

Hilda never gave him a number to contact Christy on. He would just have to take his chances and wait for her, even if that meant spending the entire day drinking disgusting watered down coffee. Perhaps, he could alternate with a sandwich and a cold drink.

A white crew cab pulled into the car park and an elegant woman stepped out of it. Her jeans fit snuggly around her legs and the white shirt she wore, accentuated her slim shoulders. She stood staring at something inside the truck for a long period and he wondered what she was thinking about. Maybe she also had a difficult appointment at the coffee shop. Could it be Christy? Her dark glasses disguised much of her face and he couldn’t tell clearly if it was her from where he sat.

His eyes roamed on her curved bottom and wide hips. No, it couldn’t be her. Christy was very small all over. Of course, it had been eleven years since and she could have changed drastically.

The woman shut her door, turned and walked away in the opposite direction. His heart clamped slightly from his dashed hopes of she being her.

He pulled out the divorce papers, deciding to ensure he had everything, instead of fidgeting over her arrival. He perused them slowly. Form 1- Notice to Plead, Form 2- Counseling Notice, Form 3- Complaint in Divorce, and the last where she would have to provide all her contact details, Form 4- Domestics Relations Information Sheet.

Four forms shouldn’t take long to fill, he thought. He was sure she wouldn’t contest the divorce. At least, that was the impression Hilda had given him.

The door opened and he raised his head, but it was the same beautiful woman from the white crew cab. She looked around the coffee shop, her face resting in his direction. She tensed. She pulled away her glasses and his body froze. It was her after all. It was Christy, his wife!

*****

She glided smoothly through the room to stand across him.

“Ashton,” she said.

And he could have sworn he hadn’t heard a sweeter voice before. He’d been dying to hear it for eleven years.

“Christy,” he replied. How did someone ever approach an ex-spouse to discuss details of a divorce? “You look beautiful.” It was the truth. She had always taken his breath away. But it seemed that as she had blossomed into a woman, she had grown even more stunning.

“Thanks,” she muttered, looking awkwardly about her.

“Can we sit?” He offered.

Thankfully, she didn’t protest. She pulled out a chair and settled herself down.

“How have you been?” he asked.

“I’m well.”

He nodded. “Have you made contact with Marshall?”

“We’ve been in touch. Marshall has always known where I was.”

He flexed his fingers under the table, trying to release the tension growing inside him. So he had been deliberately left in the dark. For eleven years. Punished to carry the burden of his guilt.

“I’m sorry, Christy,” he said. “I was young and naïve. I should never have done what I did. I didn’t know any better.”

“It’s done, Ashton,” she replied coldly. “There is nothing more we can do about it. We’ve both carried on with our lives. And from what I hear, you’ve been pretty successful at moving on with yours.”

He tried to look for a hint of sarcasm in her voice but he found none. Was she perhaps really sincere? Had she forgiven him?

“Christy, I…,” he started.

“I hear you’re engaged.” She cut him short. “Congratulations.”

He winced inside. For some reason, he wished she had not known about it. But what about her? Did she have anyone special in her life?

He pulled at his collar to clear his airway. He began to feel stiflingly possessive at the thought.

“I can understand why you need the divorce,” she continued. “We should have done this much earlier.” She looked down at the bunch of papers pinned beneath his elbow. “Are those the documents?”

“Uh… yes.”

“Well then, let’s get it done. I need to get back home as soon as possible.”

Didn’t she care? Had he been worried all these years for nothing? He tried to read her face for any treacherous emotion, but she was expressionless and without any feeling.

He pushed forward the first document. Form 4- Domestics Relations Information Sheet. He recalled her habit of running. Hadn’t he after all chased her ghost for eleven years? He was darned if he would let her get away again. If he had to begin with Form 4, then so be it.

“I’ve opted for the ‘no-fault divorce’,” he said.

She raised her eyebrow.

He cleared his throat. “It means divorce by mutual consent. You need to fill all your contact details.” He pointed them out.

She glanced at them without a flinch. “Do you have a pen?”

He passed her one, watching her carefully as she neatly worked through each detail.

“Anything else?” she asked, without lifting her head as she marked it off with her signature.

Seeing that she was engrossed in re-checking the details of Form 4, he pulled Form 3 from the pile as quietly as he could and tucked it back into his bag.

“Yes. These two.” He handed her Forms 1 and 2.

She took them without a word and entered her details again.

“Is that all?” she asked finally, handing the documents back to him.

“Yes.”

She nodded. “Good luck with the marriage. Hope it works out for you this time.”

She pushed back her chair to stand up.

“Could you… stay a little while longer?” he said before she could leave.

“Why?”

“I’d like to know what you’ve been doing with your life. How things have been with you?”

She looked down briefly before speaking again. “Goodbye Ashton.”