It had been almost a month since I had learned my husband was a cheating dog. April came into my room, a smug look on her face, "Mrs Monroe, Axel once me to get practice handling deals. He said you should let me lead tonight's talks and only interfere if the deal starts to go sideways. Can you believe that man told me not to worry about how you do things he's sure I'll do great in my own way. He even offered me a fifty percent commission, because it's my first deal."
"What. We have never paid more than twenty percent. What is he thinking?"
"O yeah he said if you get angry remind you it's his company he can pay people what they're worth. Well guess he really values me huh," she said, grinning widely before turning to the door, " I'm taking a nap before the meeting. He said my training is over so I can do what I want when I'm not in meetings and stuff."
At first I wanted to believe she was making this shit up, but it all sounded just like Axel. I spent the day buried in work until
dinner. As I entered the dinning room I seen Axel pushing April off his lap. She smirked at me and began to eat. After they enjoyed their meal they disappeared and I prepared for the meeting.
April showed up ten minutes before we were supposed to open the meeting. April looked at me a satisfied grin spreading across her face, "Don't Mrs. Monroe, no matter what I respect your training and I'll make you proud."
The meeting was not what she promised at all, but she didn't kill the deal so I just watched. She used every seductive move short of stripping to convince this man to do exactly what she wanted. I had to admit she was impressive. She got more favorable terms and the upside for us in the short term would be amazing, but in the long term we would probably lose this connection. They would other figure out what she had done or it would cost then their company.
My first reaction was to tell Axel and breakfast the next morning, "Axel, I don't think April is ready to be on her own. She still thinks she can do things..." I began, but was quickly cut off by Axel.
"Jesus Tif. I heard she closed the contract and our projected profits are almost double the original estimate so how could there be a problem?" His exasperated tone gave me a headache and my fight instantly drained from me. If he wanted short term profits over long term stability who was I to stand in the way, but if he no longer valued me in the office or in the bedroom what reason did I have to stay. So I contacted my lawyer and hired a private investigator.
It only took a week for them to prepare evidence of his infidelity and petition for divorce. I had him served at the office and he came in the middle of the day to find me in a conference call with several venture capitalist.
"What's the meaning of these divorce papers and what are you doing in a meeting with leaches. We don't need start up funding."
"Sorry gentleman, we can pick it up here in an hour is that ok," I asked them patiently waited till the last man agreed and turned of his video before I addressed Axel, "You may not need capital, but if you had read the papers I'm only taking fifty grand for training my replacement. That will hardly cover start up of a new company."
"So not only do you intend to leave me for no good reason, but you intend to compete with me. You're leaving, what because I sided with April over you once. She made us a shit ton of money that night. You must agree you've let her handle every deal since then. I didn't ask you to do that."
"No I'm leaving because you took a mistress then let her kill our company. As far as the deals I let her handle all the deals because I no longer care what happens with them. I'm focusing on my own start up now so I don't have time to consult any more. All continue to answer questions for her till the end of the month. Though she has her own style so I doubt she'll have any. Sign the papers. If it goes to court I'm taking eighty percent. My lawyer assures me that's a modest estimate I'll probably get alimony, the vacation properties and he thinks shares of stock might even be possible. So think long and hard before you fight me on this."
"Who's fighting I can replace you with a dozen other women."
"I hope you'll all be happy. Now if you'll excuse me I want to eat before I return to my investors meeting."
I was just signing off with my investors when April came to my office. I thought maybe I was wrong and she still had more questions for me. She meekly entered and I had an ominous feeling creep up my spine.
"I heard you know about me and Axel. I didn't want you to find out this way. Do you hate me?" her tone was so submissive and her question so surprising. I mean shouldn't she gloat or rub salt in the wound.
"No. You've shown me what kind of man my husband is. So have your fun and eat your fill of my leftovers. If there's nothing further I have dinner plans and you have three meetings tonight. Try not to kill the company before I leave."
Her next words surprised me to my very core has she shot me an evil smile, "Fifteen months. You should be long gone before it all wraps up. Even if you go through court."
So she knew what she was doing and was pushing forward anyways. I remembered her business prowess was no less then mine so I didn't understand why she had been making such short sighted decisions. Not my problem anymore so I pushed it out of my mind and went to dinner.
In a private room in a restaurant downtown I sat with some old school execs from our company and some hot shots who they mentored, "Every single person in this room will happily follow you if you're leaving Axel," there spokesperson explained and then we began to eat as I explained the time line and who was quitting when. Only a full would start from scratch when there was so much that could be salvaged.
Two days later the first batch of employees quite to start forming the foundation of my new company. That afternoon it was not Axel who found me, but April, "Mrs. Monroe, you poached our talent. Did Axel sign the divorce papers. You're not going to court are you?" She was hysterical. I thought she was angry I one upped he, but something felt off, "Me and Axel were going to go out of town this weekend. I had big plans now that you know about us. Guess he'll want me to try to fix this mess. Just get him to sign the papers all ready and make your new start. Please don't make things any worse."
She was completely insane. Making demands, seeming worried, and showing concern for me. I couldn't even begin to form a sense of what she was thinking, but if I had to guess I would say she was afraid. Her timeline no longer held up, but what did I care if things worked out for her?
"April, honestly, what has gotten into you. I will be fine my lawyer already has the signed papers and even if he didn't what concern of yours is that. Shouldn't you be more worried about what will happen now that your meal ticket is hemorrhaging resources. You know this is just the beginning. Every deal in this company was made by me before you came along. Do you think I wouldn't be able to pull resources?"
"I see. I've completely misjudged your reaction. Why though I should of known you've always been like this. May be I can still salvage it," she was talking to herself and then she looked at me, "Tiffy tell me how bad is it? Can his company hold out for ninety days? What exactly have you done?"
Tears rolled down my cheeks as an image as a little girl her cheeks puffed out with berries and cream smirk wide at me holding both my hands, "Apes?" I replied and she grinded at me in an innocent and playful way April had never done.
"Tiffy you remember me."
"Yes, but you don't seem anything like the April I remember," I confessed to her. Her attitude was not the only thing that had changed she was tanner more toned her hair color was even different. In short she was completely different and essence and presence.
April had been my first friend from crib to junior high we were inseparable. Then during summer break her parents got divorced and she moved away. We talked everyday for years. Then she said her mom was moving to Paris and I never heard from her again. Even when we went to college together.
"Yes well that's because Apes wants nothing to do with your pig of a husband and he would have never picked her over all those other skanks who wanted to be his mistress."
"I see. So knowing you, you think your doing me a favor by sleeping with my man?"
"Gross. No way. Sleeping pills, booze, and liberal use of a vacuum," she responded chuckling with a look that said she was remembering her ploy, "I'm saving myself for the one I love. I've never been with anyone," she stated quite proudly. She was sounding more and more like the girl I grew up with and I found myself wanting to trust her.
I spoke honestly which was all I could give her, "Apes I don't know what your planning and I don't why you did what you did with that start up of yours, but you've always been my bestie so I trust you. So I'll tell you real. Everyone I trust well be moved to my company by months end. Along with them almost twenty percent of renewing contracts. Axel's done."
'That was a given when I showed up. Let me rephrase, that's why I showed up, but as long as the divorce is final then who care how fast the ship sinks," she said flatly, "When this is over can we talk I miss you Tiffy."
"Sure," I told her and with that we parted ways.