Terence Montgomery stared at the names attached to the law firm that he worked for. Soon Clark, Foster, and Gursten would have the additional name of Montgomery. In only eight years Terence had made partner at the law firm he had worked for since he graduated from University of Michigan law school. The long nights at the office and rigorous competition with other potential candidates had finally paid off. He had earned his rightful place as part owner and more than doubled his paycheck with the signing of the agreement. He had everything going on that a man could possibly want. His prestigious law career afforded him a comfortable lifestyle, his dazzling good looks made him easy on the eyes, and he was married to an equally successful wife. However, tonight was bittersweet, with everything finally falling into place he knew the only thing left to do was divorce his wife, Nicole Montgomery. She was the only negative element that he had allowed to continue in his life. But after tonight even she was going to be evicted from his life.
As Terence walked to his black on black Jaguar it mirrored his style. They were both black, luxurious, clean, and able to get a ride from anyone that they wanted. It was there in his vehicle that he had many debates with himself, prepared for cases, and sometimes prayed for answers. It was there that he spoke to his maker to solidify his decision to break the unity of his marriage. Unfortunately the night was not going to end on such a high note. His plans were to take Nicole out to dinner and let her know that he was filing for a divorce and moving out.
Terence loved Nicole very much but her demeanor had changed for the worst over the past year and he could not deal with it anymore. She was once a very vibrant, confident, and positive person. Now all she did was complain and seem to only to focus on the negative things going on in her life opposed to all of the many positive things she had been blessed with. He could not remember the last time he came home and the slightest offset didn’t trigger an argument. She would yell and scream at him and then inevitably he would find her crying and proclaiming how unloved she was. At first Terence believed it to be her hormones or just a tough time that they were going through and was willing to stick it out, she was his wife after all. But after a romantic evening of Will Downing and a bottle of D’Asti Moscato ended with Terence dodging wine glasses he knew it was already over. He was at a point in his life where everything was moving forward and she was the only thing holding him back.
“Hey Nicole, are you going to be ready to leave in the next twenty minutes?” asked Terence as he called Nicole on her cellular phone.
“Yes, I am already ready, baby. I am just waiting on you. I cannot wait for you to get here. I am so excited tonight.” Nicole cooed into the phone.
Terence could not believe that she actually was in a good mood for a change. It was a surprise to hear her excited about anything compared to the way that she has been. Tonight was going to be a lot harder than he thought. He knew that Nicole was in love with him and was expecting to celebrate an anniversary in the next few months. Tonight she was going to get the shock of her life.
Nicole Reese and Terence Montgomery had met in college at University of Michigan. Nicole was studying Business Management while Terence took up Political Science. His lifelong dream was to go into law while Nicole was the heiress to a million dollar real estate development business. She was only in college to validate herself, she had a career ready and waiting for her since she was a teenager. Terence was in his senior year while Nicole was a junior. Although both were very active on campus they only seemed to see each other in the school gym. It was her consistent work out regimen that first attracted him to her. It was something to be said about a woman in the gym. She was dedicated, unafraid of hard work, and welcomed a challenge. The physical results were a payoff in itself.
One evening while in the gym Terence needed someone to spot him while he lifted weights but the only person there was Nicole. It was clear that she noticed the dilemma that he found himself in as she sashayed confidently over to him and placed her fingertips seductively across the dumb bell he was holding. “ I promise I wont let the weight fall on you.” Nicole said with while staring directly into his eyes.
“Oh, you got my back, huh?” was all Terence replied as he began his set, staring with the same intense gaze she held him with.
Terence could not resist Nicole. She was beautiful, smart, ambitious, and most of all very supportive of his endeavors. She stood 5’7” and had the body of a temptress. With a full D cupful of breast and legs that looked as though she worked out every day, it was hard to keep your eyes off of her. Her strawberry blonde hair flowed to the middle of her back and she was always swiping it from her blue-green eyes. She was marked for beauty at birth with a beauty mole that decorated her face right below her left eye. He loved to kiss that mole when they made love. Nicole was the first white woman he had ever dated and he was totally smitten by her. He knew that she would become his wife.
