Divorce By All Means

Chapter 2: The Gift

Ashley's pov

I stepped closer to get a better look at the gift in question that had paled my stepdaughter.

"It's a plane ticket, we'll be leaving for the malibu's early tomorrow morning for a 2 week birthday trip," Oliver said stepping up to his feet and running his palms across his suit down to his trousers to smoothing out any wrinkles that might have formed from his kneeling.

"Pumpkin, aren't you excited?" His smile was reaching the corner of his ears, Alice nodded robotically but said nothing. As for me I was still trying to wrap my head around what was happening.

"Oliver the Malibu's? She just turned 14," I wanted to yell in his face but lowered my voice to a whisper, "That's no place for a child,"

His lips twisted into a frown, "for the millionth time, Alice isn't a child!" He yelled loud enough for it to vibrate through the hall. Embarrassment flushed my face a hot red and I sighed defeatedly.

"Fine," I spat out with venom, "Which airline are we using and when are we leaving tomorrow?" I asked when the guests went back to mingling with each other.

Oliver looked at me, an eyebrow raised and his hands crossed together; "Why would you need to know all that? It's not like you'll be joining us for the trip,"

I clamped my lips shut, if I dare to say another word then this party would end in chaos. Instead I took Alice home and waited for him impatiently in the living room after she had gone to bed.

The stench of alcohol stepped through the door before he could, attacking my nose with its perverse odor and I squashed up my nostrils with disgust as his staggered his way into the house.

"Where's my pumpkin?" He said grinning, "you took her away before we could finish celebrating her birthday, no surprise there you're allergic to fun after all,"

I took his jab gracefully while maintaining my composure. "Oliver, I think we need to talk... Not just about Alice, but about us..."Oh, even recalling that moment at the party hurts so bad.

"I overheard your conversation with your friends at rose garden hall, is that what you think of me? A cheap woman without any goals or aspirations?"

As pathetic as it was, I wanted to believe that I had somehow misconstructed his words.

It was so much easier to swallow that he had made one stupid drunken mistake than to think that the greatest sacrifice I made in my life meant nothing to him.

That I meant nothing to him.

He slumped on the couch next to me, "I don't know what you're talking about, must have confused me with someone else," He murmured out.

My mouth fell agape and I sprinted up to my feet.

"Are you serious?" I blasted at him, shooting daggers with my eyes, "can't you even think of a good excuse? How could I possibly not recognize you after all the time we've been together?"

The tears went outcoming hot and streaming down my eyes, blurring my vision and as I battle do not to crumble in front of him he became both literally and metaphorically unrecognizable to me.

Where was the man who'd whisper sweets nothing in my ear? Who looked at me like I was the only woman in existence... Had he ever really been real?

But now that I think about it he wasn't the only one that had changed.

I had too.