Bittersweet Revenge (4 page)

“We haven’t talked about a future because of the holidays and the break apart. But I already know that for us to have a future together means that I will have to go there. Rick isn’t going to leave his practice or family to live here, we know that. So I’m already thinking about that if presented with such a conversation.” 

Brenda looked at her friend thoughtfully.

“Good, at least you aren’t closed to it. I’m glad to hear that, was afraid that you would not even consider it, the job, the home, etc.” 

“All of that is window dressing if one has a good relationship with someone, right?” Alison laughed, knowing she’d gotten to Brenda. 

They said their goodbyes but not without Brenda extracting a promise from Alison to attend the New Year’s Eve party at Brenda’s. It was not couples, so that made Alison feel more comfortable and she agreed to go. But she knew it would be quite a memory to be there and not have Rick there this time.

The week went by more quickly than Alison wanted it to only because she was enjoying the time off. When she finally had opened the envelope that sat in her purse for over a week, the bonus from her company, she’d done a double take. Her bonus for that year, based on performance only, was $10,000. It was the largest bonus ever given to a non attorney staff member. Additionally, she also received a check that was a bonus given merely in appreciation and not related to performance, a check for $1,000. Her thoughts kept flitting to what she might do with the money, but she decided to put it into the bank so that it could start collecting whatever interest was to be had.

New Year’s Eve was actually fun, everyone she enjoyed, some she had not seen for many months, all casual. But she felt as though she was missing one arm. Everywhere she looked, she thought she saw him, remembering that day just five weeks earlier when she’d first known his presence. The group played charades and enjoyed the foods. Brenda had done it casually this time, various pizzas, appetizers, beer and wine, no hard liquor, but everyone was happy. 

They all starting leaving around 2:00 a.m. and friends of Alison’s said they would drive her home. No one mentioned Rick, nor did she, and she was happy Brenda didn’t say anything either. She slept late and went from one football game to the other, feeling a bit restless, rather surprised at not even having a text message from Rick to wish her a happy New Year. She tried to not dwell on it too much, realizing that time with his kids was probably the total preoccupation. 

Since New Year’s day fell on Friday, it was another long weekend, lots of football, but Alison also decided to use the time to ground herself again, feeling a bit out of kilter, something she couldn’t explain. It was, she finally acknowledged, more like a sense of foreboding, but she didn’t want to dwell on it. The weekend was put to good use and she again felt like her life was under control. All the laundry was caught up, and she’d even worked on some financial things to prepare for tax season. By Monday morning, she was definitely ready to go back to work.

Chapter Six

The days were not hectic in the office although she knew they would be as everyone got back into the groove. The party’s over, folks. Get with it. Monday and Tuesday went by with no word from Rick and she was then becoming concerned, enough so that Wednesday morning she called his cell phone. He answered hurriedly.

“Hi, it’s Alison. Sounds like you’re in a hurry, but I just wanted to be sure that everything is okay with you. I hope I didn’t bother you.”

“Ali, sorry, it’s just been nuts. All is well, had a good vacation with the family, kids are going back to school this weekend. How about if I catch up with you then, okay?”

She took a deep breath.

“Of course, whenever you can. Take care.” 

Alison hung up without waiting for an answer, trusting her intuition that something had changed and he seemed remote, something she’d never experienced with him. But who was she kidding. She’d known the man such a short time so how could she ever know what was normal for him.

By the end of the week, Alison knew that something was definitely wrong and she realized for the first time, facing it squarely in the face, that she and Rick were no longer. It was over. She knew it in her gut and her heart. She just didn’t know why. She did not hang around over the weekend waiting for the phone to ring, although he would know that she would be watching football on Sunday.

He never called. He didn’t send a text message. There was no email. And he didn’t write snail mail. It was over and she knew it. And now she had to cope as best as possible and realize that for whatever reason, it had all been like a dream. 

Alison checked the Boston papers the next week to see if there was anything that could give her some sense of what was happening in his life, but nothing. Nothing until the end of January when a column in the society page of the Boston Globe caught her eye.

Henry and Marta Zeller announce the marriage of their daughter,  Dr. Elizabeth Marta Zeller, to Richard Westman, Sunday, January 25th. The couple became engaged in the spring of the previous year, but postponed their wedding due to Mr. Westman’s trial schedule. The new Mrs. Westman is a doctor at Boston General, an orthopedic specialist. They make their home in Beacon Hill. The Zellers will hold a reception for the newlyweds in the coming weeks.

Alison ran to the bathroom and vomited, unable to keep herself from the raw emotions that spilled forth. She was shaking and knew she had to get out of the office. At that moment, her secretary walked into the restroom and heard Alison retching, asked if she needed help.

Alison washed up and said she obviously was either sick or had food poisoning. Callie went to get her purse and jacket, but Alison walked back to her office to be sure her computer was off and not focused on the news she had just read. Callie called a taxi for her and Alison was home within half an hour. 

She was in shock, couldn’t stop shaking, and ate nothing more than chicken noodle soup that evening. When she could finally bring herself to look at it again, she found the newspaper piece she’d printed and stared at it.

The son of a bitch. That was all she could think. What a son of a bitch. He was engaged to another woman the whole time he was here, even when he said he loved her. How could he? 

She showered and tried to wash him away, but it’s not that easy. Finally, knowing she had to deal with it eventually, she phoned Brenda and told her what was going on.

“Ali, I am stunned and so sorry. I really am. I thought he was above that sort of thing, thought he was different. I know that probably sounds patronizing, but I also know you thought the same thing of him. How are you handling things, seriously?” 

