Filed To Story: The Lingering Kiss of Farewell Novel
Something he had no right to do. He’d been the one to divorce her, and she’d just accepted it and left him to never be seen by him ever again. He even recalled Wil telling him she believed that was what he wanted. So he could now understand that was what she’d done, she’d just left him because he’d left her.
Once he’d realised Marilyn wasn’t Marrin, seeing that there was no birthmark on the woman, and seeing that with his own eyes, it was undeniable that she wasn’t who he thought she was. It had been easier to convince himself she was Marilyn, and not Marrin.
He now realised that she had not come here to Houston on purpose, just to pretend she was Marrin. This had also helped him clear up his thoughts and bring him back to his senses. That not everyone that looked like Marrin would try and pretend to be her, just to get money from him.
This woman wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, and that had seemed to snap him out of his own delusions and obsession, but now he had to contend with the guilt of what he’d done to an innocent woman.
Everything had been unwarranted. He’d become a tyrant and was in fact a nightmare of a man for her, an innocent woman who knew nothing of him or his circumstances.
It wasn’t fair to her or her children, who now had to know that someone had targeted their own mother, and harmed her for no real reason, only that he’d not liked what she looked like. It was certain that it would seem completely crazy to them, and it was indeed crazy. Because that was exactly what it came down to in the end
So, he was out to make it up to her, to her children. Apologise and hopefully Marrin would actually see this and understand that he hadn’t meant to harm Marilyn. That he was just obsessed with finding her and could see her way to coming to understand him, once they got to meet and talk.
He had arranged a meeting with Marilyn’s lawyers to discuss a full holistic recovery plan that he and the doctors had come up with for her recovery. He knew she was going to need assistance, she could barely walk right now or even shower herself because of the broken wrist and ankle. She was off most of her painkillers and starting to show signs of coming good, finally.
But he was hoping to be able to provide her with the best home care support, have a nurse and physio with her 24 hours a day until she was fully recovered. He’d also managed to attain a chef to cook meals, and a nanny to look after the children. Though he was hoping to do this all here, net her up out at Cliffside
He still owned the place but rarely went there at all himself. He’d done so at first when missing Marrin, but eventually, as he’d twisted things inside his mind of what had happened, he’d stopped going there because it had caused him nothing but pain. He’d not been to Cliffside in years other than that one time to pick up Marrin’s perfume and take it back to his apartment. It sat empty but was maintained by a live in housekeeper and gardener. He’d not been able to get rid of the place.
He had told Wil to put it on the market at one point and then freaked out the moment he’d gotten an offer on the place, had withdrawn it from the market. He couldn’t sell it. The thought of losing the place he’d been happy with Marrin in and where he had intended on living with her to raise a family, had hit him, and he’d not actually been able to let it go.
He could actually remember the day Wil had told him there was an offer on the table for Cliffside. He’d looked up at Wil damned near horrified, and his heart had hammered inside his chest, panic had welled up, and he’d actually yelled at Wil about what the hell was he thinking. Selling Marrin’s house, was he crazy? Where would she live when she came back to him?
Wil had stared at him for a moment, and then just turned and walked out of his office with a shake of his head.
“You’re the one who told me to sell it,”
he’d shot over his shoulder.
“Bloody lucky I thought to tell you about the offer before just handing it over aren’t you.”
Calvin had been lucky his friend knew him well. He’d given him full authority for him to just sell it, and not tell him about the sale. He had told Wil that as long as he got market value for it, he didn’t care. Calvin hadn’t wanted to be involved at all. Had told Wil to handle it all. His friend had known better, it seemed, than to just actually sell it and never tell him.
Marilyn
Lisa and Hamilton had been asked to leave the room, and take the boys for a walk after they’d ordered dinner from the menu provided. It would take about 30 or 40 minutes to arrive. This room had everything the boys could possibly want, not only a TV with all the channels.
A couple of gaming consoles had been sent and hooked up and several games had also been attached to them, the morning after she had arrived, curtesy of Calvin Reeves, and there was free Wi??i in here for the boys to use their tablets as well.
