One in a Million Read online

  “I hear you, but just don’t take it too far unless you have a reason. That’s all I’m saying. And if anything, always make sure your lines of communication are open. Even when there are minor problems and petty disagreements.”

  “You’re not thinking that’s why Blake strayed, are you?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Yeah, but even if you did have disagreements, I still don’t see how that justifies Blake committing adultery. Maybe it’s because I’m on the outside looking in and because I’ve never been married before, but right now I don’t think there’s any excuse anyone can come up with that I’d be able to condone. As far as I’m concerned, when people choose to get married they should honor their vows, and that’s that.”

  “I agree, and I even have to say that I don’t believe I ever would have had an affair on Blake, but at the same time, not every person is the same.”

  “Well, that’s fine, but I just hope you’re not blaming yourself for Blake’s mistake.”

  “I’m not blaming myself, but I’ll always wonder if things might have turned out differently if maybe we’d talked more.”

  “Hey, my business phone is ringing, so I have to run, but call me later, okay?”

  “I will,” Kennedi said. “Talk to you later.”

  She’d heard every point that Patrice had tried making, but she still couldn’t stop thinking along the lines of could’ve, should’ve, would’ve—meaning what she could have done, should have done, or would have done differently if she had it all to do over again. But that was neither here nor there, and what she had to do now was switch her focus back to the present, focus on the impending matters at hand. She had to focus on what was sure to be one of the most talked-about divorces in Illinois history.

  Chapter 7

  I think the first thing we need to do is determine how much of the winnings you want to invest,” Miles suggested to Kennedi, who was sitting adjacent to him at a table in a conference room similar to the one in Attorney Newman’s office.

  “I’ve been thinking about that on and off, and at the very least, I’d like to save around fifty percent of the total amount I receive after taxes.”

  “That’s very smart and I’m glad to hear you say that.”

  “Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of sixty percent, but I guess that sort of depends on what the final number will be, since you always get quite a bit less when you take one lump-sum payment versus spreading the total over twenty years.”

  “This is true, and I don’t blame you for opting to collect everything up front, because you never know what the future might hold.”

  “Exactly. Either I could die before the twenty years are up, or for all we know the lottery commission might go bankrupt.”

  Miles chuckled. “Let’s hope not, but you do make a good point.”

  Kennedi smiled.

  “Well,” he said, flipping through a couple of pages in his yellow legal pad, “this is just an estimate, and a very conservative one at that, but I’m guessing that since the total is around sixty-three million, you’ll probably end up with no less than thirty million free and clear.”

  Kennedi leaned back in her seat, trying to digest what Miles had just told her. She’d known the number was going to be a huge one, but at this very moment, it just didn’t seem real. “That much, huh?”

  “I’ll bet you never would have imagined something like this happening, not in your wildest dreams.”

  “No, I wouldn’t have. Not ever. And especially since I don’t normally play the lottery in the first place, my chances of winning should have been pretty much impossible.”

  “Stranger things have happened, though, and while winning the lottery is a rarity, people do win all year long. You see them on television and in the newspaper all the time.”

  “I know, but with the exception of my husband, I don’t think anyone truly believes they’ll really win. I know I never expected anything like this, anyway.”

  “Well, maybe not, but you are in fact going to be thirty million dollars richer than you were.”

  “Still, the whole idea of this is just crazy.”

  Miles laughed and so did Kennedi.

  “But getting back to the planning part of this, since you already know for sure that you’re going to save and invest about fifteen million, you and I can focus on the other half.”

  “Were you able to make an appointment with the money manager you mentioned yesterday?” Kennedi asked.

  “Yes, I spoke with her right after you left and we’re all set to meet with her this afternoon around two, if that works for you.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “I’d originally had someone else in mind, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized Penelope O’Connor would be the best person for the job.”

  “Actually, I’ve seen some of her advertisements. Her office is downtown, right?”

  “Yes, so we’ll have to leave about twelve thirty or one, so we’ll have time to get down there and find parking. Penelope has worked with millions and millions of dollars and has a number of wealthy clients, so I think you’ll be happy with her services. Plus, she’s very discreet.”

  “Good.”

  Miles flipped through his pad of paper again. “Now for the other part of this. I’m aware of the situation with your husband, but do you have any children or parents that you’ll be wanting to offer a gift to?”

  “My parents are both deceased.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “And we have no children.”

  “Any close relatives or friends?”

  “Yes, my mom’s two sisters, and they each have two children, and then you met my best friend, Patrice, yesterday.”

  “I assume you’re planning to give something to each of them?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you thought about how much?”

  “Somewhat, but I need to think about it a little more and will let you know by Monday.”

  “Okay. Then the next thing would be charities, religious organizations, things like that.”

