Chicago, May 2016
He had spent another late night in the office. Brad, who had become his business partner years ago, had already gone home. The lights on their level had been switched off. The clock on his desk read 10:45. His stomach rumbled. He had to get out of there and buy some food but the thought of going back to his apartment after what had happened there weeks ago made him sick to his stomach. He had been grabbing every opportunity to stay outside later until he's so exhausted all he could do was hop into bed and sleep. Then go back to the office and start the whole thing all over again.
Thaddeus shut down his computer and turned off his desk light. After getting one last glance of the West Loop Chicago skyline, he closed his door. He walked by the empty cubicles. The office was lonely at night. Without the employees, it was extremely desolate with no one but the noisy air-conditioning unit for company. With a wide yawn, he approached the elevator and pressed the button with a tiny star.
"Going down," a robotic voice announced. He stepped in and leaned back on one of the walls, trying to block out all thoughts relating to the incident. When he reached the ground level, the doors slid open. He walked through the turnstile and did a double take when he saw Edward Smith in the lobby, sitting down on one of the black leather couches at the receiving area. He blinked, just to check that he wasn't imagining it. Upon hearing his steps, the blonde man glanced up.
"Edward. Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked.
Rhonda's husband walked over. Then his fist connected with Thaddeus' face.
"That's for sleeping with my wife!" he snarled.
Thaddeus screamed as he stumbled back. He had closed his eyes on reflex and saw tiny white stars. He clutched his right eye in pain. His eyeball felt like it had been stabbed.
"Get up!" the man continued to yell, looking down at him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Thaddeus yelled back. So, Rhonda had told him. He knew he deserved the punch but it still fucking hurt. Edward was slightly bigger than him and his hands were massive. And if he wasn't wrong, he remembered that the man played football in college. Thad saw security approaching and knew they were about to be thrown out of the building.
He swiftly stood up and stared Edward straight in the eye. "Look, let's take this outside. Before we get tackled by the security guards."
Luckily, even in his anger, Edward was able to see sense. With his square jaw clenched, the blonde man nodded. They exited the lobby with hurried steps. Once they were far away, both men eyed each other with puffed chests at the sidewalk, the Chicago River and Lake Street bridge in view. It was chilly. Edward tucked his hand in his pockets. Thaddeus felt relieved that he wasn't going to get punched again.
"What do you want from me?"
Edward laughed. "Honestly? I just wanted to punch you."
Thaddeus glared at him. "Satisfied now?" he asked.
The other man presented him with a spiteful smile. "Loads. Thanks. It was fun. I've wanted to do that since I found out." He looked away before speaking again. "But that's not what I'm here for."
Dreading where this was heading, Thaddeus braced himself. His eye was definitely swelling up. It hurt like a bitch. Thaddeus wanted to hit him back but knew it would solve nothing.
"What are you here for?" he asked. Why would Edward even bother with him? He had different mistresses in every continent. Did Rhonda's infidelity strike a chord with him?
"It's about Rhonda."
A shot of pain ran through his heart at the thought of the last time he saw her. Yelling at her to go back to the man in front of him.
"Why? Have you finally told her about all your women?" Thaddeus said.
Edward bared his teeth at him. "Watch it, buddy. I can deck you at any time. Do you want me to even out your face for you?"
Thaddeus kept quiet, his fists tightening by his sides. Edward relaxed.
"You know full well that Rhonda knew about my affairs. That's why she started this thing with you," he said. "I'm going to go straight to the point. Since our divorce was settle–"
"Whoa, wait, what the hell are you talking about?" Thaddeus asked.
Edward stared at him as if Thad had grown another head. "Our divorce. She didn't tell you?"
Thaddeus shook his head.
"Well, she asked for a divorce months ago. We filed for irreconcilable differences. She asked me to keep it quiet. We told our parents a week ago and ironed out everything with the lawyers. Then she disappeared."
Feeling extremely dizzy, Thaddeus released a shaky breath. Edward watched him. His brows meeting in the middle in confusion.
"I came here to ask if you know where she is. Judging from your face, you don't know."
His throat was starting to close up and his hands were shaking. He hid them behind his back. "I'm sorry. We– I told her to go back. To you. I haven't seen her in a month."
Edward appeared worried then. "Do you have any idea where she might be? Where do you guys usually see each other?"
"I- I," he gulped. "She travels a lot. We see each other all over. I'm not really sure where she might go. Have you asked a professional to help you with this?"
Edward nodded. "I've hired two P.I.s but it's been slow. Her folks are worried. She left me a voicemail three days ago but other than that, nothing. She didn't say where she was. She just told me she was fine and not to worry. We tracked the phone number but it came from a diner in Maine. She wasn't there when they checked. Nobody even remembered seeing her."
She could be anywhere by now, Thaddeus thought. A week was a long time.