There was even a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner for them to have meals made to order and delivered to the room. The boys had been staying with her here in the suite, sleeping comfortably on the plush couch. They hadn’t wanted to go back to the hotel, and she wasn’t going to make them.
Lisa had brought them some clothes, and they were showering here in her suite. They had pretty much made themselves at home here like they had in the hotel. They were also enjoying the benefits of being in a VIP room of this hospital, not something she’d ever used before.
Marilyn could well imagine this place was costing Mr Reeves a small fortune for every night that she was here, and she had no discharge date at this time. Her doctor had told her that slow and steady was the best way to a full recovery and to just take it one day at a time.
Something she actually did know and understand. She wasn’t all that concerned right this minute, she could recall everything about her life as Marilyn Riddley, though Dr Holdings had probed her about her amnesia to see if she had recalled anything prior to her last accident. Which she didn’t.
She could talk properly without slurring her words, and she could comprehend what was going on around her and what was being said to her, and think clearly. She just got tired and dizzy still was all, and that too would pass in time, and she knew it. She still had pain from her injuries, not so much the broken bones, but all the bruising that was all over her arms and legs, her torso, and her knee was still swollen, that ached quite a bit.
Liam sat on a chair next to her bed. He was Lisa and Hamilton’s dad and had come here at Hamilton’s request because things appeared to be getting out of hand, and still escalating is what he’d thought. He wanted some back up to deal with Calvin Reeves and help contain his sister, who was on a full ‘I’m going to get your mission and needed to settle down.
Liam looked right at her, and he sighed a little.
“Now I’ve been in meetings with Mr Reeves’ lawyer all morning, Mr Reeves is willing to take full responsibility for everything that has happened, and he himself has been in meetings over the past few days with doctors and nurses, physiotherapist and counselors too.
Trying, he tells me, and I do want to believe him. He’s mentioned some doctors’ names and handed me their cards, as proof of him actively trying to help you. Trying to sort out a full holistic treatment and recovery plan, to get you back up on your feet properly and back to your full capacity, of being able to write and look. after your children as well.”
he told her
“He will be paying for all of this, of course, and has even offered up a place for you and the boys to stay for as long as you need to be here for your recovery. There will be a nurse and a physiotherapist at the place you. stay as well.
She frowned at him and the word
“Why?”
had come out of her..
“Hmm, I would say realistically to stay out of jail, Liam told her with a slow nod.
“We’ve got a meeting lined up, as you’re aware, this evening to discuss everything in full. A full presentation of what he is going to be willing to do. Lisa is not willing to compromise at all, and she wants to push ahead with having him charged and see you take him to court…
“I however don’t think you want that, probably wouldn’t advise it either, not with who he actually is. He could drag it out for years, bring up everything to do with his ex??ife, and roll it all into a much longer battle where, in the end, you’ll just give up or go broke trying to make him pay for what he did. Better, I think, to settle.
“Though from some of the things he’s said, which we’ll get to later on, I don’t think he will actually do that, he has his own reasons.”
She watched Liam shake his had
“Odd reason at that, something about you possibly being his ex??ife’s twin sister, he’s finally agreed you’re not Marrin, that’s at least a start, but this new turn of events he shook his head,
“Who the hell knows, his obsession as Lisa puts it, is very real to him, I dare say. Best we not poke the bear and push him too much, or it will, as Hamilton thinks, get out of hand very quickly.”
She was staring at him at those words, possibly being his ex’s twin sister. If it wasn’t her being his ex, she was now beer in??aw. Seems he was really digging at everything to explain her likeness to his ex??ife.
“Did he say how he came up with that?”
she asked curiously.
“Mm, he admitted you don’t have Marrin’s birthmark, and with your birth certificate aligning to Marrin’s, the same state and an orphan as well.”
Liam shrugged.
“He’s connecting dots inside his mind. It is a reasonable assumption. I’ve now seen a picture of him and his wife. The likeness is uncanny.”
“So, his odd reason?”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.