Page 2 of Escape To Paradise
“How long have you been fucking her?” I asked. I was never the one to be vulgar, but the words just slipped out of my mouth.
He didn’t answer.
“How fucking long, Benoit?” I yelled.
“Just a few months,” he stammered and looked down.
“So, is this just a casual thing, or is it serious?” I asked. If looks could kill, he would have been dead already. My eyes were accusatory.
“I don’t know,” he said in a very low voice.
“You don’t know? Well, it must be serious if you’re giving her jewelry. And in front of our staff?” I got up and approached him. I wanted to slap him, but I held back. He was expecting it, though.
I tried not to cry, but the tears started flowing again. Benoit just stood there, saying nothing.
“You say it was worth it? All that we’ve worked for. Our eight years together. You were just going to throw it all away for a casual fuck? Your dick is bigger than your head! I can’t believe it, Benoit. I loved you. I gave you my all. We built a life together! We’re over!”
I didn’t know I had such pent-up anger. It just welled up from deep inside me. I walked out of our home, slammed the door, and continued walking.
Chapter 2
Closing a Chapter
I escaped to Evergreen, Colorado. Evergreen was a mountainous, lush region, 30 miles from Cosmopolitan Denver. I had nowhere else to go, so I stayed with my friend Lisa in her cabin home; she let me stay in one of her guestrooms. She was the first person I could think of when I needed to get away from Benoit.
I met Lisa at a hospitality conference in Denver many years ago. She was one of those quirky, lovable characters that I instantly connected with. She was nothing like me, who was usually quieter and more reserved. Lisa made me comfortable, and she made me laugh. I was always self-critical, but she was the opposite; she reminded me constantly not to take things too seriously. Because we lived so far away from each other, we mainly communicated by phone.
Lisa had been divorced for years and lived with her two boys—Atticus and Beckett, who were in elementary school. To keep myself useful around the house, I offered to tutor her boys. But to switch things up, after schoolwork, we played out in the backyard, jumping on their giant trampoline.
When Lisa was at work, I would walk her Yorkie, Bacon, on the trail behind her property. Living in the country was new to me; I had lived in Chicago all my life, and Savannah was also a crowded and busy city. I was in awe whenever I encountered wildlife during my walks with Bacon. Sometimes, I would spot an elk; they were bigger than I had expected. Most often, I would see jackrabbits hopping around, which would cause the dog to bark excessively. There were many birds, making my dog walks very pleasant as each bird made a distinct sound.
It was getting cold since it was in November. So, around five p.m., when the kids come home, I would usually start the fireplace. Then, I would cook dinner. Lisa was living a simple life here, and I was adapting.
Tonight, for the family, I had cooked roast chicken with rosemary and lemon, paired with roasted potatoes with chives. For dessert, a freshly baked apple pie. The kids were getting used to my cooking and were loving it. Atticus, the bigger of the two, would always ask for two servings and would lick the plate clean.
“Don’t get used to these, boys. You know your Aunt Harper can’t stay here forever. You’re going to go back to eating microwave dinners again soon,” Lisa said over dinner. She was drinking red wine with her poultry even if I told her it was best paired with white wine. But she was a rule breaker.
Beckett loved the apple pie more as he asked for a second slice.
“These kids look like I have starved them all these years.”
I chuckled as I dug into my chicken. It was full of flavors and the familiar aroma of rosemary.
“Aunt Harper, you made this chicken dinner so delicious,” Atticus complimented me. He was licking his fingers now after finishing his potatoes.
“Are you saying I can’t cook?” Lisa glared at her son.
“Mom, your chicken is always dry,” Beckett chirped.
“Oh, is that so now? Yeah, okay, insult your mother. The one who clothed you and fed you. You’re not getting a Christmas present this year. Also, since we made the dinner, you wash the dishes, then do your homework after. No TV!”
“Why are you saying ‘we’? Only Aunt Harper slaved in the kitchen all afternoon,” Atticus pointed out.
“Well, I pay the bills. So, no more complaints now, okay?”
Atticus sighed. Beckett was still finishing his apple pie. He was eating it slowly, as if savoring it.
After dinner, the boys went about their chores and homework. The adults—meaning Lisa and I—went to the back porch. Lisa started a fire. I could see more stars in the sky than I could count. It was hard to see the night sky in Savannah with all the light pollution. But not in this lovely town.
