A Presidential Affair

Ch. 12 - Second Chance

JANUARY 14: MEANWHILE: PRESIDENT ANDREW CLAXTON

After reading the article that Tania wrote I realized how selfish I'd been in this entire situation.

I kept seeing myself as the victim when really it wasn't me at at all. It was my family, it was the nation, it was my friends and colleagues.

They all knew me as the loving family man.

No one would've guess I was actually the disgusting cheating man. I just wanted to see Yvette and Arielle and Aria.

I wanted to be eating breakfast with them right now. I wanted my baby girls to bake me half burnt cookies and draw me pictures of our little family.

I wanted to hold my wife and just enjoy her presence. 

I picked up my phone and dialed her number. "Yes, Andrew?" I was in shock that she answered. "Yvette. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Honey, I miss you. Please come home."

She let out a sigh, "I can't do that. It hurts because I love you. It hurts because the one person I trusted the most in my life, broke that trust along with my heart."

I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. "I'm sorry." That's all I could say.

"Andrew...I want a divorce." I couldn't breathe. I felt as if I was drowning yet I was nowhere near water. "N-n-no. We're married for better or for worse."

I could hear her sniffling softly, "I never imagined this being our worst. Goodbye, Andrew." She ended the call before I could even say another word.

I sat there in the hotel bed wondering how everything got so screwed up. It was my fault but why did all of this even have to happen?

My pity part was interrupted by my phone ringing. "President Claxton speaking."

I heard heavy breathing and groaning, "Gentry speaking. Sir, there's been an accident and Tania Orly has been abducted." 

As he was telling me what happened I was already changing into a suit and tie. "Where are you right this second?"

I could hear Henry in the background panicking about Tania's whereabouts. "We're on Vivi Boulevard near the freeway entrance. Do you think Rocklin is responsible for this?" 

I was sure of it. "I'm going to find out, get medical attention immediately."

I hung up the phone and dialed Ophelia's cell number. It rang a few times before she answered.

"Hello, lover." I groaned in frustration, "Where the hell is Tania?" She laughed cynically, "What does it matter? She's the whole reason we were exposed."

She sounded so dry as if Tania was just a piece of gum on her shoe.

"She's just a youngster. No harm will come to her. I will have every single damn cop, trooper, military, and FBI personnel look for her until we find her. So just tell me where she is and maybe you can get off with fifteen years." 

She scoffed, "Oh you're no fun. Tell Henry this is a game for him. I'm going to test how great his stupid little tracking skills really are. He has five hours to find her. If he doesn't, then I guess we'll see what happens."

The call ended. I tried to call her back but it kept going straight to voicemail.

Dammit.

After many failed attempts at communicating with Ophelia I called Gentry. The line only rang once before he answered.

"Tell me the bad news first." How could I casually tell him that Tania's fate hung in the hands of Henry's computer skills.

"Ophelia said that Henry must use his hacking skills to locate Tania." The other side of the line was silent for a moment.