clear
Laura blinked in surprise. She hadn’t even noticed her sister arrive. But there Jen was, standing protectively in front of her, still gripping Vanessa’s wrist.
Vanessa wrenched her arm free, her eyes flashing dangerously. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m the woman who’s going to lick your ass if you lay a finger on my sister,” Jen replied, her voice eerily calm.
For a moment, nobody moved. Then Vanessa lunged forward, her manicured nails raking across Jen’s cheek. Jen retaliated instantly, shoving Vanessa back with enough force to make her stumble.
“You bitch!” Vanessa shrieked, regaining her balance and charging at Jen.
The two women grappled with each other, a flurry
rry of flying hair and flailing limbs. Laura stood frozen in shock, unable to process the
CHAPTER FIFTEEN–A Decision She Wasn’t Ready For
scene unfolding before her.
“Stop it!” Leon shouted, trying to intervene. But in the chaos, he caught an elbow to the face, sending him staggering back
Laura finally snapped out of her daze, rushing forward to try and separate them. “Jen, stop! She’s not worth it!”
But Jen was beyond reason, her face a mask of fury as she and Vanessa traded blows. They crashed into a nearby car, setting off its alarm and adding to the cacophony
“I’ll teach you to mess with my family, you homewrecking skank!” Jen yelled, managing to get Vanessa in a headlock.
Vanessa retaliated by stomping on Jen’s foot with her stiletto heel. Jen yelped in pain but didn’t loosen her grip,
Laura grabbed at Jen’s arm, trying to pull her away. Ten, please! You’re going to get arrested!”
Leon had recovered enough to join the fray, attempting to pry Vanessa free from Jen’s grasp. “Let go of her!” he shouted at fen.
“Not until she apologizes to Laura!” Jen growled, tightening her hold.
Vanessa’s face was turning an alarming shade of red. “I’ll never… apologize.. to that hap!” she gasped out.
Just as Laura thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, the door to the office building flew open. Ms. Thornton rushed out, her eyes widening at the scene before her.
“What on earth is going on here? she demanded, her voice cutting through the chaos.
The effect was immediate. Jen released Vanessa, who stumbled back into Leon’s arms, gasping for air. Laura stepped away from the group, her face burning with shame.
Ms. Thornton’s gaze swept over them all, taking in their disheveled appearances and the gathering crowd of onlookers. “I hope you all realize how seriously this kind of behavior can impact your mediation process,” she said, her tone icy. “If you can’t conduct yourselves civilly outside of sessions, how can I expect you to do so during our discussions?”
Laura felt her stomach drop. She opened her mouth to explain, but no words came out
Jen, however, had no such problem. “With all due respect, Ms. Thornton, this woman,” she jerked her thumb at Vanessa, “attacked my
sister. I was simply defending her ”
Vanessa made a noise of outrage “That’s a lie! She attacked me first!”
“Enough!” Ms. Thornton’s voice cracked like a whip “I don’t care who started it. This stops now, or I will be forced to recuse myself from this case. Do I make myself clear?”
A chorus of mumbled agreements met her words. Ms. Thornton nodded sharply. “Good. Now, I suggest you all take some time to cool off. We’ll reconvene tomorrow morning at 9 AM sharp. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior. Is that understood?”
With that, she turned on her heel and marched back into the building, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
Laura turned to fen, her voice barely above a whisper. “We should go.”
Jen nodded, shooting one last venomous glare at Vanessa before following Laura to the car. As they pulled out of the parking lot, Laura caught a glimpse of Leon in the rearview mirror. He was cradling Vanessa, his face a mixture of concern and frustration.
The image made Laura’s heart clench. She turned away, focusing on the road ahead. The drive back to Jen’s house passed in tense silence, the weight of the day’s events settling over them like a heavy blanket.
Laura stood outside the imposing glass doors of the law office, her hand hovering over the handle. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself. The events of yesterday’s mediation session still swirled in her mind, a chaotic mix of anger, hurt, and embarrassment. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. This meeting with her lawyer was important; she needed to focus.
With one final deep breath, Laura pushed open the door and stepped into the cool, air–conditioned lobby. The receptionist, a young man with a friendly smile, looked up as she approached.
