He didn’t stop, merely kept moving toward the Land Rover he drove. “And yet, I’m doing it. In a few days I’ll call you and we can discuss how to dissolve our marriage. I guess I didn’t need that prenup after all.”

“Are you kidding me?” She put her hands on her hips, utterly shocked at how he was behaving. She’d known he could break, but this was beyond what she was willing to put up with. “You pull me into all of this and now you’re walking away? We’re supposed to meet with your aunt tomorrow. You’re going to let that go?”

“It’s been pointed out to me now on several occasions that none of this is actually mine,” Rene said, pulling his keys out of his pocket. “And if I’m not going to fight for my job or my mother’s home, then I don’t need you, do I?”

She barely managed not to roll her eyes. “You’re feeling mean. I get that. But I did nothing wrong here except try to smooth things over for you. Don’t take this out on me.”

He went still for a moment, and she almost thought she had him. Then he beeped his SUV to open it. “I’ll stay at a motel tonight and I’ll handle my aunt tomorrow. I’ve decided to do this without involving you. It’s better this way. Stay with my mother tonight, please. I know I don’t have the right to ask you.”

He nodded back toward the clinic and she realized Cricket and Louis had followed them out. Cricket stood on the sidewalk looking like her world was ending. Sylvie turned back to Rene.

“What is going on?” Her heart ached because she didn’t buy this in any way. He might play poker well, but she knew his tells.

He shook his head. “I told you. I married you because I wanted to save my mother’s home. She doesn’t want my help therefore our marriage is no longer necessary. I’ll contact you soon and we’ll get the legalities handled.”

She heard the door whish closed behind her and heard Cricket crying as Rene slid into the driver’s seat.

“And you’re fired, Louis,” Rene said. “Maybe next week you can petition Charles to get your job back.”

Cricket put her hands over her face as she sobbed.

Rene drove out of that parking lot like a bat flying away from hell.

“I’m so sorry,” Cricket said as Louis gathered her in his arms.

Sylvie shook her head as she watched Rene flee the scene, leaving her with his crying mother and the man who’d been family to him.

She looked back at Louis. “He didn’t mean most of that.”