Happily Never After

Chapter 19

Henry was the one who started explaining the matter to us. He told us that Kathy, Carter's ex-wife, was granted an early release from prison and had immediately flew back to the UK. As soon as she landed, she went to the lawyer who dealt with their divorce and demanded to be shown their divorce papers.
When the papers were handed over to her, she went over them in fine detail and as soon as she spotted the clause, filed a claim to get Carter's share of the company as she easily found out that he didn't get married during her time in a cell.
Henry was alerted to the claim through a family friend who attended the wedding yesterday. He told him that Marcus Lovering, the lawyer who dealt with the divorce, was Kathy's brother and was just as sick and twisted as she was.
To the outside world, he looked and acted like any other lawyer. He worked for the company that Henry hired to deal with numerous business takeovers over the years and became a trusted family friend just like his sister did. He had used his fathers name so no one would be able to connect him to Kathy when they were around each other in public.
The divorce document Carter and Henry were given to read over and agreed to sign, was changed. Marcus had two very similar documents written up. Only one change between the two: Kathy was to stay away from Carter for ten years or until he was old enough to take charge of the family company on his own. After those ten years, she could approach him again but only if he wasn't married and didn't have any children of his own.
If he wasn't married by any of those, she was allowed to approach him and ask for his share of the company as it looked like he wasn't grown up enough to fend for himself and still depended on his parents for help.
That was the divorce papers that Marcus had Carter and Kathy sign. He told them he'd get everything finalised by the next morning and during those 24 hours, he changed the documents. Carter and Henry could only trust him when he sat the papers down in front of him to sign the next day. Neither knew what had been changed.
What none of the Romero family members knew about either, was that she had hired private investigators to track each members move. She got to know them in fine detail and who was within their inner circle of close friends and family.
As it turns out, she heard that Carter had took a sudden interest in me and she dug deep into my life. She found out that I was divorced and contacted Daniel to find out more about me. She was the one who sent Daniel to my house the day everyone in my work got told not to come in. She sent him to my house to try and get Carter to leave me because she knew that it was early in our relationship for me to have told him that I was divorced.
Worst luck for each one of us, is that none knows where she is or who's working for her. We don't know her next step or where she'll pop up next.
"Sarah, I know what Carter has asked of you is a big thing but if you want to back out now, we can find another way of dealing with Kathy." Isobel sighs while clasping her hands together.
"As much as some people would do so, I said that I would stick this through and that's what I intend to do." I smile.
"That's good to know because you are getting married tonight," Henry announces loudly.
"What?" Carter and I shout at the same time.
"We have to move fast with this. We don't know when Kathy will make her next move," Henry explains. "For all we know, she can make a move right now or she can make a move tomorrow. We have to prepare ourselves and fast."
I look at Carter as he stares across at his dad. "If it has to be done, that's fine."
"You will have to move in together to make it look legit. A press release will also have to be released but that can wait as we'll need to get the PR group and lawyers involved." Henry continues. "Sarah, I have been made aware that you stay with your best friend and her brother. Is that true?"
I nod before he continues. "They will have to be informed straight away regarding the matter and will possibly have to be guarded or moved from their current premises."
"I-I can't ask them to just give up their house and move all because of one person. They have already done so much for me. I don't want to ruin that," I ramble.
"We don't know who has come in contact with them that could possibly be working for Kathy. We have to take all precautions."
I open my mouth to answer but restrain myself and give Henry a simple nod.
Henry takes a deep breath and gets to his feet, buttoning up his suit jacket in the process. "Good. Now that everything's in place, Carter, I will be taking over this afternoon's video conference. You both have to get ready for the wedding tonight."
"I can still do the meeting," Carter defends instantly, rising to his feet to stare at his dad. "I'm fine to do it. I want to do it."
"Carter, you aren't fine to do it!" Henry shouts at him. "The look you currently have plastered on your face will give something away and we can't take the risk."
"What look? I don't-"
"The look of being scared, Carter. You're scared and that's exactly what she wants you to feel like. Sort yourself out before tonight or it will be obvious that you don't have the intent to ever marry the woman you say you care so deeply for."
I watch Carter closely as he takes a deep breath and looks away from Henry. He takes another breath and turns back to him briefly before walking out the room. My eyes follow him until I can't see him anymore and I look over at Isobel who sits unmoving while Henry still stood. A wave of uncomfortableness comes over me as the three of us stayed silent.
Minutes pass and Isobel clears her voice, causing me to turn and I look at her. "Sarah, I think it would be best if you go after him. He won't listen to either of us if we go."
I nod and get to my feet before leaving the room and going after Carter.

I take a wild guess and walk up the stairs to his bedroom, taking each step both as quickly and quietly as I could. Thoughts of what will happen in the following minutes, scurry around in my head.
What will I say to him? I'm not used to doing this and never had to do any of this before! I mean, yes I've been in an argument where I've went after someone who stormed off but this was a completely different ballpark! I don't know how Carter will act to me going to see him. I don't know how angry he'll get or what to say if he starts rambling on.
I feel the urge to turn round and just run for the hills so I'm away from this whole mess that has suddenly been created. I can't do that though. I promised Carter I would give this relationship everything I had and that's what I intend to do.
Before I know it, I'm outside the master bedroom and just beyond the black wooden door, is the man that has had his world torn apart within the matter of hours.
I take a deep breath and open the door and enter the bedroom.