“I do love you.”She hesitated.That was never a good sign.“I love you as a friend, Jared.I’m not sure I’m capable of more.”
“I’ll wait for you to be ready.You’ve had a lot happen in a short time.I knew this was bad timing, but waiting and losing you forever to someone else is a worse alternative.”
“Someone else?”she scoffed.“I can’t even move past the man I’m married to, much less on to someone else.”
“You’re still in love with him?After everything he’s done to you?”
She looked away.Not to avoid me, but deep in thought, reliving a memory.
“He wants me to give our marriage a chance.”
“Have you been talking to him, Christa?”I thought my heart would burst through my throat.We were hours away from the annulment hearing, and I was only then learning they’d been conversing.No lawyer in his right mind would’ve taken her case knowing that.My win/loss ratio would take a substantial hit before I was even established.
“I haven’t talked to him in a couple of weeks, but he texts me every day and sends me love letters.”
“What happened two weeks ago?”
Her face flamed red, and that time she purposely avoided my gaze.This couldn’t be good.I dropped my face into my hands and released a frustrated groan.
“Tell me you didn’t, Christa.”
She shrugged, still avoiding eye contact, and wrung her hands.“Allie took me out to Entranced and plied me full of alcohol.I had a weak moment and called him.He showed up at my apartment and…”
“And?”I demanded.I was her lawyer; I needed details.We were about to go to court.
“We slept together, then my temper got the best of me, and I made him leave.”
“Christa, as your lawyer, I have to say your annulment will most definitely be denied.He’s fighting it, and now he’ll have a damn good case to prevent the court from ruling in your favor.It’s rare enough as it is, but you’ve reconciled, for all intents and purposes.Changing your mind now discredits your unsound mind claim.We’ve already lost the case before we even stepped foot in the courthouse.”
“I’m sorry, Jared.I didn’t even think about how it would affect your career.Obviously, I didn’t think about how it would affect anything.I’ll understand if you want to drop my case.”
“I can’t just drop your case, Christa.It requires filing a motion with the court and getting approval.”
“I see.Well, then, you’re fired.You can bill me for your time up until now.”
“Christa.You know what they say about someone who represents herself.”
“She has a fool for a client.I think I’ve already proven that more than once.I’m not taking you down with me.”
“You’ll still push for the annulment?”
“I have to.We made a huge mistake getting married so soon after meeting.”
Sitting in the courtroom, watching Christa take the chair normally reserved for first counsel, unnerved me.I should have been beside her.Even though she didn’t return my declaration of love, I was positive we still had a shot.
We all rose when the judge entered and took his seat.When we sat, I noticed her hands shaking before she clasped them in front of her.The judge looked at her and cast a hard glare.
“You fired your lawyer before your hearing today?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Care to explain why?”
“A disagreement on how to proceed with my request.”
He quirked one eyebrow slightly, but enough to get his point across.He didn’t approve of her representing herself either.
“You realize your husband is here with his attorney, and you have no legal counsel to guide you.”He didn’t ask a question—he made a very firm statement.
