Rowan’s Point of View
I tried Janet’s number again, my finger pressing the call button harder than needed. Three hours I’ve been doing this. Three whole hours of nothing but her voicemail. My hand shook slightly as I reached for my glass, taking a long sip of whiskey. The burn in my throat matched the anger building inside me.
“Come on, Janet,” I muttered, dialing again. “Pick up the damn phone.”
Ever since I found out Janet’s mother had been moved from the hospital–without my knowledge or permission–everything
had been falling apart.
I pressed call again, expecting the same robotic voice telling me the number wasn’t available. But this time, it rang.
My heart jumped in my chest. I sat up straighter, nearly spilling my drink.
It rang once, twice, three times… then connected.
“Finally, you pick up!” I rushed to say, the words tumbling out before she could even speak.
There was a pause on the other end, then Janet’s voice–cold and distant, like a stranger’s.
“What do you want, Rowan?” No hello. No explanation of where she’d been.
7
“What do I want?” I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “How about telling me where the hell you’ve been? How about explaining why you disappeared like that? Haven’t you had this enough of this game of yours?”
“Have you signed the divorce papers?” she asked sharply, completely ignoring my questions.
I blinked, taken aback by her directness. Was she really still set on this divorce? After everything? I thought she’d cool down after a few days, realize she was being ridiculous. But this… this was different. She sounded determined.
Is it that sugar daddy of hers want her to get rid of me that fast?
“Yes,” I said coldly, although it was never what I wanted to say but I actually did say it. I hadn’t signed anything yet. I mean how can I possibly do that just like that cause she wants to end our marriage just like that?. But something told me it was the only way to keep her talking. “I signed them.”
“Good,” she said, no emotion in her voice.
“But,” I added quickly, “we need to attend Grandma’s party this weekend.”
“Are you joking?” Janet’s voice rose. “We’re getting divorced, Rowan. How on earth do you expect me to attend your grandmother’s birthday with you?”
“It’s just for an hour or two,” I said, trying to keep my voice reasonable even as anger bubbled beneath the surface. “Just to show up. You don’t have to stay long.”
“I’ll send my gifts to her, but I’m not showing up,” Janet said rudely. “Not happening.”
My grip tightened on the phone. Who was this person? Not the quiet, obedient Janet I knew. This new Janet was all sharp edges and cold words.
“You know how much Grandma cares about you,” I said, trying a different approach. “She’ll be heartbroken if you’re not there.
And besides, our divorce isn’t finalized yet. We’re still technically married.”
“Don’t,” Janet’s voice hardened. “Don’t use your grandmother’s birthday to manipulate me.”
