Chapter Four: Strategic Positioning
“Play it for me,” Patricia said.
Ernest pressed play and held the phone to the speaker. Heard Kelly’s voice fill Patricia’s office six miles away.
The alimony calculation changes completely.
We’re seven months away from the five-year mark.
What I’m owed for putting up with four years of mediocrity.
Patricia’s sharp intake of breath came halfway through.
“This is even better than I hoped,” she said when the recording ended. “Ernest, what she just described is called economic opportunism in divorce law. She’s essentially admitted that she’s staying in the marriage solely to increase her financial benefit.”
“What does that mean for me?”
“It means this recording could potentially eliminate or severely reduce any alimony claim she might have. But we need to move fast.”
“Tell me what to do.”
“First, secure your assets. Tomorrow morning, go to the bank and move half the money from your joint accounts into a separate account in only your name. That’s your legal right. Second, change your beneficiaries on your life insurance and 401k immediately.”
Ernest grabbed a pen. Started writing.
“Third, we’re going to file for divorce before she does. And we’re going to include this recording as evidence of her mercenary intentions. File first. We’re going to catch her completely off guard.”
“She thinks she has seven more months to position herself.”
“Exactly. We’re going to pull the rug out from under her this week.”
Ernest felt a grim smile cross his face.
“Do it.”
“One more thing. Don’t let on that you know anything. Can you keep up the act for a few more days?”
Ernest thought about Kelly’s voice on that recording. I stopped loving him about a year ago. The casual cruelty of it. The way she’d calculated their marriage like a spreadsheet.
“I can do whatever it takes.”
