Chapter Sixteen: The Intervention
Jessica looked up, surprised.
“You’re sorry? Why would you be sorry?”
“Because what you did was wrong. But what you’re facing seems disproportionate. And because you at least tried to make it right by telling me the truth. That counts for something.”
Tears welled up in Jessica’s eyes.
“I don’t deserve your compassion.”
“Maybe not. But you’re getting it anyway.”
They sat in silence for a while. Both processing the messy reality of consequences and responsibility.
“What are you going to do?” Ernest finally asked.
Jessica wiped her eyes.
“Fight it, I guess. Get a lawyer. Try to prove that even though my intentions were mercenary, the original settlement was still fair based on the marriage’s actual circumstances. But honestly? I think I’m going to lose.”
“And maybe — maybe I should. Nobody deserves to be bankrupted.”
“Maybe not. But I helped teach Kelly to treat marriage like a business transaction. And I did the same thing to my own husband. Maybe this is just the universe making sure I understand exactly how much damage that kind of thinking causes.”
Ernest left the cafe feeling unsettled.
Jessica’s situation was a stark reminder that consequences ripple outward in ways we can’t always predict or control. That evening, he did something he hadn’t done in weeks. He unblocked Kelly on social media and sent her a direct message.
We need to talk. It’s about Jessica.
Kelly replied within five minutes.
What about her?
They agreed to meet for coffee the next day. Their first face-to-face interaction since the divorce was finalized.
