Page 118 of The Work Wife

“I would bet we still don’t hold the record for the worst reasons to get married.” He smiled and she flopped back on her pillow. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn’t summon the energy.

He leaned over her and brushed her hair from her face. “For what it’s worth, I told my mother I didn’t want to see her again until she could speak to my wife with respect. I also told her you weren’t using me to get to my money.”

“Not that I was given the chance,” she grumbled.

He laughed and kissed her forehead. “I married you because you make me happy. At the time, it was only friendship, but I trust you, Jamie. With my money and my story and maybe even with my future.” He kissed her again and smiled. “Please don’t start hiding under the sofa. I would miss you even more than the cat.”

Chapter 22

After discussing things with Rob, Wes managed to get a leave of absence to go explore his options at the family business and make a more permanent decision. His boss didn’t want to lose him, or Jamie. Which is why she was offered a week off to go visit her father. They’d already submitted the proposal to Holly McCafferty. She would be looking over the options and make her decision in the next week or so.

Wes took advantage of Jamie’s absence to set things up in New York. He didn’t think he could handle a dramatic goodbye scene. He didn’t want to leave her.

He asked her to come with him, but she wanted him to be free to decide what he wanted without her swaying the decision. Plus, she said she’d feel better if he went ahead to make sure she would like working there before she did anything drastic.

As he unpacked his clothes at the new apartment, he worried what this distance would do to them. He would happily move back to Boston if she’d asked him. Instead she was standing by him and supporting him on this journey.

He owed it to himself and Benji to either join the company or step down. Blain and Douglas had given him three months to let them know. He would keep an open mind and do what was best for his future.

And Jamie’s.

His mother walked in his office, assessing the changes the decorator had made. It had been his first order of business.

“It looks like a completely different office.”

“That was the goal.”

“Why do you go out of your way to reject everything your father built for you? I don’t know whatever happened between the two of you. I asked, but he said he didn’t know. He just said you hated him for some reason and he probably deserved it.”

This was the opening he needed to spill the truth. Now or never.

“He did deserve it,” he said while motioning to his new sofa. “Have a seat. I need to tell you something.”

“Oh, no. This sounds serious.”

“I’m afraid it is. I know it’s not something you’ll want to hear, but it’s time. Jamie said I needed to tell you so I can be free.”

His mother’s brows pulled together and she patted his leg, encouraging him to go on.

“Dad was having an affair with his assistant. I don’t know how long it went on, but I saw him with her. I’m sorry.”

She stared down at her hands for a moment. Her shoulders lifted and fell as she took a deep breath. When she looked up at him her pale blue eyes were indifferent. He’d expected her to be upset. He’d expected tears, or maybe anger. Not this dispassionate shrug of annoyance.

“I knew,” she said.

“You knew? But—”

“He’d always had affairs. Even since you boys were small. It was nothing.”

“Nothing?” he choked out. “Your husband was unfaithful and it was nothing? Why did you stay with him?”

She rolled her eyes as if he were being ridiculous. “He was rich. A woman doesn’t leave a rich man for something as minor as infidelity.”

Christ. He couldn’t believe he was hearing this. She hadn’t even used his brother and him as an excuse. Somehow, it might have seemed excusable if she’d stayed to keep their family together. But no, of course it wouldn’t have been because of family. They’d never been a real family.

This woman was nothing more than the gold digger she’d accused Jamie of being. She’d given up years of happiness for nothing more than money and the prestige of being Geoffrey Archer’s wife.

“I can’t believe this,” he finally said.