  “Well, before I do anything, I’m going to pay a tenth to my church.”

  “Good for you. I’m a tithing person myself. Have been since my college years.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, and it would never dawn on me to not do it.”

  “Some people will think I’m crazy for giving three million dollars to any organization, let alone a church, but I know it’s the right thing to do. There was a time when I didn’t believe in giving ten percent from every paycheck, but the more I grew in my faith, the more I realized God was the reason I was blessed enough to have my job in the first place, and I’ve never looked back. Plus, I learned very quickly that when you give from the heart, God repays you over and above that.”

  “Always. And not only do I pay my tithe to the church, but there are a number of elderly members at my church who can barely make ends meet on their fixed incomes, so a couple of years ago, I started paying their utilities for them. And another thing I do is give a monthly check to one of the homeless shelters about thirty minutes south of here and also one to an area orphanage.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Kennedi was definitely impressed. Especially since Blake had never been the most giving person she’d ever met. He did give at church, whenever he found time to attend, but he never went out of his way to help anyone less fortunate than he was. As a matter of fact, he sometimes seemed sort of put out whenever he had to buy gifts for his own parents on holidays.

  “I just wish more people would do the same, because if they did, they’d realize how rewarding it is, and, of course, the world would be such a better place.”

  “It would be, and that’s why I’m going to set up a meeting with my pastor and the finance committee so that I can make sure every dollar will go toward helping people. I realize the church has operating expenses, but there are so many people who are in need, and I don’t want to ignore that.”
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br />   “That’s a good idea.”

  “Another organization I want to donate to is the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, because my mother died from breast cancer.”

  “Do you know how much?”

  “Maybe about a hundred thousand and possibly a little more.”

  “Okay. Anything else?”

  “Well, actually, yes, but first can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “Attorney Newman mentioned that you were pretty wealthy, and if that’s true, then why are you still working as an accountant?”

  Miles chuckled. “I get that all the time. But to answer your question, I do it because I honestly love my job. I don’t take on nearly as many clients as I used to and mainly only handle special cases like yours, but I can’t imagine not working with numbers. Not to mention I also find great joy in volunteering my services to lower-income people during tax time.”

  “That’s very kind of you, and so uncommon.”

  “Now, I will admit, though, that there are certain months that I do take off completely, but again, I really enjoy what I do, and it will be a long time before I consider retiring,” he went on, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. “Yes.”

  “How’s everything going?” Attorney Newman said, walking in and taking a seat.

  “Great,” Miles answered.

  “Right now we’re talking about gifts.”

  “Good. Well, I just wanted to stop up for a few minutes, but I can’t stay long because one of my clients called for an impromptu appointment. But what I was thinking was that maybe you and I could meet later today or first thing on Monday.”

  “Monday would probably be better, because Miles and I are meeting with a money manager this afternoon.”

  “Of course. Monday will work fine. So, who did you go with?” Attorney Newman asked Miles.

  “Penelope.”

  “Oh, then Kennedi, you’ll be in great hands.”

  “That’s what I hear.”

  “She’s amazing. And personable, too.”

  “That really helps,” Kennedi added. “Also, I do have some news.”

  “Which is?”

  “After I got home yesterday evening, I was served with divorce papers.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, I guess he didn’t waste any time, and actually this might work in our favor, because not only has he deserted you, but now he’s made it known that he wants out of the marriage for good.”

  “So is there anything I need to do?”

  “No, not this weekend, but you and I will talk in more detail on Monday.”

  “Sounds fine.”

  Attorney Newman stood up. “Okay, then. And I’ll let the two of you get back to what you were doing before I interrupted you.”

  “Thanks so much for stopping by,” Kennedi said, happy to know that she had someone like Attorney Newman in her corner.

  “No problem. I’m glad to do whatever I can for you.”

  “Thanks again.”

  After Attorney Newman had left, Kennedi and Miles talked for another hour and then headed downtown to meet with Penelope. Miles had offered Kennedi a ride with him, but she’d told him that she had some errands to run right after the meeting and that it was probably best that they drove separately, which was true. However, it was more because she’d thought riding in the car with him was just a bit too personal. She did feel comfortable with Miles from a business standpoint, more comfortable than she’d expected, but riding in the same car all the way down to the Loop was something different, and she was glad he’d understood.

  Now, though, she was on the way back to her suburb and had just turned her radio to one of Chicago’s top R&B stations, but a hair product commercial was airing. Kennedi considered switching to another station, but since she always enjoyed this one, she left it where it was. Plus, traffic on I-94 East was already piling up, so she knew she might as well be patient, anyway. Which was fine, because after meeting with Penelope, she definitely had a lot to think about. Stocks and mutual funds for long-term investments; money markets for easy access, general spending, and so much more. She wasn’t completely in the dark about these matters, not after working in human resources and having to deal with employee 401(k) accounts, but she’d still heard and learned more today than ever before and was glad. Penelope had explained everything in a very organized manner, and Kennedi could see why she held such a praiseworthy reputation. To put it plainly, she knew her job well, and she couldn’t thank Miles enough for connecting them.

