THE NEXT DAY
Gwen sat quietly in the back of the Book Café. This was the third restaurant she had been to that morning. It was 11:39am. In just 21 minutes, she would be safe. Ethan said he would have the divorce papers to her by noon. If she could just stay away from the mansion until then, she wouldn't have to sign them, and she could contest the divorce. It was only way she could hold on to her marriage to Ethan. She knew if she left the house, disguised herself, and hoped around from place to place, there was no way anyone could track her. She was just about to sip her coffee when someone approached her.
"Excuse me, aren't you Gwen Winthrop, wife of that handsome lawyer, Ethan Winthrop?", a woman asked her.
Gwen loved when people recognized her as Ethan's wife, especially in a public place.
"Why yes I am? Do you recognize me from the cover of the business section when Ethan and I had our "power couple" article done?"
"No, actually. I'm here to serve you divorce papers. Sign here please."
Gwen couldn't believe she fell for that. "Well, I'm glad for you, but I'm not signing."
"Oh, I believe you are, I was instructed not to leave your side until you did."
"Well, if that's all you're going to do, I'll never sign. You can follow me all over town for all I care." With that said, Gwen got up to leave, when all of the sudden...
"MRS. WINTHROP! IS IT TRUE THAT YOU HAD AN AFFAIR WITH HANK BENNETT? AND TRIED TO PASS YOUR BABY WITH HIM OFF AS..." the courier yelled.
"Okay, be quiet!", Gwen shushed the woman. "Where do I sign exactly?"
"Wow, Mr. Winthrop was right, that was easy!"
"There, I've signed. Just leave, okay?"
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, you're supposed to sign with your married name, not your maiden."
"Oh, I'm sorry", said Gwen sarcastically. "I guess you'll just have to go back to the office and get another copy."
"Nope", said the woman, "got another copy right here. Mr. Winthrop figured you would try and pull something like that. I've got another 50 copies in here. So you can screw up as much as you want. But if you don't want writers' cramp, I suggest you just sign right the first...second time."
Gwen was disgusted, so she just signed her name and was done with it. Ethan knew her too well.
"Thanks ma'am", the woman finally said. "Consider yourself divorced."
Gwen sat quietly in the back of the Book Café. This was the third restaurant she had been to that morning. It was 11:39am. In just 21 minutes, she would be safe. Ethan said he would have the divorce papers to her by noon. If she could just stay away from the mansion until then, she wouldn't have to sign them, and she could contest the divorce. It was only way she could hold on to her marriage to Ethan. She knew if she left the house, disguised herself, and hoped around from place to place, there was no way anyone could track her. She was just about to sip her coffee when someone approached her.
"Excuse me, aren't you Gwen Winthrop, wife of that handsome lawyer, Ethan Winthrop?", a woman asked her.
Gwen loved when people recognized her as Ethan's wife, especially in a public place.
"Why yes I am? Do you recognize me from the cover of the business section when Ethan and I had our "power couple" article done?"
"No, actually. I'm here to serve you divorce papers. Sign here please."
Gwen couldn't believe she fell for that. "Well, I'm glad for you, but I'm not signing."
"Oh, I believe you are, I was instructed not to leave your side until you did."
"Well, if that's all you're going to do, I'll never sign. You can follow me all over town for all I care." With that said, Gwen got up to leave, when all of the sudden...
"MRS. WINTHROP! IS IT TRUE THAT YOU HAD AN AFFAIR WITH HANK BENNETT? AND TRIED TO PASS YOUR BABY WITH HIM OFF AS..." the courier yelled.
"Okay, be quiet!", Gwen shushed the woman. "Where do I sign exactly?"
"Wow, Mr. Winthrop was right, that was easy!"
"There, I've signed. Just leave, okay?"
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, you're supposed to sign with your married name, not your maiden."
"Oh, I'm sorry", said Gwen sarcastically. "I guess you'll just have to go back to the office and get another copy."
"Nope", said the woman, "got another copy right here. Mr. Winthrop figured you would try and pull something like that. I've got another 50 copies in here. So you can screw up as much as you want. But if you don't want writers' cramp, I suggest you just sign right the first...second time."
Gwen was disgusted, so she just signed her name and was done with it. Ethan knew her too well.
"Thanks ma'am", the woman finally said. "Consider yourself divorced."