Treachery

Luca

We’ve come full circle.

Sitting at a polished wood table that does nothing to hide the scars of quick pen strokes, angry notes written and panicked reminders jotted down hard enough to pierce paper and gouge the surface, I trace a line with my finger as Marjorie bounces the tip of her pen on the file folder in front of her.

She’s not nervous to be up against Ta

If anything, she’s excited, her platinum blond hair slipping over her shoulder as she twists around in her seat when a door bursts open behind us.

I don’t need to look to know who’s strolling up the center aisle toward the front of the courtroom. I’m sure Clayton walks confidently with the belief that this hearing will be his chance to screw me over, and I know Ta

Ta

The energy buzzing off Marjorie is electric. She promised me she has an ace up her sleeve to use today, despite her a

I didn’t ask what she had - mostly because I already know. Instead, I’m playing the role of the beat down wife who is accused of cheating on her husband.

The half door swings open as Clayton and Ta

I glance behind me and recognize them as the PR manager for Clayton’s father as well as the campaign manager.

Like last time, the hearing will be closed to the media and the public, which is completely fine by me.

All I care about is that this ends today. As much as it can, at least. No, I won’t be officially divorced, but that won’t take much time at all once the prenuptial agreement is sorted out. I just want what’s owed to me. Clayton can keep everything else.

Daring to peek in Clayton’s direction, I see he’s staring at me with a smug grin on his face. I find it difficult to believe I agreed to marry that man. He didn’t seem to be a bad guy at Yale, but then what’s on the surface is never a good indicator of what hides beneath.

Beside him, Ta

But even what you see on the surface with Ta

The servers are gone for now. Ta

He’s doing it solely for me.

My heart swells to think about it.

Ta

Every so often over the past two weeks, I’ve stared at the deed to my house in Georgia. Obviously, I was surprised that Ta

But when he told me he bought the house to give to me, I was glued in place by the shock from it, my ability to think straight stolen.

I was also scared, and sad. It felt like he was giving me up, that he assumed when the divorce was final I’d leave.

He asked me to stay, though, and my heart felt like it stopped in my chest. He looked so real in that moment, so vulnerable to admit how he feels. I felt bad that all I could say was thank you, but I’d short-circuited, my mind unable to make sense of my thoughts.

We haven’t talked about it since.

We need to talk about it.

“All rise. The Ninth Circuit Court is now in session. The Honorable Franklin T. Mast presiding.”

Chair legs scrape across the stone floor as we push to our feet. Marjorie flips her hair from over her shoulder, her spine straight and chin tipped high. Although I hate being here, I am somewhat excited to see Clayton’s reaction when the woman he loves comes marching in.

The asshole deserves it.

“Be seated,” the judge says as he settles in his seat, his assessing eyes sca

“I trust, counselors, that you’ve done your homework properly this time and there will be no problems like the last time we were here?”

Marjorie smiles that full watt grin.

“There might be one small issue, but I’m sure Mr. Caine will accommodate me.”

She turns to look at Ta

The corner of Ta

“Considering all the scheduling issues we’ve had due to the apparent incompetence in Ms. Stoneman’s office...”

Marjorie flinches at that, and I bury my face in my hands. He can never be trusted to behave himself. Ta

“...I think I’ll have to accommodate any of her issues to ensure this matter is moved along.”

The judge eyes them both before picking up the documents in front of him.

“Before we proceed, allow me to ensure we’re all on the same page as to the purpose of this hearing. I’m looking at Petitioner’s Motion to Enforce the Prenuptial Agreement Due to Extramarital Affair.”

He glances up again. “Are we all in agreement?”

Marjorie and Ta

I can’t wait to watch Ta

The judge drops the papers to his desk and says, “Mr. Caine, seeing as how it’s Petitioner’s Motion, I’ll allow you to proceed. We’ll get to any arguments or rebuttals on behalf of the Respondent after that.”

When Ta

The man owns his space, that much is obvious to whoever is near him. It’s pure confidence, and a lot of ego, but not the false kind that turns you off immediately.

Ta

He carries himself in such a purely masculine way that it draws the eye, makes you notice him, sends a shiver down your spine when his gaze meets yours.

After presenting the facts of the case and Clayton’s argument that certain terms of the prenup should apply due to me being a cheating whore, Ta

I almost laugh because the man looks even worse today, his hair greasy and the white shirt he wears stained by some type of food down the front.

Ta