Chapter 9
Tracey
I t had been three weeks since I talked to the attorney about initiating a divorce.
Bryce had kept trying to contact me using throwaway numbers.
I knew it was him though and refused to take the bait.
Today was the day we were to go back to our old place to pack up our personal effects.
Considering the fact that Bryce had domestic violence charges pending and a restraining order in place, Roderick arranged for me to have a police escort.
Axel drove me to the Sterling estate in his Land Rover.
The girls were with Storm’s wife Zoe, while I knew there would be a police presence today, I didn’t want to upset them, and I couldn’t guarantee that Bryce wouldn’t try to start something.
Two patrol cars were waiting silently at the curb when we arrived.
I could tell the neighbors had taken notice.
Something like this was a scandal of biblical proportions for a neighborhood like this.
I can’t begin to imagine how enraging this would be for Bryce and his father.
They were obsessed with their public image after all.
Axel parked between the cruisers, and we walked up to the house.
I presented the law enforcement officer with a copy of the restraining order and escort order.
I suspected they already had them, but Roderick said to take copies anyway.
Deputy Chen looked them over and said, “The judge gave you an hour. Is that going to be enough time?”
I nodded, “I’m only taking our clothing and personal effects. We just moved here from LA to live with Bryce’s family. All our household goods are currently in storage.”
I noticed Bryce’s father’s Bentley sat in the back of the driveway. Bryce’s Lexus gleamed in the sunlight right beside it. This was the two of them putting up a united front. If they thought they were going to be able to strong-arm me into dropping the restraining order or divorce, they were crazy.
“Our job is to keep the two of you apart. If he tries to engage with you, say nothing,” Chen said, glancing past me to the door. “Move fast and stick to your time allotment. Got it?”
“Yes,” I said. “I don’t want any trouble. I just want to get our things and get out.”
“Good,” she said, and knocked.
Bryce opened with the same charming smile he always wore. It didn’t reach his eyes. He saw me and let the smile thin. “You brought muscle,” he said to Chen, as if she were an employee.
Chen held up the order and slapped it against his chest. “You’ve been served.
This order gives Mrs. Sterling the right to collect her and the children’s personal effects without interference or contact from you.
The order stipulates you remain outside the premises until she has completed her task.
Under no circumstances are you to engage with your wife today. Do you understand?”
He glared at her, “Of course I understand. I was sent a copy of the order.”
Richard, Bryce’s father, appeared over Bryce’s shoulder. He looked none too happy about me barging into his house with the cops. “This is my home,” he said.
“Right now, the premises are under a protective order,” Chen said. “That makes it mine for the next hour. You can wait on the porch or in the driveway. Your choice.”
Both men stepped out onto the porch. When we stepped into the house.
Axel murmured, “I’m gonna go out to the car for boxes.”
I glanced over my shoulder at him, “Thanks. We’re going to start with the bedrooms first.”
Deputy Chen stayed right with me as the other officers monitored Bryce and Richard outside.
As we brought boxes out, Bryce hovered at the front door, staring at us. “She can take whatever she needs,” he said to the deputy, as if magnanimously granting permission.
“Step back, Mr. Sterling. No interfering,” one of the male officers said harshly. Bryce cut his eyes towards a neighbor pretending to be pruning a shrub. This was all kinds of embarrassing for him, but I was all out of fucks to give at this point.
We worked for almost the entire hour. We were wrapping up the last few boxes when I picked up the two pictures off my bedroom wall.
One showed the girls at the pier eating ice cream.
The other was from their last birthday and one of our happier memories.
Axel and I slid them between sweaters in one of the boxes.
I stowed my jewelry away carefully in my purse.
When we got to the study, I realized that I’d gotten everything except our passports in my mad dash to get out of the house and take Jenna to the hospital.
I felt underneath the middle drawer, pulled off the key taped there and opened the bottom right drawer.
We took the small fireproof bag out of the drawer, unzipped it and handed it to Chen so she could see everything we touched.
She dumped the contents of the fireproof pouch onto the desk, and a small ledger fell out. It was one I’d never seen before.
“Does this belong to you?” she asked.
