Chapter 3

WINNING TICKET, LOSING MARRIAGE

Sitting in his truck at the ‘Stop’ allowed Chad to wrap his head around this new development. He held the third winning lottery ticket and stood to net over $150 million if it went according to plan. This called for bigger thinkers than him, so he quickly added his friend Matt Skivers to the list of people he had to contact. But first, he had to run back home and conduct discreet online research. With a sigh, he started the old diesel and headed back to the viper’s den.

Naturally, Molly was beside herself, pissed with his behavior. After ignoring her barrage of pointed and barbed queries for ten minutes, she stormed up to the master and left him in peace. Bobby went over to a friend’s house to show off the new present that Chad had given him after the birthday celebration, the tail from an enormous diamondback rattler that the guys in his crew found and killed. The snake was 6 feet long and as big as a grown man’s leg. The rattle measured a hand span in length, comparable to a rodeo buckle. Bobby was blown away. His mom and sister were disgusted, and Billy was too absorbed with his new phone to care either way. Early Friday, he assumed that Beth was at work and Billy was off hanging out with his pals somewhere.

Chad wandered back to the office and fired up the PC to begin his research. His wife failed to log off last time as her profile appeared on the home screen. Curious, he scanned her emails but found nothing incriminating; even the trash bin she never emptied. He was not surprised: she wasn’t that stupid. Logging her off, he began his research by going to the lottery commission website and reviewing all the terms and conditions of claiming the prize. He had until the middle of August to make his claim...

Next, he looked up divorce laws and noted several local attorneys whose ads popped up during his research. Paul Bradley was the name he remembered from high school. He was valedictorian of their senior class, and while they didn’t hang in the same crowds, he remembered the guy.

It was clear upfront that being in a no-fault state, he could expect to be cleaned out during the divorce. At the very least, he would have to provide alimony, child support, health insurance, and the mortgage payment. He felt his gut twisting and cramping. It just keeps getting better and better!

Before logging off, he searched paternity and DNA testing and found a bunch of mail-order options available to him. He quickly ordered two test kits and cleared his browsing history before logging off and shutting down the PC. He needed to leave the house to make his calls anyway, so he figured he would head over to Oty’s later and have another sit-down with his friend.

Elvis shifted at his feet and looked up, alerting Chad that he had an audience to his quiet musings. He looked up to see Molly staring at him intently from the office doorway. “Are we going to be able to have an adult conversation?” she asked bitterly.

Chad leaned back in the office chair and regarded her expression and body language. Despite it all, she still had it. At 37, she was striking, with perfect proportions. She filled her soft cotton blouse and tight LuLu Lemon yoga pants, broadcasting an exotic sexuality. She’d left her top open enough to display the perfect amount of cleavage to be distracting.

But as attractive as she appeared, he was aware of the danger. Beware still waters that run deep, he thought. “Molly, if you wanna talk, then talk. But if you’re going to stand there and keep slinging mud at me, making me out to be the bad guy—as always — then don’t expect me to sit here and take it.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. “If you can try and keep a civil tongue in your head, I promise to try and do the same.”

She stared at her hands, looking deep in thought. Briefly, he saw emotion twist her features like she was trying to fight off a sense of guilt or uneasy foreboding. Finally, she looked up at him and gave one of her signature exhalations. “We can’t keep going on like this. You keep shutting us out. You’re working so much that we are like strangers growing apart—”

“Stop!” He raised his hand and cut her off. “Not another word pinning this all on me. Goddammit, woman!” He jabbed his finger through the air at her. “You are the one who wanted me to take this job! You were the one who said, ‘The more over-time, the better.’ And you are the one who never returns my calls or is even home when I return.” He slapped his hand onto the desk harder than intended, startling her and Elvis. “You are correct, though. We can’t keep going like this.” His tone was menacing and final.

She stared back at him, pondering his words. He’s changed, she thought. He never interrupted her and would go out of his way to avoid confrontation most of the time. Now he acted like a cornered animal, dangerous and unpredictable. “I just want to try and get us back where we were so long ago.” Tears sprung to her eyes. “What happened to the love we shared? The happiness? Are you going to keep sleeping on the couch?”

He snorted with contempt, surprising her. “You tell me where it went, Moll. It all seemed to go away while I was gone. You seemed fine when I was deployed for six months or longer. Now, 14 days away, I return home to an empty house and a wife who won’t even hug me in greeting, much less a kiss.” He glared at her, daring her to defend herself. “Tell me something, Honey,” his voice dripped with scorn, “where does Frank sleep when he stays over here?”

