Six Years Later, He's My Boss

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Second, I need to get Iniko out of the hospital." Ambelyn's hands tightened around her coffee mug, as she breathed through her pain, waiting until the ache had become manageable for her to talk through it.

"There's no surgery in the works anymore. No treatment plan. And he's been asking to come home—he wants his toys, his books, his life back, he doesn't want to stay there any longer. He wants to go back to school and be around other kids. I can manage his condition with medication and regular check-ups. He doesn't need to be institutionalized like some—like some lost cause."

Her voice broke on the last words. Wednesday reached across the counter and squeezed her hand as Amberlyn accepted the comfort, wiping her tears as she breathed heavily.

"You'll get him home," she said firmly. "We'll make it happen."

"Third," Ambelyn continued, forcing herself to stay focused, as she continued speaking, focused on what she could do.

"I have that interview in two days. With Thorne Industries. If I can get that job, I can start rebuilding some financial stability. Because right now, I have maybe three thousand dollars in my personal account—money I'd been secretly saving from grocery allowances and birthday gifts. That's it. That's all I have to my name."

Wednesday winced, the amount probably more than what she would give a homeless beggar on the road.

"Thomas really kept you that dependent?"

"He controlled everything since the day I got married to him. Every expense had to be justified and approved. Even Iniko's medications required his authorization. The doctors couldn't work without his permission. I suffered listening to them having s*x, while I waited patiently, knowing THomas wanted me to break them, but I did not give a flying f**k, if he was screwing his own mother, I did it for Iniko,"

Ambelyn took a shaky breath. "That was then, NOw I am certain that they will cancel Iniko's card and no money there.Do you know how much those medications cost? Two thousand dollars a month, minimum. And that's just to keep him stable, not to cure anything. If I don't find work soon..."

She couldn't finish the sentence. The reality of her situation was starting to sink in now that she'd said it out loud. She was essentially broke, with a chronically ill child to support and no guaranteed income. The interview with Niklaus was her best hope, but what if she didn't get the job? What if he decided hiring her was too complicated, too much of a risk? Too much of someone with a complicated past that had left her a liability to both him and his company.

"One thing at a time," Wednesday said, her voice gentle but firm. "Today, you file the papers and visit Iniko, make sure that he knows you are still here for him. Tomorrow, you get him discharged and bring him here. Then you prepare for the interview. We'll tackle each step as it comes."

"When did you become so wise?" Ambelyn asked, managing a weak smile.

"I've always been wise. You just weren't in a position to appreciate it before." Wednesday grinned, then sobered. "But seriously, Ambelyn—you're not alone in this. I know it feels overwhelming, but you've already taken the hardest step. You got out. Everything else is just logistics."

They finished their coffee while Wednesday gave Ambelyn a tour of the apartment, showing her where everything was and giving her keys and access codes as Amberlyn wrote all of them down, so she could duplicate one for Iniko later.. The normalcy of it all felt surreal—discussing grocery delivery services and wifi passwords while her entire life was in upheaval.

"I'm heading out around three this afternoon," Wednesday said as they returned to the living room. "My flight to LAX leaves at six. Will you be okay here by yourself tonight?"

"I'll be fine," Ambelyn assured her, nodding her head, she wasn't going to let her cancel her trip, something that she had planned for so long to babysit her. She had done more than enough.

"Better than fine. Wed, thank you. Really. I don't know how to—"

"Then don't." Wednesday cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Stop thanking me every five minutes. You're going to get annoying."

Despite everything, Ambelyn laughed. It felt strange, that burst of genuine amusement, like a muscle she hadn't used in years. But it also felt good. Like maybe, just maybe, she could find her way back to being human again. Maybe she could find a way to bringing back that old Amberlyn from where she had locked her up, trying to fit into her ex husband shadow.

The courthouse was busy when Ambelyn arrived later that morning, clutching the divorce papers in a manila folder. She waited in line at the family law clerk's office, surrounded by other people at various stages of their own marital dissolution. Some looked relieved. Others looked devastated. Ambelyn wasn't sure which category she fell into—maybe both.

When her turn came, the clerk processed her papers with efficient boredom, stamping forms and making copies while barely glancing at her.

"The thirty-day waiting period begins today," the clerk droned.

"If both parties agree to the terms, the dissolution will be finalized after that period. If there are disputes, you'll be notified of mediation or court dates. Keep your case number for reference. Next!"

Just like that, it was done. Five years of marriage reduced to stamped paperwork and a case number. Ambelyn walked out of the courthouse feeling numb, unsure if she should feel triumphant or defeated.

The hospital was her next stop. She found Iniko in the general ward exactly where she'd left him, sitting by the window and reading one of his library books. His face lit up when he saw her, and the pure joy in his expression made her chest ache.

"Mama!" He set down his book carefully, mindful of the IV line in his arm. "Did you bring my dinosaur book? And my red truck? You said maybe today."