Chapter 9 - The Final Beg
It was midnight when Richard finally made it back to the skyscraper. He couldn't get inside, so he stood on the sidewalk in the pouring rain, staring up at the fiftieth floor. The penthouse windows were glowing warmly in the dark.
He waited for three hours. Finally, Eleanor emerged from the lobby, flanked by security, walking toward her waiting town car.
"Eleanor!" Richard cried out, stumbling forward. The security guards immediately blocked him, pushing him back onto the wet pavement.
Eleanor stopped. She held an umbrella over her head, looking at the soaking wet, shivering man who used to be her husband.
"Please," Richard begged, tears mixing with the rain on his face. "Please, El. I have nothing. I don't even have a place to sleep tonight. Give me something. Anything. I'll sign whatever you want."
Eleanor looked at him, feeling no pity, no anger, and no joy. She just felt an overwhelming sense of profound silence.
May you like
She reached into her designer handbag and pulled out a crisp, twenty-dollar bill. She stepped forward, ignoring the rain, and placed it into his trembling hand.
"Take the subway, Richard," she said softly. "It’s a long walk to nowhere."
