This Life: A Novel Read Online Free

from
today’s date but renewable if circumstances merit it. Lang Bertrand, you are
ordered to stay a minimum of five hundred yards away from Blake Bertrand, except
if you should decide to dispose of any property awarded to you that was
acquired during the marriage. In that case a duly sworn police officer must
witness the contact you have, and any proceeds from the disposition of property
shall be divided equally.”
    “Shhhiiiiit,” hissed
Lang.
    “Use such language in
my courtroom again, and you’ll be spending the night in jail for contempt of
court,” Judge Stone warned Lang, with a withering glare.
    “To continue, a motion
has been filed by Respondent asking that Petitioner pay him monthly alimony,
unless and until such time as he remarries to a spouse of equal or greater net
worth as Petitioner.” Renewing the withering glare, Judge Stone informed Lang, “Don’t
be ridiculous. As of today you’re worth almost half a billion dollars of your
own assets. Motion denied.”
    Beside Lang, Gruber
actually looked as if he’d just bitten into something sour. Morales winked at
Blake, who struggled not to giggle.
    “Finally, Petitioner
has filed a motion asking that this court order Respondent’s last name be
changed. My decision regarding this matter requires some explanation.”
    Absolute silence
prevailed in the courtroom. Everyone gave Judge Stone their full attention,
waiting with breathless curiosity to hear the outcome.
    “When a man and woman
marry, it is common for the woman to legally adopt her husband’s surname as her
own. If the man and woman subsequently divorce, the woman may keep her former
husband’s last name if she wishes, or as part of the divorce order may change
her surname back to her maiden name or even a different name of her choosing.
The former husband cannot make that decision for her.”
    Blake glanced at
Morales, whose lips were turned down in a frown of disapproval. Uh-oh. My
attorney doesn’t like the sound of this any more than I do.
    “It doesn’t happen
often, but occasionally when a man and woman marry the man legally adopts the
wife’s surname as his surname also. I find no reason why a wife should have the
power to strip her former husband of her name that he chose to adopt, when a
husband does not have the same power with regard to his former wife. Petitioner’s
motion to order Respondent’s surname changed is therefore denied.”
    She couldn’t help
herself. “Judge Stone, please—”
    The judge rapped her
gavel on a wooden block sitting on her desk. “Order in the court!” sang out the
bailiff.
    “I understand your
reasons for filing that motion, Ms. Bertrand, and I sympathize with your
disappointment. However, I can’t rule any other way than I’ve done,” said Judge
Stone. “This court decrees the marriage of Lang and Blake Bertrand dissolved.
It is so ordered. There will be a ten-minute recess.”
    Judge Stone stood and
retreated into her chamber, and everyone shuffled out of the courtroom. Morales
groped for her purse and briefcase with one hand, tapping away on her iPhone
with her other hand. Blake let her breath out slowly, gathering her purse and
retrieving her BlackBerry from it.
    A text message awaited
her, from Morales: breathe until I call your name.>
    Damn it, I need to
call Charles and ask how negotiations are going with the Wishman family. Blake bit back all the expletives invading her thoughts. But I’m paying
Morales too much to ignore her advice. She trailed after her attorney, one
of several women moving toward the women’s bathroom. Here and there a supporter
congratulated her on being single again, and she murmured her thanks.
    Inside the bathroom,
Blake took a stall as Morales had directed her. Morales positioned herself by
the window, and Blake could hear her carrying on a series of brief
conversations: “ Hola , Miguel. I’ll be back at the office within the
hour. Everything