His Number Changed So I Changed My Life Chapter 04
He glanced back several times from the doorway, but in the end, he left.
I called a car and went to a family law firm in Midtown.
A few hours later, I walked out of the conference room carrying a draft divorce petition, an acknowledgment of service, and a proposed property settlement.
In the hallway, I ran into Austin Westbrook.
He looked at me, then at the folder in my hand. He tried to keep a straight face, but the corners of his mouth twitched.
“Charlotte. Are you getting a divorce?”
He was the other suitor who had confessed his feelings for me back in college.
At the time, all our friends assumed I would choose Austin. His family was wealthy, and he was handsome and charming in his own right.
But I chose Parker, who had lost both his parents and was scraping by on scholarships and part-time jobs.
Because the number above Austin’s head was 8.
I’d seen what happened in too many committed relationships. I just wanted someone faithful.
Parker was the only strikingly handsome man I had ever met who had no sexual history.
Austin didn’t know about my ability, and he had never quite accepted my choice.
That year, he’d asked me, “Sure, I’ve dated around. But how can you guarantee Parker will never cheat?”
“I can’t,” I’d answered. “But if he ever does cross that line, I’ll know.”
The number doesn’t reveal a fleeting thought.
But the second they act on it, I see the change.
He pointed at the folder. “So he cheated?”
I had no reason to protect him.
“Yes.”
The corner of Austin’s mouth twitched again. He cleared his throat.
“That’s awful. Truly.”
Then, in a casual tone, he said, “I’m heading out now. I can give you a lift.”
His company was in Lower Manhattan. My home was in Westchester. We were headed in completely opposite directions.
I glanced at the number above his head.
After all these years, it was still 8.
“Okay,” I said.
If he wanted to spend hours in rush-hour traffic for my sake, I wasn’t going to stop him.