“Good morning. I’m Laura McKenna. I have an appointment with Sandra Patel.
“Of course, Ms. McKenna. Please have a seat. I’ll let Ms. Patel know you’re here.”
Laura settled into one of the plush leather chairs, her fingers absently tracing the seams as she waited. She didn’t have to wait long. Within minutes, a sharp–dressed woman in her late forties appeared, her dark hair pulled back in a sleek ban
“Laura,” Sandra greeted her with a warm smile. “Come on back
Laura followed Sandra through a maze of hallways, finally arriving at a spacious conference room. Floor–to–ceiling windows offered a stunning view of the city below.
CHAPTER FIFTIEN A Decision the Wasn’t Ready For
“Please, have a sear,” Sandra said, gesturing to the large table. “Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?”
“Water would be great, thanks,” Laura replied, settling into one of the chairs
103
CHAPTER SIXTEEN – Secrets Linger in the silence
Sandra poured two glasses of water from a carafe on a side table, then took a seat across from Laura. She opened a leather portfolio, spreading out several documents.
“So, Laura,” she began, her tone professional but kind. “I understand yesterday’s mediation was… eventful.”
Laura felt her cheeks fhish. “That’s one way to put it. God, I’m so embarrassed. I swear, I’m not usually like that”
Sandra held up a hand. “Don’t worry. I’ve seen much worse, believe me. The important thing is to learn from it and move forward. Now, let’s talk about your case.”
For the next two hours, Sandra meticulously went through every aspect of Laura’s situation. She explained the intricacies of Connecticut divorce law, her voice calm and reassuring as she broke down complex legal concepts.
“In Connecticut, we follow what’s called an “equitable distribution model,” Sandra explained. “This doesn’t necessarily mean a 50-50
split. The court considers various factors to determine what’s fair.”
Laura leaned forward, her brow furrowed. “What kind of lactors?”
“Well, things like the length of the marriage, each person’s age and health, income, employability, and contributions to the marriage – both financial and non–financial‘
“Non–financial?” Laura asked.
Sandra nodded. “Absolutely. For example, if one spouse stayed home to raise children or manage the household, that’s considered a significant contribution.”
Laura felt a small flutter of hope. “I didn’t stay home, but I did handle most of the household stuff. Leon was always so busy with work.
“That’s good to know,” Sandra said, making a note. “Now, let’s talk about Leon’s infidelity. While Connecticut is a no–fault divorce state, meaning we don’t need to prove wrongdoing to get a divorce, infidelity can still play a role in asset division”
Laura’s jaw tightened at the mention of Leon’s cheating. “How so?”
“If we can prove that Leon used marital funds to support his affair – fancy dinners, hotel rooms, gifts for Vanessa- we might be able to argue for a larger share of the assets to compensate you.‘
“I don’t know if he did any of that,” Laura admitted. “I was pretty blindsided by the whole thing.”
Sandra leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. “That’s where evidence gathering comes in. It’s crucial that you document any interactions with Leon or Vanessa. Save texts, emails, voicemails. If you have any joint credit card statements or bank accounts, go through them carefully. Look for any suspicious charges or withdrawals.”
Laura nodded, feeling slightly overwhelmed. “Okay, I can do that. What else?”
“We’ll also want to get a clear picture of all your assets. The house, obviously, but also any retirement accounts, Investments, valuable personal property. Did you and Lean keep separate bank accounts, or was everything joint?”
“We had a joint account for household expenses, but we each had our own accounts too,” Laura replied.
“Good, that makes things a bit cleaner, Sandra said. “Now, let’s talk strategy for the house…..
The conversation continued, covering every aspect of Laura’s financial life. Sandra was thorough, asking probing questions about Laura’s career, her contributions to the marriage, and her future plans.
As they neared the end of the meeting, Sandra’s tone became more serious. “Laura, I want to emphasize something important. We have a strong case here, but it’s crucial that you don’t do anything to jeopardize it. No confrontations with Leon or Vanessa, no rash decisions about moving money around or selling assets. Everything needs to go through proper legal channels. Understand?”
Laura nodded solemnly. “I understand. No more parking lot brawls, I promise”
Sandra chuckled. “Good. Now,
v, do you have any other questions for me?”
