Welcome to Hell: Rediscovering First Love

After a peaceful dinner that evening we were cleaning up the dishes as if nothing was amiss. You would have thought this was a day like any other day and that we had not given voice to concerns about our uncertain future. My marriage had ended and I was grateful James was gone but I had anxiety about what tomorrow would bring especially with the new baby and Keegan wanting to attend college in the fall.

She had already been accepted to New York University. Keegan wanted to study theatre. She had applied for a scholarship and in March we would learn how much of her tuition would be covered. Until then I had more to worry about than I needed.

The prenuptial agreement would be my saving grace. That document could save me from any future concerns about finances with careful planning on my part. Otherwise I would need to find a way to support us now that I was once again on my own. Smiling I thought to myself it felt good to be free of James. It felt good to worry about something other than how he would react to something Keegan or I did. Damn it feels good to be free.

When the telephone rang Kat ran to grab it. Quickly she handed the portable phone off to me. James’s lawyer Daniel Brice was on the line.

“Dan, how are you?” I asked pleasantly but inside my body shook with nerves.

“Gabrielle, I have some good news for you and Keegan about your future,” Daniel said with compassion at the same time ignoring my attempt at conversation. “James insisted that I call you this evening. This is what he proposes…”

With interest I listened to James’s plan. Funny, I thought to myself how did he pick the timing so well. How could he know that Keegan and I were discussing this very topic tonight? Before we were married James had insisted that I sign the prenuptial agreement, which I thought would pretty much take care of the divorce settlement but I knew James. The fear that James would try to leave me with nothing had been nagging at a little corner of my brain. He was a proud man who had been cheated on. He would do his best to cheat me now that I was pregnant with Kerry’s baby. He wanted revenge.

“James will continue to support you and Keegan until she graduates from high school. You can live there free of rent. He’ll pay all your household bills and cover you and Keegan with his medical coverage.”

“That’s wonderful Daniel. Thank you. I’ll discuss it with my lawyer and get back to you. What about our prenuptial agreement?”

“What about it Gabrielle?” Dan asked, I thought uncomfortably.

“You know what I’m talking about Dan. Don’t play with me. You know James as well as I do. What is in this newfound generosity for him?”

“He wants the pre-nup declared null and void on grounds that you…I’m quoting him Gab, are pregnant with another man’s child.”

“Not only does he not want me to have anything Belle wants me left penniless as well?”

“You got it sweetheart,” Dan responded sighing heavily into the phone.

I could tell from his tired tone of voice today had been a long day for him. Most of the day he had been with James I was sure probably listening to his tirade about his unfaithful wife backed up by whatever Belle’s two cents had been. It didn’t feel nice to be the bad guy when all these years he had played that part.

“He’s there isn’t he?”

“He’s now flirting with my secretary in the other room,” Dan said without thinking. “I shouldn’t have said that Gab. I apologize.”

“He doesn’t waste anytime does he?” What should I have expected?

In my heart, I knew that he hadn’t loved me. He had told me so himself. I know that I had not loved him for a very long time and I had cheated on him. His ego had been badly bruised and needed a quick inflating. A pretty secretary was what he needed to accomplish that feat and if I remembered correctly Dan’s secretary was a leggy auburn haired beauty. Maybe she would become the next Mrs. James Ellerton I thought to myself. Good riddance!

“Talk to your attorney Gab. I’ll get back to you soon.”

“Thanks Dan.”

With my hand still resting on the telephone I thought how ironic that James hated the nicknames Gab or Gabby and I couldn’t remember Dan ever calling me anything but the shortened version of my name. Turning to go back to my dishes in the sink I found my daughter staring at me.

“Well?” My daughter asked.

“We can stay here until you graduate if you want.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Sure,” I responded feeling more tired than before the phone call. I now had a fight on my hands I was sure.

“Do you think Nana needs us? Maybe we should move to Hell to be with her while she’s being treated for her cancer?”

This was new. This afternoon Keegan had wanted to stay and graduate with her classmates. “Did you talk to Nana today?” I asked suspiciously.

“No.” My daughter would not make a good poker player either but I let it drop.

Unconvinced I replied, “Then let me talk with her before we make any decisions and then we’ll discuss it. Nana does have your aunts and Pop to take care of her.”