Warning this chapter deals with themes of self-harm including suicide. If that is a problem consider jumping to chapter 2.
1.
Andrea Sachs sat in the back of her chauffeured Bentley talking on her cell phone. There was more work than hours in the day and thanks to the magic of global communications she could talk to her District Manager in Tokyo just moments after negotiating a deal with a new supplier in Berlin. Being the CEO and sole owner of a worldwide beverage empire made for long days. She doesn't know what made her notice the woman standing on the curb but suddenly her eyes were drawn in her direction. Their eyes locked in one long strange moment. What she saw in those perfect blue eyes was a sadness that broke her heart. In one of the lightning-fast connections her brain often made she knew the woman's intent before she moved a muscle.
"Jimmy stop," she commanded her driver.
Luckily for all involved, all of her employees were well conditions to follow her commands unerringly and without delay. The Bentley slowed to an almost immediate stop mere inches from the woman who was now standing in the street. Andy watched in fascination as the pretty blue eyes rolled upward just before the woman collapsed to the pavement.
Before she could question her actions Andy opened her door and rushed to the woman. She knelt at the woman's side then checked for a pulse. She let out a shaky breath as she found a slow but steady pulse under her fingers. She looked up as the sky opened up and heavy rain began to fall. She thanked the heavens that the storm had held off or the woman next to her would not be in far worst condition. She motioned to her driver who was already halfway out of the vehicle.
"Help me get her in the car," she said.
She could tell that he wanted to question the soundness of the command but he again acted without hesitation. They maneuvered the woman into the backseat of the car then Andy got in on the other side. In moments Andy found herself with the silver-haired beauty laying across her lap. She was surprised to see that the woman was dressed far better than the average vagrant. She had no purse and her few pockets appeared to be empty.
She heard Jimmy speak but did not register the words.
"What did you say?" she asked.
"I asked what hospital would you like me to take her to?"
Making another snap decision she said, "no hospital take me home."
"Andy are you certain?" Jimmy asked.
Andy knew that this was as close as the man would come to question her decision making. While she knew the questioning was out of a sense of devotion, her glare made it clear that his next action had better be to follow her command. He clearly got the message as he put the car in gear and moving in the direction of her posh Manhattan neighborhood known as Carnegie Hill.
Andy pulled out her cell phone and hit her number two speed dial.
"Be at my house within the hour and bring Doc with you."
She hung up before her chief legal officer and oldest friend could ask any questions. She knew that Lily was one of a small group of people who had the balls to call her on her shit. She was operating on pure intuition at the moment and she was not in the mood to have anyone question her well-honed instincts. She'd made that mistake once and it had cost her dearly.
As the car moved, she decided to check the woman again for any kind of identification. What she found instead was a note pinned to the inside of her coat. She had a quick debate with herself but her gut told her that she needed to read the note so she could understand what could have driven this woman to take her own life.
Her hands shook a little as she unfolded the private note and began to read.
Dear Cassidy and Caroline.
I want you to know how proud I am of the girls you are and the woman you will become. Know that I love you with all my heart and that my actions do not change that. I won't say that losing custody had no effect. I know that you two would see right through that, but my choice tonight is bigger than that. I have lost everything and have no money and no chance to fight your father to get you back. I have often said that I live in hope. That is truer than I ever realized. I now have no hope of getting you back, of earning the money I would need to even try, nor do I have any hope of being able to live without you. I don't blame your father because he did what he thought was best. I can't say I feel the same for Irving or Stephen but I don't want to talk about them. Just know that I spent the last moments of my life remembering every moment we spent together and that those memories put a smile on my face.
I Will Love Forever And A Day
Mom