After She Said Yes. Kaya Gravitter

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СКАЧАТЬ and engraved with the letter F, in old-fashioned calligraphy, which stood for Fratzenburg. You could tell the links had been passed down into his family for generations. She would always refer to him as Mr. Fratzenburg because he wanted it that way. It was as if he didn’t have a first name.

      The magazine was one of the many businesses that he owned. He didn’t know the first thing about articles or writing, but he was an entrepreneur and businessman. So he knew money. The magazine was a gold mine for advertising, but usually, he was “too busy” to meet with Aurora whenever she wanted to meet with him. He treated his employees like peasants. So, Aurora knew it would be hard to persuade him.

      She met with him in the conference room later that afternoon. The table was long with a glass top and Mr. Fratzenberg sat at the end of the table looking out the window with his legs crossed.

      “So, Aurora, tell me why you think we should choose this?” Mr. Fratzenberg said.

      “Well,” Aurora said. “It is a place I have been volunteering at.”

      “And?” He said as he looked at her.

      “Well, I know someone who was personally abused,” Aurora said. “My best friend, actually.”

      “What?” Mr. Fratzenberg said.

      “And when my best friend was going through this, she had no one to turn to. She was scared, and lost, and felt so alone. She couldn’t even tell me.”

      Mr. Fratzenberg started to look intrigued as he said, “Continue.”

      “Well, if she had known about DAIS,” Aurora said, “maybe she would have reached out to them to get help sooner.” If only he knew I was talking about myself...

      “But she got help eventually?”

      “Well, yes,” Aurora said. “She did eventually, and left the loser.”

      “But why DAIS?”

      “Why not?” Aurora said.

      “Okay. Today I am in a good mood,” he said as he put his fingers through his gray hair. “Whatever you like then, Ms. Tousey.”

      “Also,” Aurora said, “I have seen some of these women at DAIS and I have heard their stories. This shelter would be an amazing thing.”

      “Okay. Okay. I get it,” Mr. Fratzenberg said. “Let us go with that one then.”

      “Thank you.”

      “So,” Mr. Fratzenberg said. “What will they do with the money we raise?”

      “Well,” Aurora said, “they have mentioned to me that they are looking for money for a new abused and battered women’s shelter they were hoping to open.”

      “Okay then. Anything else you would like to talk about?” Mr. Fratzenberg said as he looked down at his Rolex to check the time.

      “No.”

      “D-A-Y-S it is.”

      “It is D-A-I-S.”

      “It’s okay,” Mr. Fratzenberg said. “You know what I meant.”

      “Since you are here, I have one more thing to talk about,” Aurora said. “I thought I would mention a pay raise.”

      “Well,” he said, “let us not get ahead of ourselves.”

      “Right.” Things would be different if I were a man asking for a raise. I will just keep writing and editing about fake happy lifestyles while you make all of the money for it. I just want to write about something real.

      Chapter 9

      Talking about the abuse at DAIS and telling them about my story indirectly made me realize how bad I want to move on with my life and get on with the divorce. Aurora, this is consuming your life. She wanted to file the divorce jointly, but Gannon refused to sign the papers. She had to file for divorce on her own. She probably didn’t need a lawyer for that, but she didn’t have time to deal with all that drama in between work. She had his divorce papers served to him when he was at a work meeting. That will get his attention.

      Before meeting with Gannon and his lawyer, Aurora met the lawyer at his office a few minutes earlier. Her lawyer, Erik Wulfblitzen, had a monotone voice. It seemed as if all of the emotions he had were drained from him. He was tall, and had gray wispy hair that resembled strands of silver thread.

      “Why do divorces in this state have to be so messy?” Aurora asked.

      “So lawyers have a job.” Aurora gave him a stern look. Erik said as he hid his smirk, “Just kidding.”

      “It’s fine,” Aurora said. “I just feel this is dragging on forever.” Once you filed the divorce papers, you had to wait one hundred and twenty days until your court date.

      “So, when I am divorced, I have to wait six months before I can marry anyone again?”

      “That is correct.” She didn’t expect to get married any time soon after divorcing Gannon. She just didn’t want that looming over her head. She wanted to have him out of her life completely.

      “That law is a bit outdated. Don’t you think?”

      “Maybe,” Erik said, “but that is the law.”

      “So,” Aurora said, “is there anything I should know beforehand?”

      “No, this is pretty straight forward.”

      “He barely made anything in our marriage. I made and paid for everything. I know he has money, but he will not get it until his parents pass,” Aurora said.

      Erik opened his binder and looked through his notes and flipped through papers. Then he looked back at Aurora.

      “Are you sure you don’t want anything?” he said.

      “I am sure,” Aurora said. “He treated me like crap. I don’t want anything from him. I feel it will all be tainted.”

      “Okay,” Erik said. “You realize there is no going back, right?”

      “I know. I’m sorry to spring this on you,” Aurora said. “I didn’t know that I wanted this until I just walked into your office.

      Erik’s assistant knocked and came in. “Your three o’clock is here.”

      “Okay,” Erik said. “Send them in.”

      Aurora saw Gannon walk in, and she felt as if a black hole sucked all of her soul from her body. She gulped down a breath of air.

      “So,” Gannon’s lawyer said. His name was Maxwell Redding, and Aurora thought he was similar to her lawyer, but he was younger and had blonde hair gelled and combed to one side. “Are we here today to discuss financial matters?”

      “No,” Aurora said.

      Aurora’s СКАЧАТЬ