  Kennedi continued down the expressway in what seemed like slow motion; she rested her elbow inside the window and then her head inside the palm of her hand. All of this creeping along was starting to wear on her, but thankfully, she only had a few more miles to go.

  “Man, did you hear this morning that the person who won the Mega Millions still hasn’t come forward yet?” the lead radio personality announced.

  “Yeah, man, I heard,” radio personality number two acknowledged. “What they’re probably doing is gettin’ all their ducks in a row so they’ll be ready to flee the country at a moment’s notice. Because you know every fifth cousin, so-called cousin, friend from kindergarten, and everybody else will be trying to get their hands on some of that dough.”

  “You can say that again. Those fools’ll be swooping down like mammoth vultures.” Personality number one poked fun, and they both cracked up.

  “They’ll be hearing from relatives they haven’t heard from in twenty years, the kind that will have an attitude if they don’t get anything.”

  “Attitude? Man, please. They’ll be ready to kick some booty and take names later. They’ll be acting like they’re the ones who won the doggone money.”

  They both laughed again.

  “Shoot, I hear you, because with the exception of Jesus, you can’t put anything past anyone when it comes to money. Money makes people insane.”

  “That it does. But you know who I really feel sorry for, though?”

  “Who?”

  “Whoever this person works for. Because you can bet they won’t be getting any two-weeks’ notice.”

  “You can say that again. Their employee is outta there. And actually, if the winner is a woman and she’s listening, I want to be the first to say, baby, I’m available. I mean, I’m married, but that’s only a minor detail,” male personality number two joked.

  Kennedi couldn’t help laughing herself and then tried to call Patrice to tell her what she’d just been listening to, but she got her voice mail instead. She’d already called during her drive downtown to let her know how the meeting with Miles had gone, but she wanted to let her know about the meeting with Penelope as well.

  “Hey, P, I’m in traffic and just thought I’d check in. I should be home in about twenty minutes, though, so give me a call.”

  Kennedi looked through her rearview and side mirrors and then changed lanes. Traffic still hadn’t picked up, but finally, she only had a few exits to go. So she switched to a different radio station and without warning thought about Blake. She’d thought about him earlier, a few times to be exact, but she’d pushed him out of her mind on each occasion. But now she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about him and how she’d be so much happier about winning the money if they still had a marriage. He’d always talked about winning millions and what they would do with it. He’d talked about all the traveling they would do, the type of house they would build, the second home they would purchase somewhere south and near the ocean, and how they would never have to worry about money or bills for the rest of their lives. It was true that they’d never lived in poverty and had always been very responsible with the money they earned from their respective jobs, but Blake had always longed for just a little more than ordinary. Just a little more than average. But today, that was a trivial point, because the reality was that Blake had delightedly and voluntarily moved out and was acting as though their divor
ce was already final.

  Kennedi turned in to her subdivision and was relieved to be home. That is, until she saw Blake’s SUV backed into the garage and then frowned. He’d said he’d be back this weekend to get the rest of his things, but she’d thought for sure he’d meant Saturday or Sunday, because he normally worked on Fridays. But instead, here he was unannounced, and now she had to prepare herself to see him. Deal with him was more like it.

  After leaving her car, Kennedi went inside and tried her best to hang around downstairs. She could hear him walking across their bedroom, and while she’d decided this morning that she wouldn’t think bad things or act in a violent way, she could already feel her blood rushing through her veins. The reason: she just couldn’t tolerate Blake coming into their house, gathering up his belongings, and then taking them to the home of his mistress. He hadn’t confirmed where he was now residing, but Kennedi knew that’s where he was staying.

  She went through the mail that Blake obviously had had the audacity to bring in, and then she went into the family room and sat down with a magazine. But after reading only a couple of sentences here and there, she went up the stairway. As expected, she found Blake pulling from his closet one piece of clothing after another. He even looked at her for a split second but then turned his attention back to what he was doing and basically ignored her.

  “Oh, so I guess you don’t have anything to say?”

  “Kennedi, please don’t start with me. I came to get my things, and I was hoping to do it peacefully.”

  “You’ve moved in with her, haven’t you?”

  “What difference would it make if I have?”

  “A lot, because you’re still married to me.”

  “Not for long.”

  Kennedi bit her lip. She didn’t want whatever this was they were having to turn into a screaming match, but it was all she could do not to respond.