Page 52 of Wife By Accident

Her words stung. Leo knew she wasn’t going to stay with him forever, but he didn’t want to think of the end date. And what if she meant that her time with Leo had been great, but that she had to focus on the rest of her life — on having enough money to get by, to chase her dreams?

“Olivia…” Leo wasn’t sure what he’d wanted to say, and he trailed off. Olivia’s shoulders slumped.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to unload on you like that. I just… I was able to forget about money and work for a little while. And I can’t do that forever.”

“I know.” Leo met her gaze. “I guess I can’t forget about real life forever, either.”

“Sometimes, I wish we could,” Olivia said softly.

“Me too.”

They looked at each other for a long moment, not needing words. Leo recognized that they’d reached a turning point. They’d lived in a dreamland for the last few weeks, pretending they were really married, pretending they could go on as they had. They couldn’t. Just as Olivia had bills to pay and work to do, Leo had to focus on his company again.

It was time to work on the divorce. He couldn’t offer Olivia a future. Not the kind she deserved. He’d go back to being a workaholic. He’d go back to burying his feelings. She deserved better.

But maybe Leo could set her off on the right foot. He could offer her money in the divorce — not half, but enough that she could spend a year focusing on photography, like she’d said. Maybe even two.

Maybe that was all she really wanted from him, anyway.

Leo stood, rather abruptly, breaking eye contact with Olivia.

“How about I grab us some coffee… and then we should probably talk.”

“Yeah.” Olivia looked down. “I guess we should.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Leo could have made coffee at the machine in his private office or called for Julian to make coffee for them both. Instead, he went down the hall to the break room. He needed a moment to himself to gather his thoughts.

He and Olivia had avoided talking about the divorce for so long, but the time had finally come. He’d go back in, they’d sit down, and they’d talk things through. It was time for the beautiful break from reality they’d shared to end.

It didn’t matter that thinking about Olivia leaving was like being shot with a white-hot arrow. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t imagine having breakfasts and dinners alone or coming home to an empty apartment. It didn’t matter that he cared about her so much, his heart ached. It didn’t matter that he would have given almost anything to be the man she deserved.

Olivia was ready to leave, and Leo needed to get back to work. It was time to let her go.

CHAPTER 22

OLIVIA

Olivia leaned against Leo’s desk. Her heart was heavy, and tears already pricked at her eyes. That conversation had gone… poorly. But she didn’t regret it. She’d been living in a dreamland for a while now, with Leo, and maybe it was time to step back into real life.

Sure, part of her had hoped that Leo might argue. That he might say their time together had been real, and perfect, and that he didn’t want it to end. But he hadn’t.

Now, at least, they could sit down and have a real conversation about what would happen next. Olivia would explain that she didn’t want anything from Leo in the divorce, that she had cherished their time together, and that she hoped they could remain in each other’s lives. She’d tell him that she was applying for jobs in New York and see if he was interested in having her closer.

If he wasn’t, it would hurt. Olivia couldn’t deny that. But at least she would have spoken her truth. At least she would have tried.

A few minutes passed, and Leo still didn’t come back. Olivia stood and paced the office, feeling antsy. Then she spotted a little mark on the window, perhaps left behind by a hand. She smiled. Maybe Leo had stood right here, looking out at the view, his hand on the window.

The smudge wasn’t very professional, though. She went back to the desk in search of a paper towel or cloth she could use to wipe it away. The first drawer on the left held the usual assortment of rubber bands, paper clips, stapler, and scissors. She tried the top drawer on the right… and froze. The drawer held a stack of papers. And her and Leo’s names were at the very top.

She hadn’t meant to snoop, but now, she was face-to-face with a document about her, and she couldn’t just shut the drawer. She drew out the hefty bundle and read the words on the top page:

Postnuptial Agreement Between Leo Barclay and Olivia Keller

A postnup? Olivia hadn’t known that Leo was working on this. Her stomach twisted as she flipped through the pages. The agreement laid out, very clearly, that Olivia would get nothing in the divorce, that she had no right to speak negatively about Leo in the media, and that she couldn’t expect anything from him going forward.

It was all very logical. Olivia would have agreed to it herself… if Leo hadn’t kept it hidden from her. Worries began to flit through her mind like hyperactive June bugs. Why did Leo feel this agreement was necessary? Couldn’t he have just talked to her? Did he really think she’d want to smear his reputation or take his money?