If you make the payments, you get the car. If you don’t make the payments, they take it back.”
“Just check, please,” Justine said. “And see if you can figure out her income.”
Justine spoke to Scott. “Let’s spend tomorrow morning working on our settlement.”
“Maybe we should just stay as we are,” Scott said. “We’re both here for the girls, we’re not in each other’s way, we can make this work. In many ways, it’s not much different than it was.”
“There are a lot of concessions I’m willing to make, Scott, but I’m not willing to earn the money while you spend it on your mistress.”
“I’m not spending it on—”
“I know what hotels you paid for. Nice ones. Expensive ones. I can’t trust you and I can’t live with you. But there is a deal we can work out. If you’re willing to talk it over.”
“You can’t know anything!” he said. “How could you know anything? There’s no evidence of that!”
“Scott,” she said tiredly. “They know you at the Oceanside Lodge. Come on, don’t stack up any more lies. Not now when I’m willing to deal with you. Let’s do this nicely and fairly for the girls.”
In the end he relented.
* * *
She went for a long early-morning walk after the girls had gone to school. Forty-five minutes later she was sitting at the dining room table with a folder full of papers and her calculator. Before starting the conversation, she asked Scott if he had any ideas on how he would divide their property.
He barely paused. He pulled the yellow pad from the bottom of her stack of papers and began to list things, plus their approximate value, beginning with their retirement accounts, their savings and investments. He added in the equity in their house, all the toys in the garage, their vacation house in the mountains, their cars, their art. Her mouth fell open. Art? They had a few decorator paintings, not expensive and chosen strictly to enhance the decor in their home. She had purchased three from an arts and crafts fair in the park.
He went on, listing the approximate value of their china, crystal, silver, bric-a-brac and even linens and clothing. And then, if she wasn’t already in shock, he added in the cost of law school.
“I had scholarships!” she said.
“And I supported you while you went to law school!” he shot back.
Then he crossed off all those household items on his lengthy list and said, “I don’t have any real desire to go through the dishes and sheets. I just want to be able to live. I don’t want to be selfish, I just want enough money to pay the rent and eat.”
The girls’ college funds, which were not going to send either one to Harvard but could cover the costs of California universities, had not entered the discussion, for which Justine was weirdly grateful. She had been afraid when it was all laid out on the table, he would pick at those remains like a bird of prey picked at the bones of a carcass.
“I think I was very generous here,” he said magnanimously. “When you get down to it, what I am asking for is far less than half. The only thing to talk about is support, bearing in mind I always supported you, if not by working then by managing the home and family.”
She wanted to shout at him, say something horrible to him, because he was leaving her for another woman! He effectively tossed her out and was done with her. Now the cheating bastard wanted to be seen as generous!
She tried to regain her focus. It took great effort not to lash out.
“I might have a better idea. A generous cash out.” She turned the tablet toward her, wrote a huge number on it and turned it back toward him. “Also, I’ll give you half of whatever I earn in the next five years. You’re good with money, Scott. It would allow you to buy a house and, if you’re interested, you could even go back to school and get another degree or an advanced degree. We can share the house with