Breaking Bedrock (Book Two) (5 page)

“No, I mean, yes. I’m good.” Addie continued. “You know part of
me always knew that it would end up this way, that he’d never let me go easily.
That’s why I said yes to your offer. Most people have trouble understanding
that, but I guess they’d have to know Patrick to really get it. He’s never
failed at anything in his life because he’s avoided failure at all costs. Our
marriage is no different. Only this time he refused to even play the game. At
some point, he just stopped participating. I knew that deep down, and so I
saved. I saved for attorneys’ fees. I saved for a place of our own. I put a lot
of my salary aside so that we’d never have to be dependent on his participation
again. That’s why I did what I did, but also for the person I became. Being a
Domme changed me. It showed me what freedom could be like. And it gave me the
independence to make it happen.”

Sondra grasped the door handle and turned to face Addie. “I’ll
have everything I just went over typed up and emailed to you within the hour.
I’m betting on this not affecting your work here, Addison.”

“It won’t. You have my word.” Addie promised.

Sondra opened the door slightly and then closed it again.
“Addison, it behooves me not to get involved in such matters. For what it’s
worth though, I think you’re doing the right thing. Your timing just sucks;
that’s all.”

Dear William,

I’m writing because I want you to hear this from me
and me alone. I’ve filed for divorce. While this doesn’t change anything
between us or where things stand, I do want to thank you. Had we not met, I
never would’ve had the courage to end my marriage.

It’s unfortunate for all involved that things worked
out the way they did. Let’s just agree that our love was chronologically
challenged from the beginning. :)

Your letter was beautiful. I thank you for that too.
And you’re right. I do love you. But the truth of the matter is I need to love
myself before I can really love anyone else.

I’m working on that.

Take care,

Addison

Addison sealed the envelope and dialed her contact then the
courier. Once the letter had been picked up, she gathered her things and rushed
over to her attorney’s office.

The office, located just around the corner from the Hartman
building, was large and sterile.
Maybe attorneys’ offices weren’t meant to
be inviting place
s, Addie thought as she rounded the corner. Her breath
caught, and a lump formed in her throat as she took in the sight of the paparazzi
gathered just outside her attorney’s office.
Keep calm,
she reminded
herself. Maybe they’re here for someone else, she considered, although logic pointed
to the contrary. As she entered the doors, she focused her eyes straight ahead
and did her best to ignore the flurry of questions shouted her way and the
microphones that were shoved in her direction.

Once inside the building, Addie decided to take the stairs in an
attempt to buy time and compose herself.
Someone had obviously tipped the
press off, and this wasn’t good.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the heavy
glass doors and made her way in. Addie searched the lobby for a receptionist,
and when she didn’t see one seated at the desk, she simply took a seat in the
waiting room and waited. Her attorney, Thomas Bradbury, was a shark known for
winning at all costs. Addie reached for a magazine as a petite older woman
opened the door, nodded in Addie’s direction, and asked her to follow. After
being led down a series of halls, Addie was ushered into a large conference
room. At the end of the table sat the man Addie had hired to handle her
divorce.

Tom Bradbury looked like an oversized jock clad in an expensive
looking three-piece suit and was positioned confidently with his legs propped
on the table as he impatiently barked orders into his phone. Next to him sat a
younger looking version of himself, who appeared to be furiously jotting down
notes. “Good. Then it’s a done deal. I assume you’ll have the proposed
settlement sent over by COB,” he demanded.

Slamming the phone down, he stood and grinned brilliantly at the
young man sitting next to him. “And that’s how it’s done.”

He turned and eyed Addison up and down in a way that only a man
of his kind would. “You must be Addison Greyer. Wow. Tom Bradbury. But I’m sure
you knew that already.” He laughed and thrust his hand in her direction. Addie
narrowed her eyes as he continued. “What a pleasure. A real pleasure, I must
say. You’re even more beautiful in person than the image I’ve seen floating
around in the media. You never know with those things.”

So he lives up to his reputation.
Addie turned towards the
man standing next to Bradbury. “Oh, this here is my associate, Liam Mott. He’ll
be observing and helping with your case.” She extended her hand, suddenly
noting how boyish Liam Mott looked. There was something warm in the way he
smiled at her, and Addie surmised that he must be fresh out of law school.
Just
a kid.

After smoothing her dress, Addie sat down and eyed the men
expectantly but didn’t speak.

Both attorneys followed suit. “Well, okay, then. Let’s get
started, shall we?” Tom commanded. “I assume that you completed the tasks we
discussed over the phone.”

Addie cleared her throat. It was time to put him in his place. This
was the sort of thing that had to be done with the Tom Bradburys of the world.
Never give ’em and inch. It’ll just turn out bad that way. “Mr. Bradbury, you’ve
come highly recommended, and I appreciate your taking me on as a client. But
one thing you should never do is assume anything about me. If we’re going to
work together, I’m going to need confirmation of that.”

Tom smiled as an expression Addie couldn’t quite read crossed his
face. “Of course, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s start over.”

“No. I’ve rented a place a few blocks from home and hired movers
to come this Saturday.”

Tom Bradbury pursed his lips. “Um, Mrs. Greyer, that wasn’t what
we discussed at all. Have you changed the bank accounts? What about withdrawing
half of the contents?”

Addie shifted and straightened in the chair. “No.”