Her father, John Reese practically developed and owned every commercial building in the Metro Detroit area. It wasn’t until after he died of a heart attack years ago, that the business was handed down to his only child Nicole. She also couldn’t date Terrance freely until his death. Her father was a known racist and would never approve of his princess getting it on with a black guy, no matter what his credentials were. A black man would never be good enough to him.
Thankfully, racism was the one trait she didn’t pick up from her dad. She had his ambition, charisma, and natural business savvy that was to her advantage once she acquired the company. She did the business justice by not only doubling the production but expanding the business outside of the East Coast. Things
had been tough for Nicole after her father died, she was very close to him and did not expect losing him so soon. Because of the complexity of the business he traveled often and would leave Nicole and her mom for weeks at a time. The depression that now consumed her started right after the funeral of her father. The man that had provided for her and she had loved forever was gone. John was very protective over his only daughter. Despite all of his accomplishments he never thought he was good enough for his daughter. He had always resented the fact the she was dating a black man. He had told her in private many times that she deserved much better than what she was settling for. Terence never knew of these conversations or that her father was the main reason she was hesitant when it came to moving forward with their relationship.
Shortly after her father’s funeral Terence had made up his mind that Nicole would be his wife. Little did he know that the biggest obstacle to his goal was being buried in the ground. Seeing how vulnerable she was made him love her more. He wanted to be there for her and become the most important man in her life from then on. After they were married Nicole’s attitude took a turn for the worst. She was always chastising Terence about small things and it seemed as though she would create arguments out of thin air.
Nicole’s mother, Evelyn Reese had recently announced she had terminal pancreatic cancer. The news only encouraged more disrespectful behavior and unexplainable outbursts. The thought of her losing both her parents was hard to accept. She took all of her anger and hurt out on her husband Terence. And he had decided he had taken his last emotional beating.
Terence had taken Nicole to their favorite restaurant Maisano‘s . Coincidently, it was the same restaurant where he had proposed to Nicole. He figured she would not make a scene if he told her in public that he had wanted to get a divorce. She was so unusually happy tonight that made it even harder to tell her what was on his mind. She was glowing even.
“ I’ll order you an apple martini.” Terence said as he got up from the table to walk to the bar. He could have waited on the waiter but he needed a reason to get away from her. He was really nervous about what he had planned to tell her tonight.
“No, honey. I’ll take a strawberry daquari, virgin please. And hurry back I cant wait to order, I’m starved.” Nicole said as her husband walked away.
As Terence returned to the table with her daquari and his rum and coke, he sat down, cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak.
“Nicole, I brought you out tonight for a reason. We have had a long road with a lot of love but sometimes….He just stopped talking and looked straight into her face. For whatever reason she was unfazed by anything that he was saying. She was smiling from ear to ear. This woman had totally gone mad. “We all reach different points in our lives and our views of happiness change…
“I can’t take it anymore, I’m pregnant!” Nicole exclaimed, knocking her red daquari into her lap. She jumped out her seat to wipe the slushy mess off of her cream Donna Karen dress. She was so delighted with herself she didn’t notice the blank stare on Terence’s face.
After what seemed like a lifetime, he finally stood up and began to help his pregnant wife clean herself off.
“What did you just say?”
“I am pregnant! I found out today at my doctor’s appointment that I am nine weeks along. Mother, is going to be thrilled. She will get to be a grandmother before she leaves this earth.”
“We are going to have a baby? I have a child on the way?”
“Yes, honey. I know that you are so happy. Now finish telling what you were going to say?”
Terence looked at his wife and knew that his divorce mission was aborted. He could never leave her now that she was carrying his child.
“Umm, I made partner today. That’s all. I made partner.”
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