Chapter 3

Three days later, in a conference room at Midtown Law Group.

My lawyer, Frank Harris, and I sat on the left side of the long table.

Melissa and her lawyer, a man in gold-rimmed glasses, sat on the right.

On the table lay a property settlement agreement and a draft of the divorce complaint.

"Let's get straight to the point."

Gold-Rimmed Glasses pushed his frames up his nose.

"My client's demands are very clear."

"First, the three-bedroom apartment on Liberty Street must be transferred into her name."

"Second, custody of the two children, Noah and Ruby, goes to her, and you will pay twelve thousand dollars a month in child support until they turn eighteen."

"Third, the fifty thousand dollars in joint marital savings goes to her as compensation."

Frank pushed the draft agreement toward the middle of the table.

"That's not happening." He tapped the tabletop.

"The down payment on the Liberty Street apartment was one point two million dollars, and every cent of it came from Lucas's parents selling their house back home."

"There's a clear record of the bank transfer. That money is Lucas's separate property. How could it possibly all go to you?"

Gold-Rimmed Glasses gave a cold laugh and slid a sheet of paper out of his folder.

"It's true his parents paid the down payment. But in the third year of the marriage, my client's name was added to the deed."

"Under the law, that counts as a gift to her, which makes it marital property."

"Given his misconduct during the marriage, including domestic abuse and the transfer and concealment of assets, my client's claim to the entire property is reasonable and fully within the law."

I gripped the arms of my chair so hard my knuckles went white.

"I told you, I never abused her! And I never moved any money!"

"She's the one who's buried in debt!"

Gold-Rimmed Glasses tapped the case file on the table.

"Sir, the court only looks at evidence."

"My client has a medical injury report from the community clinic, a record from the Community Mediation Office, and statements from the neighbors."

"As for these gambling debts you claim, there's no evidence of any actual money trail to back them up."

He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

"If you insist on going to court, we won't stop at the terms above."

"We'll also petition the court to garnish your wages, so the online payday loans you took out in my client's name get paid off first."

The conference room was so quiet I could hear the air conditioner blowing.

Frank leaned toward me and lowered his voice. "Lucas, this looks bad for us. Her name on the deed is a serious weak spot, and public opinion and the witnesses are all on her side."

I ignored him and stared hard at Melissa across the table.

She wore a tasteful business suit today, her hair pinned up without a strand out of place.

She was calmly sipping warm water from a paper cup.

"I don't need the apartment."

I ground the words out through clenched teeth, one at a time.

"I'll take on the debt by myself, too."

Melissa's hand paused around her cup. She lifted her eyes to look at me.

"But I have one condition."

I pointed at the second item in the agreement.

"Custody of Noah and Ruby goes to me."

"I'm the one who raised them. You've never taken care of them!"

Melissa set down her cup and let out a contemptuous snort.

"Lucas, what are you going to raise them with?"

"You're drowning in debt, you won't have the apartment, you won't even have a place to live."

"How could any judge give two four-year-olds to you?"

She stood and looked down at me.

"Besides, the kids are going to choose me."

"If you don't believe me, I'll see you in court."

She turned and walked out of the conference room.

The sound of her high heels on the wooden floor felt like they were stepping on my ribs.