Chapter 5

Tension summed up the mood in the conference room. Even the way they were seated was adversarial. She and her lawyer owned the real estate of one side of the conference table and Phillip and his attorneys lay claim to the other side. Celine thought it was childish, but so were the men in the room with her.

To her left was the projection of a PowerPoint presentation stating Bloombard v. Bloombard. This was what her marriage amounted to now, how sad. She met Phillip’s eyes. He was seated across from her. It was the first time she had seen Phillip since the night her mother died, and since she entered the room, he hadn’t taken his eyes off her. He looked how he always looked, disinterested.

They were meeting to discuss the divorce settlement. She dreaded this meeting. She heard when there were hundreds of millions of dollars involved negotiations became bloody. She had no interest in fighting with Phillip and had a plan. A plan she hoped not to use because there was still time to stop this. She twisted her wedding ring on her finger and noticed Phillip still wore his.

Her husband’s attorney pushed a stack of papers across the table. Her attorney took it and began flipping through pages. “Since there was a prenuptial signed, this meeting should be easy. The settlement I have drawn up reflects the prenuptial agreement.”, Phillip’s attorney said.

Mr. Davenport, her attorney slid a different file across the table but kept his hand on the manilla folder. “Please refer to the exception pages of the prenuptial agreement. The line of lawyers across from us frantically turned pages. “Let me quote, ‘In the event of an infidelity, all assets would become available for negotiation under the terms of…’”, he paused and dramatically looked across the table.

“And.” He stretched out the word lifted his hand off of the folder and gave it a little push in the direction of Phillip’s lead attorney. “Before you comment please refer to the folder I presented to you. In it, you will find evidence of at least one affair. We also have video recordings of Mr. Bloombard meeting a woman in the parking lot and amorously greeting her, and of their elevator ride.”, Mr. Davenport said then tsked.

The video footage of Phillip in the elevator with his Mistress played on the projector. And yes Mr. Davenport intentionally timed this carefully and cleared his throat pretending to be scandalized by Phillip lifting a woman’s skirt and plunging his fingers inside of her.

“Additionally, there is an audio recording of Mr. Bloombard admitting to infidelities dating back to the beginning of their marriage. I have supplied a copy of all the video and audio recordings, and text messages, for your convenience.” This began a heated debate about the legality of the evidence. Meanwhile, in the background, the footage documenting Phillip’s affair played on a loop.

Phillip glared at Celine and while the attorneys bickered, he began harassing her. “I can’t believe you violated my privacy like that. You went through my phone and then you recorded our private conversation? I am disappointed in you. I never took you as someone who would use such underhanded tactics.”

Ignoring Phillip completely Celine leaned over and whispered to Mr. Davenport. “I am ready.”

The day her mother died; Celine made a decision. Life was transient and she didn’t want to waste her precious time on meaningless things. It was too late in the case of her mother. She would not make that mistake again.

Celine looked across at Phillip. She hadn’t known what she was going to say, or if she would have the nerve to say what was in her heart. Foolishly she had hoped Phillip would try and salvage their marriage and had given him until this moment to ask for forgiveness. But she had received no apology, seen no guilt, and received no appeal that would compel her to return. To Phillip, she was merely a possession he wanted to reacquire.

Celine addressed the room, but really she was speaking to Phillip, not once taking her eyes away from his hazel orbs. Eyes that she realized had never shown her any depth of love. “When you courted me, I never accepted your generous gifts. I didn’t want to go to expensive restaurants or destination points. You were so frustrated. I remember you once asked me what I wanted.”, Celine said. “Do you remember what you gave me when I finally accepted you?”, asked Celine.

Phillip knew what she was talking about. He used to love to brag about how he courted her for years and how she rejected him time and again until he gave her his heart. He nodded his head. She could see his jaw working. “You gave me your love and I said yes. Because that was all I wanted from you. That was all I ever wanted from you. But I won’t share you and I can’t live in a marriage that is founded on lies and deceptions.”

“I will have this divorce, and we will go our separate ways, and I won’t take a penny from you or your family. Because the only thing I ever wanted from you was your love and fidelity and since you cannot give that to me, you have nothing I want.” She thought it would feel good to end things, to prove she was never in it for the money. That she was still true to the girl he had wooed. But it felt as terrible as the day the infidelity happened. All the healing and progress she thought she had made had been ripped away with the finality of her statement.

She addressed Phillip’s attorney. “That should make this an easy meeting, right?”, Celine asked. “Now if you will excuse me, I am going to leave Mr. Davenport to negotiate on my behalf.”

Six months later her divorce was finalized. She left her marriage of six years with exactly what she entered it with, nothing.