David
The atmosphere in the conference room was stifling. David sat at the head of the long, polished table, his
posture tense. He avoided the eyes of everyone in the room—the HR executive shifting uncomfortably in her
seat, the head of legal meticulously jotting notes, Lena’s former boss Jeff Fielding leaning back with his arms
crossed, and Mark Caldwell, the investigator, who looked entirely too composed. David knew what they all
thought of him, and he couldn’t blame them. If he were in their position, he’d be disgusted too. Mark cleared
his throat, breaking the uneasy silence. “Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, Mr. Sutton. We’ll be as
concise as possible, but we do need full transparency to ensure a thorough resolution to this matter.” David gave
a small, jerky nod. “Let’s get this over with,” he muttered, staring at the untouched glass of water in front of
him. “To begin,” Mark continued, “we need you to outline every instance Natalia had unsupervised access to
your home.” David’s throat tightened. He had dreaded this moment, but there was no way to avoid it. He took a
de ep breath, forcing the words out. “She... she was at my house a few times,” he said. “It... started when Lena
wasn’t home. Natalia came by under the guise of... needing to pick up work materials.” His voice faltered, and
he ran a hand over his face, as though wiping away the shame that clung to him.
Jeff Fielding made a noise—a sharp exhalation that sounded more like disbelief than anything else. David
flinched but didn’t look up. “Go on,” Mark prompted, his tone neutral but firm. David’s fingers gripped the
edge of the table. “After that, things escalated,” he admitted, his voice low. “There were times she... stayed
over. Times when I wasn’t... in a state to... supervise.” The head of legal glanced up from her notes. “Can you
clarify what you mean by ‘not in a state’?” she asked sharply. David’s jaw tightened. He hesitated, then said,
“I... passed out. After... being with her.” The words felt like acid in his throat, burning as they came out. He
saw, out of the corner of his eye, Jeff’s expression shift to outright disgust. “So you’re saying Natalia had free
rein of your home during those times?” Mark asked, his voice betraying no emotion. “Yes,” David said quietly.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but she... she must have been using that access to... do whatever she was doing
with Lena’s security credentials.” The HR executive leaned forward, her face pale. “Did you ever consider how
this might... compromise Lena?” she asked, her voice tight. “Not just personally, but professionally?” David
finally looked up, his eyes bloodshot and haunted. “Of course I didn’t,” he said bitterly. “I wasn’t thinking
about anything exc ept myself. That’s the truth. That’s why I... deserve whatever consequences come my way.”
Jeff Fielding’s lips curled in a sneer. “Consequences?” he said sharply. “You think an apology and a payout fix
this? You think it fixes what happened to Lena?”
David’s hands clenched into fists on the table. “No,” he said, his voice breaking. “I know it doesn’t. But I’m
trying to make it right in the only way I can now.” Mark held up a hand, cutting off Jeff’s retort. “Let’s stay on
track,” he said evenly. He turned back to David. “We need specific details about the times Natalia accessed
Lena’s devices or work materials while in your home.” David exhaled shakily. “I can give you a timeline,” he
said. “Dates, approximate times. I... I’ve been ke eping track since I found out what she was doing.” The head
of legal’s pen paused mid-scribble. “You have a record?” David nodded. “Yes. I’ll send it to you after this
meeting. It’s detailed. It includes everything I can remember.” The room fell into a tense silence as they
absorbed his words. Finally, Mark said, “That will be helpful. But we’ll need your full cooperation moving
forward to ensure this matter is resolved thoroughly.” David’s laugh was humorless. “You’ll have it,” he said.
“But I want your assurance that Lena gets what she deserves. The apology. The payout. All of it. She shouldn’t
have to suffer any more because of what Natalia and I did.” “That has already been agreed upon,” Mark said,
his tone cool. “Your cooperation ensures that agreement remains intact.” David nodded, relief flickering across
his face before the shame returned. “Good,” he murmured. As he began recounting more details, the room grew
colder. Each revelation—each careless, selfish act that allowed Natalia to weaponize Lena’s trust—drew looks
of increasing disdain from the others. By the end
of the meeting, David’s shoulders sagged under the weight of his own disgrace. When it was over, he stood to
leave, but not before meeting their collective gaze for the first time. “I know what you’re all thinking,” he said
hoarsely. “And you’re right. I deserve every bit of it.” No one stopped him as he walked out of the room, his
st eps heavy, the sound of the door closing behind him echoing like a final judgment.
