can be attracted to you again,” he said.
“Enough!” Vanessa said, waving her gavel at him. “Mr. Davis, I will not allow you to stand here and disrespect your wife like that.”
Nina couldn’t help smiling as she watched Vanessa regain control of her courtroom. Michelle was right, Vanessa was one tough cookie.
Nina sat through three more divorces before Vanessa motioned for Nina to meet her in the back.
“Hi, Vanessa,” Nina said as she walked into the judge’s office. “I’m so glad you could fit me into your schedule.”
“No problem. Michelle called and said it was pretty serious.”
“That’s an understatement. I guess she explained to you what happened.”
“Yeah, she did.” Vanessa removed her long black robe and took a seat behind her desk. “She told me your divorce wasn’t finalized and now your husband is trying to claim half your lotto winnings.”
“That’s right. I feel so stupid. I keep beating myself up about it.”
“Well, don’t,” Vanessa said, motioning for Nina to take a seat. “I can’t tell you the number of cases that have come before my court. I grant their divorce, and for one reason or another, they don’t file the paperwork, they don’t pay the fees, they don’t come back and fulfill the terms. You’d be surprised at the large percentage of would-be divorces that never go through.”
“What?”
“Yeah, the numbers are pretty shocking. You’d think if you want to kick someone out the door, you’d make sure all the i’s were dotted and t’s crossed.” As soon as Vanessa said it, she looked like she wanted to take the words back. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to be condescending.”
“No, don’t apologize. You’re right. I guess I was just so hurt that I left everything up to Todd. I just didn’t want to deal with it.”
Vanessa’s voice softened. “That happens. The burden of the divorce usually falls upon the person who requested it.”
“So now the question is, how quickly can I expedite the divorce?”
Vanessa leaned forward, her expression serious. “You can move it through the court system pretty quickly, but I can tell you, in regard to the lotto win, it’s not gonna help you much. At the time you purchased the ticket, you were still married, and any court of law will recognize that marriage.”
“So you’re telling me if you were the judge hearing this case, you’d side with Todd?”
“I wouldn’t want to, but unfortunately, I’d have to,” Vanessa responded matter-of-factly. “It’s the law. Now, back when I was having some troubles of my own, I would’ve been looking for a way to get revenge on him, make him pay for not only cheating on me but then coming back and trying to take my money. But I’ve grown a lot over this last year, and I’ve learned that an eye for an eye only leaves everybody blind.”
Nina felt her heart sink. She knew her outlook was grim, but to hear an officer of the court say it made it that muchmore real. “So what you’re telling me is that I don’t really have a choice.”
“Basically.”
Nina let out a defeated sigh.
“Who’s handling your case?” Vanessa asked as she picked up a box of Kleenex and extended it toward Nina.
Nina took a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “The court order said somebody named Judge Wallace Kirkwood.”
“Ohhh.” Vanessa grimaced. “Now, I can tell you for sure that you need to just get ready to pay. Judge Kirkwood sides with the men.”
“Just my luck.” Nina sniffed.
Vanessa leaned against the front edge of her desk. “May I ask you a question?” She didn’t wait for Nina to answer. “Why don’t you want to give your ex half the money?”
Nina frowned as if she didn’t understand how that question could possibly be asked. “Excuse me?”
“I said, why don’t you want to give your ex half the money?”
“Because I don’t want to finance that trampy girlfriend of his.” Just thinking about Pam made her blood
“Enough!” Vanessa said, waving her gavel at him. “Mr. Davis, I will not allow you to stand here and disrespect your wife like that.”
Nina couldn’t help smiling as she watched Vanessa regain control of her courtroom. Michelle was right, Vanessa was one tough cookie.
Nina sat through three more divorces before Vanessa motioned for Nina to meet her in the back.
“Hi, Vanessa,” Nina said as she walked into the judge’s office. “I’m so glad you could fit me into your schedule.”
“No problem. Michelle called and said it was pretty serious.”
“That’s an understatement. I guess she explained to you what happened.”
“Yeah, she did.” Vanessa removed her long black robe and took a seat behind her desk. “She told me your divorce wasn’t finalized and now your husband is trying to claim half your lotto winnings.”
“That’s right. I feel so stupid. I keep beating myself up about it.”
“Well, don’t,” Vanessa said, motioning for Nina to take a seat. “I can’t tell you the number of cases that have come before my court. I grant their divorce, and for one reason or another, they don’t file the paperwork, they don’t pay the fees, they don’t come back and fulfill the terms. You’d be surprised at the large percentage of would-be divorces that never go through.”
“What?”
“Yeah, the numbers are pretty shocking. You’d think if you want to kick someone out the door, you’d make sure all the i’s were dotted and t’s crossed.” As soon as Vanessa said it, she looked like she wanted to take the words back. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to be condescending.”
“No, don’t apologize. You’re right. I guess I was just so hurt that I left everything up to Todd. I just didn’t want to deal with it.”
Vanessa’s voice softened. “That happens. The burden of the divorce usually falls upon the person who requested it.”
“So now the question is, how quickly can I expedite the divorce?”
Vanessa leaned forward, her expression serious. “You can move it through the court system pretty quickly, but I can tell you, in regard to the lotto win, it’s not gonna help you much. At the time you purchased the ticket, you were still married, and any court of law will recognize that marriage.”
“So you’re telling me if you were the judge hearing this case, you’d side with Todd?”
“I wouldn’t want to, but unfortunately, I’d have to,” Vanessa responded matter-of-factly. “It’s the law. Now, back when I was having some troubles of my own, I would’ve been looking for a way to get revenge on him, make him pay for not only cheating on me but then coming back and trying to take my money. But I’ve grown a lot over this last year, and I’ve learned that an eye for an eye only leaves everybody blind.”
Nina felt her heart sink. She knew her outlook was grim, but to hear an officer of the court say it made it that muchmore real. “So what you’re telling me is that I don’t really have a choice.”
“Basically.”
Nina let out a defeated sigh.
“Who’s handling your case?” Vanessa asked as she picked up a box of Kleenex and extended it toward Nina.
Nina took a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “The court order said somebody named Judge Wallace Kirkwood.”
“Ohhh.” Vanessa grimaced. “Now, I can tell you for sure that you need to just get ready to pay. Judge Kirkwood sides with the men.”
“Just my luck.” Nina sniffed.
Vanessa leaned against the front edge of her desk. “May I ask you a question?” She didn’t wait for Nina to answer. “Why don’t you want to give your ex half the money?”
Nina frowned as if she didn’t understand how that question could possibly be asked. “Excuse me?”
“I said, why don’t you want to give your ex half the money?”
“Because I don’t want to finance that trampy girlfriend of his.” Just thinking about Pam made her blood
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