Chapter 12: 11. Fool
Harrison was in his office when he received a call of importance.
It was 6 pm. It was, therefore, report time.
"Hello," the man greeted his caller coolly.
"Hello, Mr. Michaelson. Your wife had a rather quiet day at the penthouse, and then went to a café with a friend of hers."
Harrison, who was used to telling the man it was his ex-wife each time he made the mistake, was this time around more focused on this friend of hers.
"Male or female?" He asked almost eagerly.
"Oh, a female," the man deadpanned.
Harrison was annoyed at Mandy's paramour's elusive ways. He wanted a picture, a name – a full name, anything, and just something to go on from. Something more than just Sam.
"And the woman looked possibly pregnant," the man who had been shadowing Mandy said.
"Who?" Harrison asked, and then waited with bated breath.
"Her friend."
To say Harrison was disappointed wouldn't cover the half of it. Oh, how he wished Mandy would be carrying his child.
"They were in the café, when a woman aggravated your wife," the man went on with his report.
"Ex-wife," Harrison corrected him.
"Yes, right. The woman's name was Clara and their exchange was rather heated."
"How so?"
As Harrison recalled, his ex-wife didn't have many friends… and he could recall no Clara.
Who could it be?
"A sentence stuck with me," the man then said. "Your wife told this Clara: I know you feel different, but I don't condone adultery."
Harrison chuckled at that. Mandy must have been rather loud for her tail to hear her.
His wife had grown a backbone, it would seem, and was now past the point of caring about people's opinion.
"Thank you, Jeff, for your report," Harrison then dismissed the man.
"I don't believe Mrs. Michaelson is having or even had an affair," he told him in parting.
"I do not pay you to tell me your opinion," Harrison iced out.
"My apologies," Jeff said. "You may expect the next report at 6 pm sharp as per usual."
"I'll be waiting for it." And with that, Harrison ended the call.
He sat back in his chair, and contemplated a few matters, both personal and business-related.
Harrison reasoned that his reputation wouldn't suffer much if he kept tabs on his possibly pregnant ex-wife, would it? Indeed, after much thinking, he got to the conclusion that while her lover might be the father, there was a possibility that he was as well.
And he would be damned if he allowed his child to grow fatherless!
It was only many hours later that the words his ex-wife had said in her ire began to haunt him.
I don't condone adultery, she had told this Clara woman.
If she truly didn't, did that mean she never cheated on him?
If so, why the divorce?
And who was this elusive Sam?
** ** ** ** ** ** **
Harrison and Anthony met at a café before work time the following day.
"You look like you've been through hell," his friend observed the moment he sat down in front of him.
"I didn't sleep last night," Harrison admitted with a nod of agreement.
"That rarely ever occurs," Anthony sipped on his coffee. "Is there something troubling you?"
"I want your utmost discretion regarding what I'm going to tell you," he then told him.
Anthony nodded at him in agreement, his expression that of a perplex man.
"You can count on me," he said when the silence stretched between them.
"I only agreed to divorcing Mandy because I believe she cheated on me," Harrison let out in a hushed almost ashamed tone.
Anthony's eyes widened but he didn't utter a word in response… at least not yet.
"Then I met her by chance, and she was holding pregnancy tests," he went on in much the same tone of voice. "You can imagine how that had left a bitter taste in my mouth."
"How could you just believe she cheated on you?" Anthony looked positively murderous. "Did you catch her in the act?"
"Well, no," Harrison conceded. "But she admitted it herself."
"Her words exactly?" Anthony probed, his eyebrow rising in question.
"When I contacted her a week after I had suggested we get a divorce, she said she had stayed with Sam."
"Did you try to find out who this Sam is?" Anthony then asked, looking like he was barely containing himself.
What was so wrong with his best friend? And on whose side was he?
"Well, I hired someone to be her shadow, but there has been no indication as to who it could be," Harrison let out a heavy sigh. The admission took a lot out of him.
Anthony face-palmed at that.
"I don't know what to say," he said in an annoyed tone.
"I know right."
"No, you don't know," he countered almost angrily. "You two are hopeless when it comes to communication, but more so you than her."
"I beg your pardon?" Harrison spat out.
Anthony glared at him for the first time in their long years as friends. "You are a fool."
"Excuse me?"
"Do you know any of her friends?" He then asked matter-of-factly.
"Well, Mandy didn't have many friends – not that I know of anyway," Harrison shrugged. Then, as he recalled one name in particular, he added, "Wait there was one… I think Samantha is her name?"
No sooner had he said that did his eyes widen in utter shock.
"You don't think…" he began in a flustered tone. "You don't truly believe…"
"All I know is that Mandy doesn't strike me as the type of wife to cheat behind her husband's back."
Harrison hung his head at that and said in an ashamed tone, "I was a fool."
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