The attorneys glanced at one another before Mr. Bradbury cleared
his throat and spoke slowly. “May I ask why not?

“I don’t want any of the money. He earned it. He should keep it.
Look. I know Patrick isn’t going to move out willingly, so that leaves me no
choice but to go myself. Do I want to remove my children from the only home
they’ve ever known? No. I just don’t see any other option.”

“Let me ask you this, Mrs. Greyer. Has your husband ever been
abusive? I want you to think about it really hard, now. A little shove here or
there? It happens.”

Addie didn’t miss a beat. “No.”

“How about verbally or emotionally abusive? Has he ever called
you names?”

Addie sighed. “Other than trying to keep me in a marriage I no
longer want to be in, no.”

Tom Bradbury stood abruptly and walked over to a mini bar in the
corner of the room. “May I pour you a drink, Mrs. Greyer?”

“No. Thank you.”

“Well, I hope you won’t mind if I have one myself,” he stated as
Addie watched him toss the amber liquid back. “Look. Here’s the deal.” The
attorney continued. “I’m going to be blatantly honest with you. If you refuse
to follow the advice I give you, I don’t think you stand a chance of getting
anything in this divorce, maybe not even your children. You’ve admitted to
being unfaithful. Hell, it’s been splashed all over the media. You’re currently
about to take the stand in a trial which suggests that you’re into some sort of
sick sexual shit at best and prostitution at worst. I have to say it’s not
looking so good for you, Mrs. Greyer.”

“I’m not paying you to tell me how it looks.”

Tom Bradbury chuckled, but only slightly. “Well then, tell me.
What exactly is it you are paying me for?”

“Because I hear you’re the best. The thing is I don’t want to
drag Patrick through the mud. I don’t want our divorce to turn into a
spectacle, tit for tat. I’m hoping to keep this simple, especially for our
children. I don’t want anything from him. He can have it all. I’m perfectly
capable of supporting our children on my own if he doesn’t want to. And I’m not
expecting anything from him. I just want out. He can have visitation on his
terms, but I want full custody. He’s been unfaithful too, and while I don’t want
to, I’m prepared to bring that up if it comes down to it. Oh, and I’ve never
engaged in any form of prostitution EVER. So let’s get that straight.”

“Well, this just gets better and better.” Bradbury exclaimed,
pouring himself another drink.

Addie pushed her chair back, away from the massive desk and eyed
Tom. “Do you have children, Mr. Bradbury?”

The attorney hesitated. “I do.”

“Then I’m sure you can imagine wanting to do anything you could
to protect them, while at the same time wanting to keep their innocence for
just a little longer. They are my first priority here. I’m prepared to fight,
but only if I need to. So I guess my question is this: are you willing to play
by my rules here? If not . . . I’m fine with taking a referral and calling it a
day.”

“If it’s all right, I have an idea,” the young man interrupted.

Addie and Bradbury’s eyes shot towards Liam as though they both
only realized that he’d been sitting there the entire time.

“Oh Jesus, let’s hear it,” Tom replied as he rubbed his temples.

“What if we just feel them out? What if we file the paperwork and
see what happens? Perhaps they’ll just agree to it.”

Addie smiled.
She liked this kid.
Tom exhaled loudly.
“That is the worst fucking idea I’ve ever heard. For starters, any attorney
worth his salt knows you want to be on the offensive.”

The kid continued, “Mrs. Greyer, what is the one thing you know
your husband doesn’t want out there? Based on the research I’ve done, I know
that affairs between colleagues, especially between higher ups and their
subordinates, are forbidden within the company he works for. Isn’t it correct
that he received a promotion that led to his leaving the family for the better
part of last year?”

Yeah, she really liked this kid. “Yes, it is.”

“And would it be correct to assume that this affair between your
husband and his boss began before
this
promotion?”

Addie exhaled. “If I had to guess, I’d say it did.”

“Huh. I like where this is going,” Tom Bradbury interjected.

The kid stood. “My idea is to file and let Mr. Greyer’s attorneys
know up front that we intend call the mistress in—if we have to go to trial,
that is.” He glared at Tom Bradbury. “I always find it interesting what people
will agree to if a little pressure is applied in the right spot.”

Bradbury slapped the kid on the back. “I knew I hired you for a
reason. That was exactly the approach I was gonna suggest, seeing that Mrs.
Greyer kicked my legs out from under me, anyway. Usually, I’m all for playing
hardball, but I really think we’re onto something here. This could definitely
be a good angle. Mrs. Greyer, what do you say?”

“Patrick lives for his work. It’s the one thing he’d hate to lose
more than his ‘ideal family.’ But I want it clear to all involved that I don’t
want anything from him aside from a divorce and custody of the children.”

Bradbury’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and stared at the screen
as he nodded. “All right, we’ll have the papers drawn up and sent over for you
to sign tomorrow morning.”

Addison stood, extended her hand to Liam, and thanked him.

She walked towards the door then turned on her heel, eyeing Tom
Bradbury, who was still lost in his phone. “Tom, I appreciate you agreeing to
go about it this way. I know you think I’m being foolish. You see the thing is I
know my husband. And I know what he responds to or what he doesn’t respond to,
for that matter. Just so you know I’m prepared to play dirty. I just hope it
doesn’t come to that.”

Tom looked up and met Addison’s gaze, his expression grim. “Let’s
hope it doesn’t, Mrs. Greyer.”