* * *
The polished conference table of the mediator’s office lay between them, a chasm David couldn’t cross. The
tension in the room was palpable, thicker than it had been during their first session. He stole glances at her
when he thought she wouldn’t notice, trying to read her expression, trying to feel connected to her, but Lena’s
gaze was fixed firmly on the mediator. Her profile was sharp, composed, and utterly distant. Still, being near
her stirred something de ep within him—something desperate and longing. He loved her. God, he loved her.
Even now, when her voice was cold and her eyes refused to meet his, even when she clearly wanted nothing to
do with him. Being in her presence was both a comfort and a torment. He craved it, clung to it, even though it
made the ache in his chest worse. He wanted to soak in every second, to absorb her strength and determination,
to remember what it felt like to be close to her, even as she pushed him farther away. The mediator, Carla,
adjusted her glasses and looked between them. “Before we continue discussing the logistics of the divorce, I
want to check in on how you are feeling about the proceedings,” she said, folding her hands on the table. “Is
reconciliation an option for either of you?” David’s breath caught, and for a brief, fleeting moment, hope
flickered in his chest. He hadn’t dared to bring it up himself, but now that the question was out in the open, he
clung to it. His mouth opened to speak, but before he could, Lena’s voice cut through the room.
“No,” she said flatly, her tone leaving no room for interpretation. The word landed like a blow, shattering the
fragile hope he’d been holding onto. He clenched his hands tightly together, forcing himself to stay composed.
He stared at his lap for a moment, his throat tightening as he tried to push back the emotions threatening to
surface. But he couldn’t leave it at that. He couldn’t let the mediator—or Lena—think he didn’t care. “It’s what
I want more than anything,” David said finally, his voice low but raw with emotion. He looked up, meeting
Carla’s gaze before turning to Lena. She didn’t look at him, but he spoke to her anyway. “But it’s not up to me.”
Lena’s jaw tightened, and for a split second, he thought he saw something—pain, hesitation, doubt—but it
vanished as quickly as it came. She folded her arms across her chest, her face an impenetrable mask. The
mediator nodded, her tone soft but professional. “I understand. David, it’s clear that reconciliation is something
you’re open to. But Lena, you’ve made your position clear. If that’s the case, we’ll proceed with the assumption
that the marriage is ending and focus on making the process as smooth as possible.” David barely heard her. His
attention was on Lena, every part of him straining to reach her, to crack the wall she’d built around herself. He
loved her so much it hurt, loved the way she held herself even now—strong, confident, unyielding. He wanted
to hate that coldness, that distance, but he couldn’t. It was still her, the woman who had captivated him from the
moment they met. And being in her presence, even like this, was the only thing ke eping him steady. The session
moved on, the mediator guiding them through practical matters—finances, property, timelines. David tried to
focus, but his mind k ept circling back to Lena, to the memory of her laugh, the way her eyes used to soften
when she looked at him. Now, those eyes wouldn’t even glance his way.
When the session ended, Lena gathered her things with swift efficiency, standing without a word and heading
for the door. David didn’t move, his gaze following her as she walked out of the room, her shoulders straight,
her head high. He loved that about her—her strength, her determination. But it tore at him now, because that
same strength was what allowed her to shut him out so completely. The mediator left soon after, but David
stayed behind, sitting at the table long after the room had emptied. The hollow ache in his chest was unbearable,
but it was mingled with something else—a strange, desperate joy at simply having been near her. Even if she
hated him, even if she would never forgive him, he couldn’t stop loving her. He couldn’t stop wanting her. And
that was the cruelest part of all.