Chapter 8 · He Signed the Divorce Papers Before I Could Tell Him I Was Pregnant

Chapter 8

The Quantum Research Institute sat on the edge of the city, a cluster of white buildings that looked like they belonged to the next century.Security was heavy, and Mike and I had our badges checked twice before they let us into the main building.The corridors were polished to a mirror, and the walls were covered with research charts I couldn't read and portraits of scientists.Even the air in the place felt cold and rational.This was Jonathan's world.It was a world I could never have reached, no matter how far I stretched.Mike leaned over and whispered, "Emily, look at this. It doesn't get more elite in this country. If we land this, the company goes up a whole level overnight."I nodded without a word, my palms already clammy with cold sweat.The conference room was on the top floor.Mark was already there when we arrived, a friendly man in his fifties who stood up at once to greet us."Mr. Clark, Ms. Carter, welcome."After a brief exchange of pleasantries, we took our seats at the conference table.The room was large, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a wide view outside, but I kept my eyes on the laptop in front of me."Dr. Reed will be here any minute. He just finished an important experiment," Mark explained.With every word, my heart thudded faster in my chest.At two exactly, the conference room door opened.I didn't look up, but I could feel a powerful presence sweep through the room all at once.For a split second, everyone stopped breathing.I heard Mike stand up. "Dr. Reed, it's a pleasure."I clenched my hands under the table, my nails digging into my palms.Then, forcing myself, I slowly lifted my head.Jonathan walked in.He wore a plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He was taller and leaner than he looked on television, with broad shoulders, and he moved like a man who had never once been told to wait.His eyes went around the room, and when they reached my face, they stopped for about a tenth of a second.His eyes widened slightly.In the eyes I once loved, something startled flickered and was covered over at once.He recognized me.I was sure of it.But he looked away without a flicker, the way a person looks past a stranger who doesn't matter.He took the seat at the head of the table and nodded at Mike."Let's begin."His voice was even deeper and colder than it had been ten years ago.Mark started in on the project background and then handed the floor to me."Now, Ms. Carter, our lead planner, will walk you through our initial concept."I stood up.The moment I stood, I felt Jonathan's eyes land on me.There was scrutiny in it, and curiosity, and something more complicated that I couldn't read.I took a deep breath, forcing myself to tune out his stare, and turned on the projector."Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Emily Carter, the planner on this project."My voice rang out in the quiet conference room, clear and steady, not a hint of tremor."Based on our reading of how far ahead this science sits and what it means socially, we believe the core of this campaign should not be a technology showcase. It should be a conversation about the future and about what people actually value."I began to smoothly present my proposal.The pitch moved from the central idea to the channel plan, and then to budget and execution.I never once glanced his way, keeping my focus on the screen and the other experts in the room.He was scenery.The attention in that room shifted from assessment into something focused and undivided.He had stopped looking at me as an ex-wife. He was a top scientist weighing the value of a pitch.When I said my last word and closed the laptop, the room was quiet.I looked at him, and it was the first time all day that our eyes met on purpose.His eyes were dark and gave nothing back."Ms. Carter."He spoke, and he used my title."Your proposal is interesting."

Chapter 8