“I don’t need to talk about it. I think it’s time I let Tony go his own way. We’re not compatible or anything, and I don’t want to bring him any further shame.” The tears were so close to the surface.
“What I saw last Friday would question the way you think,” he said.
“Last Friday we were playing happy couples for an event.”
“I don’t think that’s what it is.”
“Look, this is hard for me already, Richard. Could you please file the paperwork or whatever? I don’t want to do this anymore. He’ll be free to go and marry Rita Brooke or whomever he wanted. I’m not here to trap him.”
Silence met her outburst. She looked up to find Richard staring at her. “Do you love him?”
“What?”
“In all the years I’ve known Tony or you’ve known him, I never saw anything between you. I thought at one time you had a crush, and then you got married to him. Do you love him, Opal?”
Two years ago she had been a happy-go-lucky twenty-year-old who’d been talked into doing what her parents wanted. All of her life she’d wanted to be able to make her own choices. In her world, she hadn’t been allowed to. Every time she had to get permission from her parents.
“I don’t want to answer that,” she said. She knew in her heart she loved Tony. Always had and always would. Childish or stupid school-girl adoration wouldn’t force a man to suddenly change his mind. Tony would never see her as anything other than Richard’s little sister. She couldn’t live constantly loving a man who would never love her back. Or staring at magazine articles wondering if he saw the same flaws as other people.
“I think you need to think about it. When a divorce proceeding starts and goes through, pulling it back is the hardest thing.”
“I accept that.”
“Do you really?”
There he went, talking to her like a child. It was time she gave him the blunt truth.
“Two years ago your friend Tony helped keep me from marrying a man I would never love. Our parents bought about that wedding to strengthen the Shaw name. Out of every person I knew Tony found me and helped me.” She bit her lip and stared at her finger with the rings on. “I think it’s time I give him his freedom back.”
Opal stood and removed the rings. “When the papers get posted will you make sure he gets these? Tell him I said thank you.”
Before Richard had time to convince her otherwise, she left the building. She walked all the way back to her house. On the mantel piece, the one and only wedding photo she had of her day lay framed. She picked up the picture and placed it on the fire.
****
Tony stared down at the glossy magazine and then up at his secretary. “Why are you giving me this? I don’t read this shit,” he said.
“I think there is something interesting you might like to see,” she said, placing his coffee down on the desk beside him. When she disappeared, he took hold of the magazine. The main event was all about the charity ball last Friday with a large picture of him. Frowning, he opened the page and found what he was looking for. The centre fold disgusted him. Rita Brooke was becoming a thorn in his side. He just knew she had something to do with the horrid pictures. What he didn’t understand was why they viewed Opal with such a negative opinion. He thought she looked dazzling.
Throwing the article away, he hoped Opal wouldn’t see it. This type of trash would only serve to hinder his course. After the charity event, he’d hoped to continue with his promise. He no longer wanted a wife waiting in the wings. He wanted her to be his completely.
His secretary ran through. “Sir, Mr. Shaw is here to see you.”
“Send him in.”
The door opened, and all six feet of his best friend filled his door. Tony would be scared if he weren’t the same height as Richard.
“What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
“I got an interesting visit the other day.”
“Who from?”
“Opal.”
That got his attention. “Is she all right?” He stood ready to leave if something bad had happened to her.
“Yes. She wanted me to give you these.” Richard walked over and placed a file on his desk. Tony glanced down and knew immediately what it was.
“What the f**k is this?” Tony asked as he slammed it down on his desk.
“I’m sure you’re clever enough to work out and see that they’re divorce papers,” he said.
“I know what they are. I want to know why you’re giving them to me.”
“Before I forget,” Richard said. He went through his pockets and handed him two wedding rings. “She wanted me to say, thank you for helping her.”
Tony stared down at both rings. In the space of a few minutes his whole world had fallen out of whack. He knew that stupid article had something to do with this shit.
“I think you know.”
“Has Opal requested this?”
“I think it’s time you left my sister alone. You’ve been married two years, and nothing has happened. Leave her out of this. You’ve done enough damage,” Richard said.
“Does this have anything to do with Charles sniffing around?” Tony asked.
“How do you know about Charles?”
“Just because I’m not there doesn’t mean I don’t have means of taking care of what’s mine.”
“Opal is not yours. I’m taking care of my sister.”
“If you were taking care of your sister, you’d keep that sick f**ker away from her. Didn’t you get on her wedding day that she didn’t want anything to do with him?”
“Like I said, it’s time for you to leave her alone.”
Tony stared down at the papers, the boiling rage coursing through him. He wasn’t going to sign those papers. Opal was his woman, and he wasn’t going to let her go.
“And I think it’s time you left Opal alone. She may be your sister, but she’s my f**king wife.” Tony stepped closer getting in his friend’s face. He’d accepted a punch from him two years ago, but he wasn’t going to let him get away with it again. “Now tell me where my woman is, or so help me God, I will cause you more trouble than you ever imagined.”
“If you want her so badly, why are you waiting?”
“Because two years ago I f**ked up on our friendship, and right now, I’m prepared to overlook it. But Opal loves you. I don’t want that to come between us.” Tony refused to back down until he got Richard’s blessing.