Chapter 7
Julian and I were about to go head to head on the same project.
I closed the laptop and texted Shawn.
I texted: [What do I need to prepare for tomorrow?]
Shawn answered fast: [Nothing. Remember one thing. Whatever Henry Justice says, your position is one sentence: I want the divorce. Don't add to it, don't explain, don't waver.]
I texted: [Understood.]
Shawn: [One more thing. Henry Justice works emotions. He'll bring up your family, your parents, and everything you put in over three years. He'll try to make giving the marriage another chance sound like the reasonable choice.]
I texted: [You think I'll waver?]
Shawn sent a period, and then one more line came through.
Shawn: [No. I watched you finish a debate sophomore year after the other side made you cry.]
I read that line a few times.
Then, I turned off my phone and took a shower.
Tomorrow, I would step into the ring.
*****
At 3 that afternoon, we met in the conference room at Shawn's firm.
I sat on one side of the long table with Shawn on my left.
Henry Justice arrived exactly on time with an assistant and took the chair across from me.
He was in his early fifties, gray at the temples, in wire-rimmed glasses and a well-cut suit, and he looked more like a college professor than a lawyer.
"Mrs. Eastgate." He put out his hand first.
I shook it once and let go.
"Have a seat, Mr. Justice," I said.
He sat, opened his folder, and took his time.
"Mrs. Eastgate, Mr. Eastgate asked me to come today and talk about whether there's another way to settle this besides a divorce."
"There isn't."
Henry gave a small laugh.
"Mrs. Eastgate, I understand you're angry right now. But a marriage takes two people, and a decision made in the heat of the moment—"
"Mr. Justice." I cut him off. "I'm not angry and I'm not acting on impulse. I've had three years to think about it. Is three years long enough for you?"
Henry glanced at Shawn.
Shawn kept his face blank.
"All right." Henry changed direction. "Then let's talk terms. Mr. Eastgate is prepared to give you—"
He pulled out a sheet of paper.
"An apartment in the North End worth about five million dollars, plus a one-time payment of 10 million dollars. 15 million dollars in total. In exchange, you sign an NDA and disclose nothing about the marriage."
"I won't sign it."
"Mrs. Eastgate—"
"Did that not come through?" I said. "I don't want his apartment, I don't want his money, and I don't want anything of his. I want a divorce decree."
Henry put the paper away.
"Mrs. Eastgate, forgive me for being blunt. The message you posted in the company chat has done real damage to Mr. Eastgate's reputation. Under Section 7 of your prenup—"
"If either party damages the other's reputation during the marriage, the injured party may claim compensation." I finished it for him. "Mr. Justice, I know that clause better than you do."
He pushed his glasses up.
"Then if you know it, you understand that—"
"I know something else too." I took a flash drive out of my bag and set it on the table.
"What is that?" Henry asked.
"The complete record of Julian's affair during our marriage. Dashcam footage, call logs, hotel charges, and the full security video from Emerald Bay West."
Henry's expression changed for the first time.
"Under the state's fault statute," Shawn said, unhurried, "a spouse who lives with someone outside the marriage gives the injured party a claim for damages. You want to argue the prenup, we'll argue the prenup. Can your client survive cross-examination?"
Henry leaned back in his chair and said nothing for a few seconds.
"Mr. Rivers, where did this evidence come from—"
"All of it obtained legally, and every piece of it notarized."
"I'll need time to verify that."
"Of course." Shawn smiled. "We're in no rush. My client wants one thing, which is the divorce. If Mr. Eastgate signs, none of this ever goes public. If he doesn't—"
Shawn paused.
"Then we'll see him in court."
Henry closed his folder and stood.
"I'll pass all of this along to Mr. Eastgate."