I shook my head.
Her head tilted slightly, and she asked, “Are you sure you shouldn’t have a look to make sure?”
Something about her tone told me she wanted to see what was written inside. When I opened it, Deputy Chen gasped.
“What are we looking at?” I asked, eyes already moving.
She gazed at it, “I can read it from here. There are dates, initials, and amounts. And a code phrase.”
I glanced at the page and my eyes tracked to the end column—adultery, mistress, child, insider trading, DUI. What on earth would they be using this for? Suddenly it came to me, “This looks like blackmail! Or gathering information on people with the aim to blackmail them at a later date.”
She pulled gloves from her belt and took the book into her hand. She flipped through a few pages.
I swallowed thickly, “If this is to do with blackmailing or something like that, it’s an absurd number of people.”
I pointed so my finger hovered over an entry. “Look at this. It’s that judge that’s always in the news with allegations of corruption. The handwriting in the margin appears to be a docket number. Another page shows a council member and a permit approval date.”
Looking up at me, she said, “I know my superiors would love to get their hands on this.” Chen blew a slow breath up to move a piece of hair off her forehead. “Finish gathering your things,” she said. “Your hour is almost up.”
I asked, “What are you going to do about the ledger?”
“I’m calling it in. My sergeant will know what to do about this. Meanwhile, this room is off limits.”
I rushed out to help Axel secure the rest of our personal effects. Within ten minutes, the house was swarming with law enforcement officers. There were supervisors and detectives crawling all over the place. Axel had put the rest of the boxes into the trunk.
When I went back to the study to let Deputy Chen know I was leaving, they asked who used this office.
I was in the middle of telling her that it belonged to my father-in-law when Richard tried to push his way into the room.
“That’s an official attorney-client privileged record,” he shouted from the doorway as a police officer held his arm to stop him entering.
“This woman got her clothing and stuff, so the rest of you need to get the hell out of my house.”
The sergeant stated flatly, “Tag it and bag it. We’ll process it in full when we get back to the station.”
***
One week later we were meeting with Bryce and his attorneys about our divorce. After everything that happened I was pushing hard for a quick divorce. I didn’t care about the ledger, Bryce’s money, or anything else. I just wanted both my girls to be a million miles away from him.
Roderick sat on my left with a neat stack of forms, next to him was Sofia Frazer, his partner.
Axel hovered around my chair, staying far enough away to give me room, but close enough to speak up if anything popped off.
Across the table sat Bryce with a tiny smirk that told me he thought he’d found a loophole to exploit. Richard sat with his attorney.
I had no idea why Bryce brought his administrative assistant, but Ruth took a chair near the end with a legal notepad and pen.
Roderick set a small timer beside his folder and pressed the button.
The white numbers began to count down an hour.
“We are here to memorialize dissolution terms,” he said.
“Temporary order is in place. Criminal matter is open. We will keep this focused. If anyone raises their voice, we reset or we walk. Either result is acceptable to my client.”
Richard smiled without showing teeth. “We all want a peaceful resolution,” he said. “Family thrives when adults behave.”
“Family thrives when children are safe,” Sofia said, and made a note on the top page.
Bryce leaned forward. “A legal separation makes more sense,” he said. “We cool the temperature, model cooperation, revisit in six months. Donors appreciate restraint.”
I looked at the timer so I would not look at his mouth.
“Divorce,” I said. One word. I gave it a few moments and then gave my rehearsed speech, “I want full legal and physical custody. There will be no visitation schedule, no input requirements for school or medical decisions. In exchange I waive property division, child support, and alimony. If you refuse, I will instruct my attorney to file for half of everything.”
Bryce laughed once and shook his head in amusement. “It’s all theater, she doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“Record,” Roderick said, tapping his folder, “reflects that Mrs. Sterling has made a clear offer.”
Richard did the math in his head where everyone could see it. “Future claims,” he said to Roderick, ignoring me. “Clean waivers now. No drip from counsel six months out.”
“Mutual releases in the marital settlement, narrowly drawn,” Roderick said. “They do not touch the open criminal case or impede cooperation with law enforcement.”