Chapter Thirty
I stay seated as Samantha and Alan stand to welcome Brad and the man I'm assuming is his new lawyer.
Samantha introduces herself first. The man shakes her hand.
"Julian Kent."
I fold my hands in my lap and lean back in my chair, staring at everything with carefully practiced disinterest.
It's on purpose.
Samantha told me to be gracious.
She said if I wanted a quick divorce and, on my terms, I needed to let her do the talking.
So I am.
I'm even resisting the urge to ask whether Julian Kent actually has a law degree or if Brad pulled another paralegal out of the broom closet.
"Hi, Wyn," Brad says quietly.
I give him a small, tight smile.
Fortunately, Samantha chooses that moment to begin.
"Alright. The purpose of today's meeting is to get all our cards on the table and determine whether a negotiated settlement is possible."
Alan nods.
"As you can see, there is no court reporter present. This is an informal settlement conference. Our paralegal will be taking notes for our file."
Julian glances toward the woman seated in the corner.
"Can I get a copy of those notes afterward?"
"Assuming they're relevant and discoverable, yes," Samantha replies easily.
Julian nods. "Thank you."
Samantha folds her hands on the table. "To begin, I'd like to clarify a few points so we're all working from the same facts."
Julian gestures for her to continue.
Samantha opens a folder.
"Ms. Melroy and Mr. Robinson have been married for twelve years."
"Thirteen," Brad says automatically.
Samantha glances at him.
"Thirteen legally. Twelve cohabitating."
Brad nods accepting that.
"Ms. Melroy has been a homemaker for approximately nine years and has been the primary caregiver for the parties' minor child during that time."
Julian makes a note.
"No disagreement there."
"Mr. Robinson is currently employed as the director of surgery at Clein Memorial in Los Angeles."
"Correct."
"Mrs. Melroy currently resides in Texas with the child."
"Temporarily," Julian says.
Samantha doesn't react.
"Currently," she repeats.
Julian inclines his head. "Currently."
I have absolutely no idea why that distinction matters, but judging by the tiny smile on Alan's face, apparently it does.
"Good," Samantha continues. "Now that we've established the uncontested facts, I'd like to address the previous settlement proposal."
The room immediately feels colder.
Brad shifts in his seat.
Julian clears his throat.
"We've already discussed voiding that proposal and starting over."
Samantha nods politely. "We agreed to void it. We did not agree to forget it."
I feel the need to woot but push it down.
"Your client made some rather egregious demands in that document," she continues. "Frankly, it's concerning. Given the circumstances, we believe a practical agreement for Ms. Melroy and the parties' child would be productive."
Julian swallows, glancing briefly toward Brad before looking back at Samantha. "We're willing to discuss it."
"Excellent."
Samantha opens a folder.
"Then let's begin with the most obvious issue. Mrs. Melroy spent years supporting Mr. Robinson while he completed his education and training. When Mr. Robinson's career became established, Mrs. Melroy postponed her own career development to become a full-time homemaker and primary caregiver."
Julian starts to speak.
But Samantha continues, "Mr. Robinson not only benefited from that arrangement, he actively encouraged it."
I keep my expression carefully neutral.
Across the table, Brad looks down.
"Therefore," Samantha continues, "our position is that any settlement must provide sufficient support for Mrs. Melroy to continue caring for the parties' child while she determines how and when she wishes to re-enter the workforce."
Julian nods slowly.
"We are open to discussing a reasonable alimony."
"Good." Samantha turns a page. "Second, custody and residence."
Brad's head immediately lifts.
Samantha doesn’t pay him any mind. "Our client is not seeking to prevent a relationship between Mr. Robinson and his daughter. In fact, she has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to facilitate one."
That at least gets a small nod from Brad.
"However," Samantha continues, "Mrs. Melroy intends to remain in Texas during the school year."
Julian's pen pauses.
Brad visibly stiffens.
Samantha continues as if neither reaction occurred.
"The child has established family connections here. Mrs. Melroy has an extensive support system here. Childcare assistance, family involvement, and housing stability are all located here."
"Mr. Robinson's job is in California," Julian points out.
"It is," Samantha agrees. "But it has also been made clear that the only support Mr. Robinson is willing to provide is financial."
Brad’s eyes narrow as he spits out. "I wanted fifty-fifty."
"You were willing to pay a nanny to raise her for you," Samantha replies without missing a beat.
