in seeking to gain one thing he could potentially lose everything else. He sees this and yet he knows one thing with absolute certainty: he has to leave. He has to, because he’s already gone.
“I can’t stay,” he says. “I have to move forward.”
Gray makes a palms-up, no-judgment-here gesture. “Then what you’re going to be dealing with is an angry, rejected stay-at-home mom with no means to support herself and a whole lot of reasons to hate your guts.”
A sick feeling rises in Nick’s chest. “That’s not true. I’ve taken care of her and the twins these past few years. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Of course it does—it counts in her financial
favour
! This is what I’ve been trying to tell you. Maya is now your
dependant,
just as much as the kids are. She may be a qualified lawyer and perfectly capable of supporting herself, but in the eyes of the court she’s nothing but a poor, unskilled, unemployed, soon-to-be-single mother—a single mother accustomed to quite a cushy lifestyle. Add to that the fact that she’s unlikely to go easy on you considering your recent behaviour—”
“What behaviour?”
“Oh, come on, man! We both know you haven’t exactly been Super Dad these past couple of years. Don’t forget, I’m your wingman—I’ve seen the way you look at other women. Don’t bullshit a bullshitter.”
“No way around it?”
“Nope.” Gray is very still.
Something in his posture tells Nick there’s more. An addendum to the memo. Gray puts his head in his hands and rubs his eyelids until they turn pink.
“Well, there is one thing. I wouldn’t even call it a
thing.
More of a strategy, really. A long-term plan that requires a great deal of self-control, not to mention …” he tails off. “Frankly, I don’t think you’re up to it.”
Nick spreads his fingers, places both hands palms down on his desk and stares at his friend. “Try me.”
Gray seems bothered—or like he’s pretending to be bothered. Nick would find this interesting if it weren’t so strange.
“It’s not something I recommend to my clients officially, you understand, but it is something I like to think of as a ‘strategic option’ in extreme cases like yours.”
“And what sort of case is that?”
“The kind where you’re about to be taken to the cleaners and hung out to dry.” Nick starts to object, but Gray lifts a finger to silence him. “In a way you’re lucky, because your situation has what I like to think of as ‘room for improvement.’”
Nick straightens in his chair. “Really?”
Gray’s heavy shoulders hitch up around his ears. There is an almost imperceptible rip in the silk lining of his coat. Then he begins, “If you want a better divorce settlement, you’re going to have to become a better husband first. And by ‘better,’ I don’t mean picking up some tulips and takeout on the way home from the bar on Friday night. I’m talking about a sustained period of commitment and support, resulting in a marked and—this is key
—quantifiable
improvement in conjugal relations.”
Nick looks unsure. “But I’ve already tried to improve things—the point is
I can’t.
I’ve failed. That’s why I want to leave and move on.”
Gray shrugs. “That’s what I figured. Never mind, then. I should get back to the salt mine.”
He starts to button his coat, but Nick keeps talking.
“Wait, just … first tell me a bit more. What would I have to do?”
Gray takes a deep hit off his e-butt and exhales through his nose like a dragon. “You need to be a better man.”
Nick blinks. Laughs uncertainly. “Don’t I know it! But what does that have to do with
this
?”
“Everything. Don’t you see? You need to transform yourself into a better husband, you selfish cocksucker. Do right by her for a while.”
“Look, if I wanted a lecture—”
Gray gives a single exasperated snort. “I’m not giving you one—though you certainly deserve it. You asked me for
“I can’t stay,” he says. “I have to move forward.”
Gray makes a palms-up, no-judgment-here gesture. “Then what you’re going to be dealing with is an angry, rejected stay-at-home mom with no means to support herself and a whole lot of reasons to hate your guts.”
A sick feeling rises in Nick’s chest. “That’s not true. I’ve taken care of her and the twins these past few years. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Of course it does—it counts in her financial
favour
! This is what I’ve been trying to tell you. Maya is now your
dependant,
just as much as the kids are. She may be a qualified lawyer and perfectly capable of supporting herself, but in the eyes of the court she’s nothing but a poor, unskilled, unemployed, soon-to-be-single mother—a single mother accustomed to quite a cushy lifestyle. Add to that the fact that she’s unlikely to go easy on you considering your recent behaviour—”
“What behaviour?”
“Oh, come on, man! We both know you haven’t exactly been Super Dad these past couple of years. Don’t forget, I’m your wingman—I’ve seen the way you look at other women. Don’t bullshit a bullshitter.”
“No way around it?”
“Nope.” Gray is very still.
Something in his posture tells Nick there’s more. An addendum to the memo. Gray puts his head in his hands and rubs his eyelids until they turn pink.
“Well, there is one thing. I wouldn’t even call it a
thing.
More of a strategy, really. A long-term plan that requires a great deal of self-control, not to mention …” he tails off. “Frankly, I don’t think you’re up to it.”
Nick spreads his fingers, places both hands palms down on his desk and stares at his friend. “Try me.”
Gray seems bothered—or like he’s pretending to be bothered. Nick would find this interesting if it weren’t so strange.
“It’s not something I recommend to my clients officially, you understand, but it is something I like to think of as a ‘strategic option’ in extreme cases like yours.”
“And what sort of case is that?”
“The kind where you’re about to be taken to the cleaners and hung out to dry.” Nick starts to object, but Gray lifts a finger to silence him. “In a way you’re lucky, because your situation has what I like to think of as ‘room for improvement.’”
Nick straightens in his chair. “Really?”
Gray’s heavy shoulders hitch up around his ears. There is an almost imperceptible rip in the silk lining of his coat. Then he begins, “If you want a better divorce settlement, you’re going to have to become a better husband first. And by ‘better,’ I don’t mean picking up some tulips and takeout on the way home from the bar on Friday night. I’m talking about a sustained period of commitment and support, resulting in a marked and—this is key
—quantifiable
improvement in conjugal relations.”
Nick looks unsure. “But I’ve already tried to improve things—the point is
I can’t.
I’ve failed. That’s why I want to leave and move on.”
Gray shrugs. “That’s what I figured. Never mind, then. I should get back to the salt mine.”
He starts to button his coat, but Nick keeps talking.
“Wait, just … first tell me a bit more. What would I have to do?”
Gray takes a deep hit off his e-butt and exhales through his nose like a dragon. “You need to be a better man.”
Nick blinks. Laughs uncertainly. “Don’t I know it! But what does that have to do with
this
?”
“Everything. Don’t you see? You need to transform yourself into a better husband, you selfish cocksucker. Do right by her for a while.”
“Look, if I wanted a lecture—”
Gray gives a single exasperated snort. “I’m not giving you one—though you certainly deserve it. You asked me for
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