A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Sharing a bed.

Any married woman knew exactly what that meant.

Carmela’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re not joking with me, are you?”

“I would never joke about something like this with you.”

Elissa lifted her gaze. Her small, delicate face looked even paler, but her voice remained gentle. “Mom, I honestly can’t think of any other way out besides divorce.”

Carmela was furious, but not at Elissa.

Her anger was reserved for her own son and Marcia.

One was clueless, the other always looking for something better.

But now that it had come to this, even as a strong–willed mother–in–law, she couldn’t bring herself to ask Elissa to stay.

How could she? Her own son had wasted three years of someone else’s life for nothing.

The poor girl carried the label of a married woman, yet had never even experienced what marriage was supposed to be.

Carmela took a steadying breath and patted Elissa’s hand. “I noticed in the divorce agreement, you’re only asking for the house on Juniper Road?”

Elissa nodded, lips pressed together. “If that’s not possible, I can walk away without it…”

She knew perfectly well that her only goal today was to get divorced.

The last settlement, along with her own savings, was more than enough for her to live comfortably.

To outsiders, she was the butt of every joke–a woman who wasted three years, wore the most colorful cuckold’s crown, and then left with nothing.

But she knew it was worth it.

For these three years, she’d been free–far freer than she’d ever been with the Murphy family.

She didn’t regret it for a second, not even when she counted the times she’d been punished or forced to kneel back then.

“You’re overthinking this,” Carmela said, glancing at her. “If word got out, people would say the Atwater family was mistreating our daughter–in–law. Here’s what I’ll do: you keep the

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house on Juniper Road, and I’ll transfer another one in your name, also on Juniper Road.”

“I’ll agree to the divorce,” Carmela said, “but I need you not to mention it to Frank for now, all right?”

Elissa hesitated. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll take care of the paperwork,” Carmela replied/her mind already made up. “But for now, the divorce will stay between you and me. I’ll find a new match for Frank, and once that’s settled, we’ll make the divorce public.”

The meaning couldn’t have been clearer.

This was to keep Marcia from swooping in at the first opportunity, to prevent the Atwater family from airing their dirty laundry in public.

The house on Juniper Road was a parting gift, compensation to Elissa until Frank’s new

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wife was chosen.

But Elissa wanted a clean break, nothing left unfinished. She’d never been one for dragging things out.

She looked at Carmela, uncertain. “Mom, I know you mean well, but-”

“Elissa, this really is a win–win.”