Morning all. I hope you had a fabulous weekend. I am ready to jump into the new week with both feet so lets set those timers and see what our prompt brings. Timers set and off we go.
Not sure where this is going, but I kind of like starting characters with their world kicked out from under their feet.
Monday, September 29th: He slipped to the floor.
He slipped to the floor. His knees buckled, unable to hold him up any more. The note crumpled in his fist. She was gone. Left him. For someone else. He hadn’t seen it coming, hadn’t suspected. He sat on the floor and slowly smoothed out the letter, pressing it against the wooden floorboards.
He hadn’t done anything wrong, she claimed. She just decided she wanted something else, someone else in this life. Then after that brief statement there was the line his eyes kept going to.
‘Marcus is far more suitable and I am sure you will find someone who works for the life you want.’
Ethan stared at the words. He knew Marcus. Knew why Cynthia found him so appealing. He was sure there was some physicality to it, Marcus was after all a decent looking, physically fit individual. He also came from a very wealthy background and had a habit of showering his companions with expensive gifts.
Cynthia always told him she didn’t need expensive gifts. He always gave her gives he thought of as thoughtful, agonizing over how much she would like and appreciate them rather than what they cost.
With the restructuring a few years back, money had been tight for a while. Instead of lavish vacations, they went on smaller ones, weekends away in places they both enjoyed.
Or so he thought.
As he looked at the letter, dates started to flick through his mind like swiftly turning calendar pages. Trips Cyntia claimed were for work. Small items she claimed to have had for years and just pulled out of the jewelry box now because she felt like wearing them.
There were other things too. Small comments made, a few of their more recent trips cancelled because she was busy.
“I suppose thee were signs,” he admitted to himself. He just hadn’t seen them for what they were.
Ethan stifled a short bark of laughter. Cynthia never asked about his business. She never had, even when they were dating or newly married. They each had their own separate work spheres that didn’t intersect. So she hadn’t known what a big day today was.
This morning at ten am things were finalized. The company he had to cut back his personal expenditures to reorganize had thrived. Grown and today he sold it for a ridiculous about of money. He slowly got to his feet. Ethan set the crumpled letter back on the counter. On the counter there were some fresh crisp sheets. The divorce decree. Already signed by Cynthia. Their accounts were separate. She wanted nothing from him and he was to get nothing from her. He signed the papers. Setting the pen down, Ethan reached into his suit coat pocket. He unfolded the confirmation, two first class tickets to Paris.
She loved Paris.
Ethan took out his laptop setting it on the counter. He cancelled hotel and restaurant reservations. He then contacted the airline and changed his two tickets into one ticket to somewhere warm and tropical. He closed the laptop. He just had time to pack, drop off the divorce papers and get to the airport. From there he would figure out his next steps. For now, he needed to get moving.
Ten til Midnight 