Page 40 of Caught By the Chief of Staff

“No,” I cry. “We can’t. I won’t be here when you get home.”

“Don’t say that!” he shouts.

“I’ll have an attorney send papers to you. Just sign them and move on.”

“No!” he barks. “I won’t.”

“You can do better than me, Rick,” I say sadly. I feel broken inside. “We both know that.”

“No, I don’t know shit, and neither do you,” he says in a tone of voice he’s never taken with me before now.

“I do,” I sob. “I’ve always known. Be safe, Rick. And be happy.”

“I won’t be happy without you,” he pleads, and me neither. I won’t be happy without him, not ever again, but I’ll exist for my baby. That’s all I can do now. And Rick will live to see another day, to marry again and be happy, all because I’m walking away. “I love you, Cara.”

“Goodbye, Rick.” And then I end the connection before whispering, “I’ll never love anyone but you.”

And then I slip off the rings he was so proud to give me and I loved so very much, and I leave them on the coffee table along with the sim card to my cell phone so he can’t find me. I grab my duffle bag and my car keys, and I just drive. To where or what, I have no idea.

I have absolutely nothing left.

But this baby will have me, and that’s going to have to be enough.