Three years ago, he’d advised against the pre-nup, but his client believed the woman was the one, and not a gold-digger.
Everything had gone tits up, and now Daniel had to deal with this shit. The ex would get her money, all right. He just needed to make sure his client wasn’t left with nothing, even though the bastard deserved it.
This was why Daniel never got married. In his experience, women were after one thing: money. They would rob a man of everything he had. Running a hand down his face, he tried to clear his own thoughts.
The women he dealt with were partners of rich men, or daughters of rich fathers, and most of them had the worst attitude, acting like money was the key to everything.
He thought about Elizabeth, how vulnerable she seemed. Her embarrassment as well. He liked her, even if she didn’t talk a lot, but he’d change that.
“You’re working late again?” Mark Keir asked. He’d been with the company for ten years, and was a valued asset to them. His success rate in the courtroom was outstanding.
He was also one of the men Daniel had heard talking about Sugar Daddy.
“Yep. You know how it is. Clients want things done yesterday.”
“Most of them want miracle work, and we’re just men, right? We can’t rig the system because they screwed up.”
“And couldn’t keep it in their pants.” Daniel tapped his pen on the desk. “I overheard you and the guys talking about something the other day in the break room.” He got up and rounded his desk, folding his arms as he did.
“That coffee machine hears a lot of conversations. What did you hear?”
“The one about the website Sugar Daddy?”
Mark laughed. “Yeah, man, some of the guys rave about that site.”
“Have you used it?”
Mark glanced behind him, entering the office and closing the door. “You thinking of using it?”
“I’m wondering how it could work. If it’s even as good as it says. They’re young women, right? To get that term for the site.”
Mark shook his head. “Not necessarily. I’ve seen women in their forties and fifties on the site. Sexy and hot as well. I think it’s more the financial support in most cases. Sugar Daddy.”
“You’ve used it then.”
“This stays between us.”
“I’ve not gotten this far by telling tales.”
Mark laughed. “I’ve been with a couple of the women there. At first it can be a little awkward. Being taken care of for sex, but after some time it can be like the most natural thing in the world. Are you thinking of trying it out?”
Daniel shrugged. “It seems easier, you know. Finding a woman who knows that you don’t want anything up front.”
“That’s why I started using it. I found it late one night when I just wanted something, you know? Anyway, I better be heading out. If you do try it, I hope it’s a success.”
“Do you think any of the women fall for the man that picks them?” Daniel asked.
“I don’t know, to be honest. My experience with it is the women want a bit of security, and none of the crap that goes with it. ’Night.”
Daniel said his goodbye, and rounded the desk to look over the schedule once again. Elizabeth never stopped. It kind of reminded him of himself when he’d been in college. Always willing to take one more class, to do one more essay. It didn’t take long before he was drowning in them.
Printing out a copy of her schedule, he stood up, grabbing it from the machine near his PA’s desk. She’d gone for the night, and he was alone in the office. He’d probably sleep on the sofa rather than go home.
He couldn’t resist another peek at what his PI had gotten him. Reaching into the bottom of his desk, he grabbed the file, opening it up, and there she was. Several shots that had been taken over the years. The first was from high school, then at college, along with her driver’s license, even though she didn’t own a car.
Scanning through the details, he saw where she’d hit her recent snag. The scholarship had been reduced, and she had to foot the bill or change colleges.
That was at times the biggest problem with scholarships. If the company went bust, it was the students that ended up having to deal with it. She’d been denied several grants, and then he saw she’d been ill as well. His PI needed a raise. Her life over the past three years was laid out before him.
The last year of high school up to now.
He’d even gotten a report from the landlord about the late rent payments. She’d been employed at the local coffee shop the moment she moved into her apartment. There was not much contact from her parents, and she didn’t seem to have any friends, just a study group she attended every once in a while.