Page 171 of Checkmate
For a moment, he thought she was going to disobey him as she hesitated, shrinking away from him like a deer caught in headlights. She held out his mail with a shaky hand, chewing her lip.
“Oh, will you behave?” he said, snatching it from her. “I’m sure whatever it is you’ve bought can’t be that bad.” Rolling his eyes, he tore open the envelope. Seriously, the way she was acting, one would think he was a violent piece of shit who hit women. Alex was many, many things, but a woman beater was not one of them.
Pulling the documents out, he let the envelope fall to the floor, his eyes scanning the page briefly.
Wait.
No.
That couldn’t be right.
Reading again from the top, his heart sank with each word. “Alex Carr and Erica Carr, hereby known as Erica Starling…” He trailed off, muttering to himself. “Granted a divorce… irreconcilable differences… what?
“This can’t be right. There must be some mistake.”
His papers were still in his desk drawer, locked away and safe. There was no way anyone had found them. But then how was he holding confirmation of his divorce in his hands? He looked up at Sophie as though she could possibly have the answers, frowning at the nervous look on her face.
“You can relax,” he said, irritated that she was still thinking of herself. “This isn’t about the baby.”
“That’s good,” she whispered, chewing on her nails. “So, wh-what is it?”
“My divorce has been finalised,” he replied, tossing the papers onto the counter with a growl. “Everything’s coming up Sophie, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?” She asked.
“Well, we’re both divorced and you’ve got the baby.” He turned to face her, his lip curling. “Access to all my money, a beautiful home. Things have really worked out for you, huh?”
“That’s enough!” She said, taking a firm step towards him. “I am tired of your attitude, Alex. I’m tired of you acting like everything that has gone wrong in your life is my fault. Newsflash, it takes two people to have an affair and not once did you turn me down or tell me to fuck off.”
“I didn’t say it was your fault,” he growled, waving her off.
“But you do blame me, and it’s fucking bullshit!”
She wasn’t wrong, but there was no way he’d admit that. Instead, he stared her down until she screeched in frustration, turning on her heel and storming out of the room.
Whatever.
He had more important things on his mind and an ache in his heart that wouldn’t go away. His marriage was well and truly over, at least in the eyes of the law. There was no arguing with the words on the page.
They were divorced.
Somehow.
What the fuck had happened? He certainly hadn’t sent off the papers and no one else had access to his office. Well, except Sophie. But she wouldn’t have known where to look. There was no way it was her. No chance in hell she was smart enough to…
He stopped himself, looking in the direction she had just left.
She was incredibly nervous about handing him the documents. And if she had ordered something for the baby, why was the envelope addressed to him? She must have known what was inside that envelope, which could only mean one thing.
It was her.
It was fucking her!
Anger like he had never felt raged inside him as he stalked through the house, heading up to their bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time. His entire body shook with the force of his anger as he slammed open their bedroom door to find her cowering on the bed.
“I’m sorry!” She squealed, protecting herself with a pillow.
“You fucking bitch!” His voice thundered through the room as he grabbed her wrist, pulling her up to his level. “What the fuck were you thinking poking around in my business?”