The color drained from her face as she stared back at him in shock. “What?” she cried shrilly, losing all composure. “What the hell, Chad! Frank again?” She stormed into the office and smacked both her hands down on the other side of the desk. He didn’t flinch at her tantrum. “Why is it always about Frank with you? What are you so jealous of? How is he even a threat to you and your ... fragile manhood?” Once again, on the attack, she felt more in her element.

“You didn’t answer my question!” he retorted.

“So what?” she shrieked. Elvis grumbled to his feet and left the office. “Yes! He stays here on occasion. And yes, we go to visit him as well. Why do you even care? He’s lonely!” Tears threatened to fall from her eyes again as she glared at him. “He lost his wife for fucks sake!” She stabbed her thumb into her chest. “Me! I lost my only baby sister! Is that so hard for you to deal with, you fucking asshole!”

Silence settled over them after her outburst, and Chad looked at her with a neutral gaze. The name-calling signaled the end of civility, so he slowly rose from the desk and stepped toward the doorway. She retreated uncertainly. “What? So that’s it? You’re just gonna run away again like a fucking pussy?”

She felt his rage boiling just beneath the surface as he passed her. Her angry façade crumbled as she found herself dreading his next action. He grabbed his coat and keys and headed for the front door. Elvis eagerly dropped off the couch and joined him. He paused at the door and turned slowly back towards her.

“You still didn’t answer my question,” he said quietly, “and that alone should answer yours.” He pulled the door open and stepped out. “I have tolerated a lot from you, but I will NEVER share my bed with another man!”

She jumped as the door slammed closed.

Mathew Skiver, CPA, was an old friend who had prepared the Hartley family taxes for the last decade and a half. He also helped Chad navigate the puzzling regulations and fine print of his 401K and Union pension, helping him invest his money logically and profitably. He wasn’t expecting the call from his friend but agreed to speak with him in-depth and in person as soon as he could get to the office.

After disconnecting, Chad dialed the first of the divorce attorneys he had researched earlier. “Thank you for calling the Law Offices of Bradley & Bradley. How may we help you today?” a pleasant female voice answered.

“Uh. Hi. I’m Chad Hartley, and I was wondering if I could arrange to talk with one of your divorce attorneys.” He felt suddenly defeated and fought the urge to hang up.

“Lucky you, Mr. Hartley,” the female laughed pleasantly, “I am Jennifer Bradley, and I am one half of the dynamic duo that makes up our team. My husband Paul and I work together.”

If he hadn’t known otherwise, he would have guessed by her voice that she was far too young to practice Law. “Wow! Two for the price of one, eh?”

Her giggle lightened his mood, and he found himself smiling. “Something like that,” she replied. “Would you like to set up an appointment to come in and talk?”

“Uh. Yes ma’am. Most certainly, and the sooner, the better.”

“That bad, huh?” she tsked sympathetically, “Well, we are normally closed on the weekends, but I don’t think Paul and I have any plans, so how about tomorrow morning at 10? It will be at our home rather than the Office.”

Damn. That meant no camping. Bobby would be disappointed. He wondered if Molly would throw that back in his face, too. “Yeah, sure. Text me your address, and I’ll be there. Do I have to bring anything?”

“Not for our first visit. If you have any paperwork handy, you can bring it, but we will go through the pre-separation packet and retainer fees when we meet up. Have a pleasant evening, Mr. Hartley. We will see you at 10 a.m. tomorrow.” She disconnected the call and promptly texted him their contact information.

Five minutes later, he pulled up to Matt’s office and climbed out of his truck. Elvis decided to invite himself into the lobby and was received well by the pleasant young receptionist. “Mr. Hartley, Mr. Skiver is expecting you. Please go on in.” She gestured toward the door to the inner office. Matt stood quickly and greeted his old friend warmly. He came around his desk and knelt before Elvis to scratch his ears. “Color me surprised, Chad,” he began, “we just finished your tax return, so I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

“Well, things have sort of come up, and I need your advice,” he replied as the dog dropped heavily to the floor and panted. “And I need your complete discretion with what we are discussing.”

His accountant didn’t even blink before nodding his head. “Of course, but now you have me curious. What is going on?”

“I think I am about to pull the plug on my marriage, and I want to get my ducks in a row first. I’m meeting with an attorney tomorrow.”

Matt sat back down behind his desk and folded his hands solemnly. “I see,” he replied softly. “So, I guess we need to go over all your finances then and look into the division of assets?”