“Bren, I am still in shock, but I’m not sure if it’s because of knowing this or because he hasn’t phoned once to tell me to basically drop dead. Not once during those weeks did I have a clue that someone else was on his mind, that he was connecting to anyone else. We were together hours and days on end, without him as much as sending a text message, unless he was doing it in the bathroom. But we were even together in the bathroom a lot of the time. That’s what makes it more confusing.”

“I can understand that. Especially since you said you met every night after he was finished in court and left together in the morning, so it’s not as if he was having a separate rendezvous with someone else.” 

Brenda lit a cigarette, knowing Alison hated to hear her puffing away.

“We can second guess until we are blue in the face and it doesn’t do any good. What is is … he’s married. That’s what is. He went away for the holidays with his family, I never heard word one from him again, and then he got married to the woman he’s been engaged to for almost a year. The woman he never mentioned, not once, not even as a past fiancé or friend.”

Alison stopped, knowing she had said all there was to say.

“Can I do anything for you? I love you and am so sorry, you know that. You deserve the best and I’m sorry this is how it turned out. I do feel terrible about it even though I know it isn’t my fault.”

“No, Bren, it’s not your fault. Not at all. And thank you, but there’s nothing you can do but continue to be my friend, okay? I need that now more than anything.” 

“It’s yours without the asking. I am here if you need anything. Let me know when you’d like to get together for dinner or such, okay? Stay strong.”

“Thank you, Bren. I love you for caring. Thank you.”

Chapter Seven

A few days later, Alison knew that she was pregnant without even looking at the calendar to keep track of her period. She was as regular as clockwork and suddenly was faced with a situation that never before entered the lexicon of her thinking let alone her life.

She bought a home pregnancy test but it was negative, yet she knew instinctively that she was pregnant. All she could do was wait … but not too long.

While at work two days later, Alison was struck with incredible abdominal pains, so severe that she fell to the floor moaning, and her staff rushed to her assistance. She couldn’t stand up and was doubled over in pain, so someone called 9-1-1.  The medical emergency team transported her to the hospital, her secretary calling Brenda immediately to inform her of what happened.

Alison was terrified as she’d never been ill, and in spite of believing she was pregnant, could not imagine what was happening to her. Staff in the Emergency Room asked a million questions, of course, and then one doctor, a woman, pulled the curtain closed and asked Alison quietly if she could possibly be pregnant.

“Alison, I’m Dr. Kurtane, an Internist. I’m the doctor on call today. Because you are in such good shape, obviously take care of yourself, I’d like to do a couple of tests, including blood work, but would like to ask you some questions, if you don’t mind. Is it possible that you could be pregnant?” 

“Yes, I could be. I realized it just a couple of days ago as my periods have always been like clockwork and I’m late. I took a pregnancy test and it was negative, so I decided to just wait a few days to see what happened. Then this pain happened this morning and sent me to the floor. I’ve never felt anything like that. What could be wrong?”

Alison started to cry, softly, and Dr. Kurtane reached out to touch her arm.

“I believe it may be an ectopic pregnancy, which is why you had severe pain. We’ll need to watch you for awhile and run some tests. I’d also like to confer with a gynecologist on staff, but that’s my suspicion.”

“Thank you, Dr. So if I remember anything I’ve ever known from a lawsuit I once worked on, an ectopic pregnancy means that it’s in the Fallopian tube?” 

“Yes, Alison, basically you are correct. We won’t make decisions until we do some tests, okay, and the consult, but it’s very likely that we’ll do laparoscopic surgery to terminate. Also, anything else that helps you in any way, physically or emotionally.”

The doctor saw the tears well up in Alison’s eyes and again reached out to comfort her.

“Do you have family here, or friends, someone who can help you?”

“I have no family here and would rather they don’t know, but I do have a good friend who is on her way over here. It occurred to me that I need to be sure someone has my power of attorney, just in case anything happens. I do have a Living Will. Thank you, Doctor; thank you very much. You’ve helped me a great deal and I appreciate it.” 

“You are welcome. Good for having some of the legal stuff. Of course, in your profession and mine, those are the ones who usually don’t have what’s required legally.” They both laughed.  “Why don’t you rest for awhile and I’ll be back shortly with test information.” 

Alison closed her eyes, realizing she was exhausted, and slept, then heard whispers in the room. When she looked up, Brenda was leaning over the bed and gave her a big hug.

“Hi, honey, how ya’ doin’?” Brenda gave her a big hug and Alison held on, just not wanting to let go yet. Brenda felt her face getting wet and soon her tears were mixed with Alison’s.

“Oh, Bren, thank you. I am so wiped out I can barely lift my little finger. It’s an ectopic pregnancy. Can you believe it? All I’ve ever wanted is to some day have a husband and child, and now this. But maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, ya’ think?” 

“Ali, I think yes, it’s a blessing in disguise. That means you are not faced with any decision because medically it’s been made for you. It would be awful if you had to go through that on top of everything else with Rick. That fucking son of a bitch, if I ever see him again, well, you know how I feel.”

“Yes, thank you. The fucking son of a bitch about says it all, doesn’t it? Just when the shock was beginning to wear off, this happens. And now it literally is the death of a relationship. Thank God I didn’t have to decide on abortion or no abortion. I just have to deal with it, Bren, which I thought I was doing until I realized I was pregnant. Too bad I can’t go after him for money for 18 years. Wouldn’t that just make his new wife crazy?” 

Alison actually chuckled for a moment.

“Is there anything I can get for you from home? How long will you be here?”

Alison explained the doctor’s plan for a consult with a gynecologist, the tests they will do, then probably laparoscopic surgery within the next couple of days. She asked Brenda to get a couple of gowns and housecoat and slippers for her, to check her apartment just to be sure all was okay, be sure to put the alarm system back on, etc. They talked for a bit about this sort of housekeeping, then Alison raised another issue.