"I'll think about it and give you a list of locations."
With a tilt of his head, Edward considered it. "If you remember anything, give me a call. I'm worried about her."
"Especially since she's carrying your baby."
"Yeah," Edward said slowly. There was something in his tone that Thaddeus didn't like.
After digging around for a name card in his wallet, Edward handed it over. The temperature had dropped even lower. Thaddeus was aware of how the cold penetrated his suit. He received the card with a trembling hand.
Edward Smith
Smith Construction
#212-000-678-912
"I'll contact you if she calls me. I'll give you a list by tomorrow," Thaddeus said.
Where could she go? Why would she run? And why didn't she tell him that she asked for a divorce? His guts were churning in worry.
Please let her be safe.
Rhonda was smart. She was self-reliant. She'll be fine. He tried to reassure himself but the feeling of apprehension wouldn't go away.
"Thaddeus…" Edward rubbed his face. Thad finally noticed how exhausted the handsome man looked. "I know I wasn't a good husband to Rhonda but– now that it's the end, I feel that it's only fair if I stand by her. If you know anything… I just want her to be safe."
Thaddeus nodded. He understood. Even with his womanising, Edward wasn't a bad person.
"Anything I can do to help. I'll call if something comes up."
A black Mercedes Benz pulled over seemingly out of nowhere. Edward gave it a quickly before looking back at him.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for punching you." The rich man pointed at his eye.
Thaddeus shrugged. "I deserve it."
"Yeah, you're right," Edward said before giving him a small smile. "I'll expect your call in the morning."
The blonde man headed for the car. Thaddeus watched as it drove away and disappeared at a turn.
Rhonda, where could you be?
…
Thaddeus sent a list of all the hotels he and Rhonda had met at over the years. He also sent a list of all the countries she loved to visit. Edward called a few days later and told him they still haven't found her but at least his list had narrowed down the places where she could be. Apparently, they were sure she hadn't left the country. It was a week after his bizarre meeting with Edward that he received a phone call at his office from Helga.
"You're a real son of a bitch, aren't you?" was the first thing she said when he answered the phone.
"Do you know where she is?" he asked, already grabbing for a paper and a pen.
The line was quiet for a while. He could hear her breathing on the other side.
"Yes. And I'm not telling you," she answered.
"Damn it, Helga! Everybody's worried about her," he growled, throwing the notepad on the table.
"Are you?"
"Of course, I am. Why the fuck would you ask that?" he almost yelled but remembered that he was in his office. He went around his desk to close the door, thankful that his assistant had gone to lunch.
"She's fine. She actually didn't tell me where she was but I figured it out judging from what she said. I already called her parents and her ex-husband. I figured I should call you so you don't die of anxiety."
He sat down by his desk, swivelled his chair to gaze at the river below. A lump had formed in his throat. "Did she say anything else?"
"No. Just that she's alright and for people to leave her the fuck alone while she's going through this divorce. She's a big girl. I think she's more upset that people think she's stupid enough to do something dangerous. Like she had to be watched over all the time. Frankly, I see her point. It's a little insulting. She is an adult."
He thought back to the car accident when they were twenty-three.
"She's also pregnant," Thaddeus reminded his blonde friend.
He saw his reflection on the glass. Sleep-deprived and depressed. The past month had been hell on earth for him. It showed on his face. Dark bags under his red eyes and an unshaved face. He hadn't mustered the strength to run in a while and was surprised when he was wheezing after climbing a flight of stairs that morning.
"There's that." He heard her muffled sigh. "Anyway, I'm calling to tell you she told me what happened between you two. She told me everything. I gotta say, you guys are both buffoons. What the hell were you two clowns thinking?"
His familiar friend guilt sat beside him and squeezed his neck.
"I wasn't thinking," Thaddeus said. "I was being stupid."
"Damn straight," Helga snapped. Then her tone softened, "Look, I love you. You're a good friend of mine but this is awful. What you've done is terrible. I'm not perfect but what you did was despicable."
He had never felt more ashamed. Disappointing Helga was something he never thought would make him feel like the lowest life form in the universe but it had.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not me you should apologise to. Curly, I know you love her, been in love with her for years..."
His throat clogged up and he wished he had his medication right now. The hands… Oh God, his hands. His tic was back. He just knew his punching bag at home was going to have a hard time tonight. He focused on his breathing like his child psychologist told him to do years before.
"And she damaged you in high school. Tore right through you. Ripped you a new one. But stomping on her heart when she's offered it to you is just low."
The memories came rushing back.
"Never! You twisted little freak!"
"She doesn't really–" he started.
"Uh-uh! I'm not done. Stay away from her until she's better. I mean it, Curly. I'll tell you where she is when I think she's ready to hear it from you. Until then, leave her alone."
She hung up and Thaddeus listened to the beep for the longest time.