She turns back to Julian as though the interruption never happened.
"Mrs. Melroy is proposing that Sophie spend substantial vacation time with her father in California. Additionally, she is willing to allow monthly visitation throughout the year."
Julian scribbles something down. "Anything else?"
Alan slides a folder toward Samantha.
"About child support..."
The rest of the meeting goes about as expected.
Well, expected by Samantha.
I'd been fully prepared for Brad to start throwing his arms around the second Texas became non-negotiable, but it never happens. If anything, he spends most of the meeting looking increasingly miserable while Samantha and Julian discuss numbers and schedules and practical realities.
At one point I'd floated the idea of adding a clause preventing him from introducing Sophie to every random woman he dated.
Alan shut that down almost immediately.
Apparently, it's difficult to enforce and more likely to create more problems than solve existing ones.
Besides, I've already clipped Brad's balls. Might as well let him keep whatever's left.
The meeting drags on for what feels like forever. Long enough that the words start blurring together and for my ass to go completely numb.
Finally Samantha calls for a break.
"A break?" I whisper-yell at Alan the second the lawyers start gathering papers. "My ass is asleep."
He snorts.
"Well, it's a good thing this is taking longer than expected. Go take a walk."
I groan dramatically but stand anyway.
Brad and Julian head left when they leave the conference room.
I go right.
Judd, Kingston and Wesley's LA headquarters are in one of those giant glass buildings that make me feel claustrophobic despite all the open space. Maybe it's the height. Maybe it's the feeling that one wrong step and I'd go tumbling several stories.
Either way, I stick close to the interior hallway.
I'm staring down at my phone, wondering if I have enough time to call Simone.
I never should've agreed to leave Sophie back in Austin.
Logically, I know she's fine. She's with family. She's safe. But an irrational part of me keeps imagining worst-case scenarios. Maybe it's all the custody talk.
A tiny, ridiculous part of me was terrified that if I brought her, someone would somehow make us stay. That a judge would appear out of nowhere and decide she belonged here. That I'd walk into a courtroom and walk out without her.
I know how irrational that sounds.
Doesn't stop me from feeling it.
So Sophie is in Austin with Simone, and I'm standing in a hallway checking my phone for the fifth time in ten minutes when a throat clears behind me.
Glancing back, I find Brad standing there with his hands shoved awkwardly into his pockets.
"Hey," he says reluctantly, walking over.
I give him another tight smile.
Then stand there.
Waiting.
Watching him shuffle his feet.
Unable to take the silence any longer, I let out a small laugh.
"I'd almost forgotten your name was Bradley. When Alan called you that, I was like, who?"
A tiny smile tugs at his lips. It disappears just as quickly.
"I still love you."
The words some out so unexpectedly I physically wince.
"Oh."
Brad takes a step closer.
"I know I asked for the divorce, but I can see you don't want this either. Baby, let's give this another try."
"Brad-"
"Just hear me out." He begs. "I feel like we gave up too soon. It was just the distance. If you come back to LA, then we can-"
"Stop." I try to interrupt him.
"Please," he continues quietly. "I'll break up with Teresa, okay? She's just a rebound. I-"
"Just stop."
Closing my eyes, I take a slow breath before opening them again.
This time I look directly at him. "I want this divorce."
The heartbreak that flashes across his face should stop me, but I’m way past that.
"I don't love you anymore," I continue. "And frankly, I don't trust you either. Everything you've ever told me, every promise you've ever made me, it means nothing now."
"You don't mean that."
"I do."
His head shakes immediately. "No."
"I was willing to move back for Sophie," I continue. "But the way you've acted through all of this-"
"It was Teresa's idea. Her brother suggested-"
"Stop blaming other people."
The sharpness of my voice seems to shock him.
"First you cheated because Laila blackmailed you. Then somehow it was my fault. Then you asked me for a divorce because of another woman. And now you're blaming her for your actions."
"It's not-"
"No."
The word comes out firm.
Final.
For the first time since this started, I realize I don't have to sit here and listen anymore.
I don't have to defend myself or make myself smaller trying to understand him.
"I don't have to deal with this anymore," I tell him quietly. "You're not my husband. You're not even someone I like."
"Please, Wyn."
I shake my head.
"My name is Bronwyn."
With that I turn around and walk away without looking back.
I don't know whether that conversation helped the divorce or hurt it.
But damn, it felt good.