I’d called, texted, emailed… I’d done everything to try to stay in touch with her. Every now and then I’d see her picture in some ad, but her career hadn’t really taken off like she’d wanted it to. In fact, my family was being generous when they said she was mildly famous. She wasn’t. The only reason we recognized her in ads was because we knew her. But her lack of success didn’t matter. She still hadn’t come back to me.
This would be the first time I’d seen her in person since she’d walked out of our apartment.
I sighed and stood up, gathered some documents from my desk, and left my office. There was no use dwelling on the past. I just hoped I’d be able to keep it together while she worked for Caldwell Financial.
“Fair warning,” Lisa said when she saw me. “Your mother is at the meeting.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“I have no idea. But Bryce told me to let you know.”
I nodded. “Thanks.” There would be only one reason Mom came today. That would be to see Madison Welles. Mom had always hated Carrie and didn’t hide it very well. I’d always known that part of that was because she’d adored Madison.
Great. I didn’t need my mother to come in and complicate this first meeting with Madison.
Things were complicated enough without her.
After I’d come in and gotten situated, it became clear Madison wasn’t at the meeting. I was so relieved. Maybe I’d never even have to see her during the campaign. I’d probably been worried for nothing. I sat back and relaxed, letting Bryce handle things.
Since Bryce was our marketing director, he would technically be in charge of the ad campaign. He’d wanted me and Celia involved, though, since it was the first campaign that would take Caldwell Financial in a more modern direction.
The director set up some of her equipment to show us her vision for the ad campaigns, and we talked with everyone involved about the timing and logistics. She wanted to actually use the building for many of the shoots, and we assured her she could have the space when she needed it. We made it clear that Bryce would be the point person for everything. I just had final approval.
As the meeting dragged on, everyone else around the table looked bored. Especially my mother.
“This sounds great,” I finally said, trying to get the director to finish up. “We’ll plan on the production starting next week.” I started to stand up, when a door opened.
Madison Welles walked in.
I’d thought I’d prepared myself for seeing her again. I was wrong. She walked through the door and smiled at me in thatsophisticated, reserved way she had. It was so different from my friendly, open wife who laughed like no one was watching or judging her.
Everyone loved Carrie.Iloved Carrie. But seeing Madison? It didn’t just bring back memories of the past.
It wrecked me.
I couldn’t breathe. My heart was pounding way too fast. I felt like I was hot and cold all at once. I could only hope my reaction wasn’t obvious to anyone else. But as I locked eyes with Madison, I knew she could see right through me.
She knew what she did to me, and her smile changed into something more self-satisfied, like she’d won something or proven something. Maybe she had. Could one look at her really negate the five years of marriage I’d had with Carrie? Was that possible?
Maybe it was. One look, and I was transported back in time. I was a teenager again, shaking as I kissed her for the first time. Dying a little inside if she was upset with me. Feeling a pleasure so intense I thought I’d surely die as I thrust inside her for the first time.
She was my first everything. And she was supposed to have been my last.
“Thatch?” Bryce asked, looking concerned. “You okay?”
“Fine. I’m fine.” My voice sounded rough. I picked up my glass to take a drink of water. My hand shook. My eyes shot to Madison’s again. She was watching me, taking in every detail with a smug smile. One sight of her, and I was shaken to my core.
This was bad. This was very, very bad.
Later, after I’d spent the rest of the day hiding in my office, I sat across from Carrie at our dinner table.
“How was work today?”
I looked at her. Now was my chance to tell her everything. To confess that I’d been keeping a secret from her for years. Toadmit that I’d had a fiancée before. That we’d dated since the ninth grade. That I’d lived with her for years. That I’d been three weeks from marrying her before she left me.
And that she was the new face of Caldwell Financial. I’d potentially see her for months when I was at work.
Instead, I looked at her and gave her the best smile I could muster. “Work was fine.”