Eternally Yours - Brenda Jackson [29]
He frowned. That thought bothered him more than anything.
Later that day Syneda sat at her desk going over her notes from her last appointment. Margie Sessions wanted a divorce from her husband of thirty-four years, a husband she claimed had been unfaithful.
Although the woman had tried not to show it, it was obvious she was deeply hurt. The pain was evident in her eyes, her speech and in the way she had paced the room for nearly an hour while providing an account of how she had discovered her husband’s infidelity.
Listening attentively while observing the woman, Syneda also found it blatantly obvious that even after discovering his unfaithfulness, the woman was still very much in love with the man.
Syneda had convinced the woman to think things through before making any hasty decisions. “If you decide to go through with this,” she’d told her, “I hope you’re prepared for the emotional pain you’ll have to endure. That pain may be far worse than what you’re going through now—although you may feel nothing is worse than finding out your husband has been unfaithful to you. The two of you share three children and six grandchildren, not to mention a wealth of cherished good memories.”
“Are you saying I should just forget what he did? That I should let him get away with it and do nothing?”
“No, Mrs. Sessions, that’s not what I’m saying. I just want you to be sure that you’re ready to deal with the emotional turmoil this divorce may cause you. I have no qualms about representing you. I’m tough, and I fight hard for my clients. But there are some things you need to think about. During the years of your marriage, the two of you have accumulated a lot of possessions, so there’s also the physical settlement to deal with. However, as your attorney I have a moral obligation to advise you to try and salvage your marriage before thinking of ending it.”
“There’s nothing to think about. I can’t remain married to him. I can’t stop loving him, but I’ll never trust him again. A marriage can’t survive without trust, Ms. Walters.”
Margie Sessions’s story wasn’t a new one. Syneda had heard similar ones during the years since she had begun practicing family law. The anger, the hurt, the sense of betrayal, and the need for revenge were emotions most of her clients wanting divorces encountered.
Syneda had just reached for a small recorder to dictate her office notes when the buzzer sounded on her desk. “Yes, Joanna, what is it?”
“You have a call from Lorren Madaris.”
“Please put her through.”
A few seconds later she heard Lorren’s voice. “Syneda?”
Syneda smiled. “Lorren. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I went to the doctor today and he said everything is okay.”
“You mean Justin isn’t going to deliver this baby? I thought he did a great job with Justina.”
Lorren giggled. “Be sure to tell him that when you see him again. He said delivering Justina aged him about twenty years.”
Syneda grinned. “So what do you want this time, a girl or a boy?”
“It doesn’t matter. We have both already, so whatever we’re having this time is fine with us.”
Syneda sighed. She was completely elated with her friend’s happiness.
“Syneda, have you talked to Clayton lately?”
Syneda tried detecting censure in Lorren’s voice and didn’t note any. “Yes, I spoke with him earlier today. He’s flying in this weekend.”
“So you haven’t changed your mind about what we talked about in Saint Augustine?”
“No, I haven’t.”
There was a slight pause. “Promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”
“Lorren, lighten up. Clayton and I are two adults who can handle things. We’re having a weekend fling. Nothing more. I’ll be fine.”
Braxter Montgomery saw the woman across the parking lot as she raised the hood of her car. Being the only son of a single mother and the brother of