A Hollywood Divorce
2: Out Of My Life
That month went really fast because today, Lucianna and I are meeting the lawyers to divide the estate that we amassed together over the last ten years. Sometimes I can't believe that we've been together for ten years but then I rethink what's all gone down and realize that it's been ten long years. I tap my finger against the table, while we wait for Luci to arrive. It's not like her to be late, even if it's only been a couple minutes past nine.
I look around the room through my shades. It's so impersonal. The only inviting thing about the room is that the back wall is full of long windows. Even at nine o'clock in the morning, the city is already bustling. My eyes travel from the windows, down the long table and over to my lawyer, Kevin. He's an asshole but he's a good lawyer, I think he actually thinks about my well being and not about how much I pay him.
Lucianna's lawyer is sitting across the table, glancing over some paperwork and jotting down notes. She's a damn good lawyer too, if Kevin wasn't as good as his business claims, she would clean me out. Just then, the door opens to the conference room and in walks my future ex-wife. Her dark brown hair falls well past her shoulders and clashes against the white suite she's wearing. The suite is tailored of course, fitting her body perfectly. It's a new suite though, that asshole Tobey must have bought it for her.
She removes her glasses and throws them into her Louis Vutton purse and walks over to the table where her lawyer, Karen, stands up to shake her hand.
"I'm so sorry Karen, Cash was up all night."
"That's alright, it's only a couple minutes. Shall we begin?" Karen asks, sitting down next to Lucianna.
"Why was Cash up all night?" I ask, removing my sunglasses and throwing them on the table in front of me.
"Excuse me?" Luci asks, looking up at me with cold eyes.
"Why was my son up all night Luci?"
"He has the flu, Justin. I was up cleaning up his puke all night, while trying to keep Laila James asleep."
Sarcasm and hatred drip from her voice like honey drips slowly from its comb, "Whose with him now?"
"My boyfriend."
Boyfriend. Gay ass Tobey Maguire, "Okay well, everyone is here now so let's get started," Kevin says, looking through his folder, "There are quite a few things that we have to get settled before the divorce is final in November. Let's start with the house is Maui, Hawaii, it was bought during the marriage, correct?"
"Mrs. Timberlake doesn't want the house in Maui, so Mr. Timberlake can do what he pleases with that." Karen says, crossing it off of her list.
"Okay, the house in Tennessee?"
"He can have it." Lucianna says.
She always hated going back to Tennessee. Back before the kids were born, she felt uncomfortable there because she was and I quote, "I'm the only black person here, what if they lynch me or something?" Her genuine concern always made me laugh. She was so cute back then.
"Perfect," Kevin says, "The lake house in Salt Lake city?"
"I want it." Lucianna says quickly.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because, the kids love that house Justin and you're never there."
"I am there, I bought it and I want it."
Luci rolls her eyes, "You're just doing this to be mean."
"I am not, I want the lake house Luci."
"You already have the house the house in L.A., the house in Maui and the house in Tennessee, what would you possible need with this one?"
"Cameron and I have a vacation planned there later in the summer. You haven't been there since 2005."
Luci turns to Karen, "I want that house."
"Mr. Harvey, my client has been more that generous to you and Mr. Timberlake. We would like the lake house." Karen says.
"Ms. Allison, my client has also been more than generous with you. He has expressed interest in the lake house, are you and your client willing to relinquish Mrs. Timberlake's claim on the home?"
"No." Karen says.
I sigh deeply; Luci is just trying to be difficult. She doesn't want Cameron invading on our once happy memories in that house, "Well," Kevin starts, "We have no other choice than to sell it."
"What?" Luci asks, the same cold, dark stare returning to her eyes.
"Since we can't reach an agreement, the house has to be sold by both parties."
"But, we have things still in that house. Furniture, my kids' toys and clothing and two cars I think." Luci says.
"You and Mr. Timberlake will have to arrange to have your property moved out."
"I'll have someone go through everything, I'll pay for it." I say, rubbing my forehead.
"I don't want some stranger going through my property. I'll go out there and sort my things and move them out. You can do whatever you want after that." Luci states.
"Well, that could be a problem, Mrs. Timberlake. You and Mr. Timberlake have joint property so if you go down to Salt Lake, Mr. Timberlake would have to go with you to insure that you don't take any of his property."
Luci turns to Karen again and whispers something in her ear, "Mrs. Timberlake says that she will only allow Mr. Timberlake to come if he does so alone, no significant others."
"That's fine." I say.
"Great," Kevin says, "We will arrange a time for you two to travel to Salt Lake at a later date. Now, we have about ten cars that need to be divided."
The rest of the meeting drones on for almost two more hours. Luci and I don't speak to each other directly and just let the lawyers handle it. I can't believe we bought so much shit. If I had known back then, what I know now, I would have saved a whole hell of a lot of money. Luci would have a cardboard box and a toy car. When I hear the words, 'one last item' come out of Kevin's mouth, I flip back into attention mode.
"The engagement ring." Kevin says.
Luci's face lights up when he says that. I haven't seen her that happy in a long ass time. She digs in her purse and pulls out a plastic bag. She throws it across the table and leans back in her seat. Kevin picks up the bag and holds it in the air for us both to see.
"Is this the ring in question?" He asks.
"Yeah, but I don't want that. I gave it to Luci, she can have it."
"I don't want it."
I rub my forehead again, "Luci, just keep it."
"I.don't.want.it." She says forcefully.
I'm trying to hide that I'm a little hurt that she doesn't want my ring anymore. Hell, I'm more than a little hurt. I gave her that ring when my heart was swollen with love for her. I don't want her to think the entire marriage was shit and that's the only item that shows that. She must be able to still tell what I'm thinking because she stares at me with those big brown eyes and says-
"Don't look at me like that. You think that I still want that ring after everything you've done to me? The only thing that that ring represents is your cheating, lying ways."
"Okay, that's enough, Mrs. Timberlake." Kevin says, "Fine, Mr. Timberlake will take the ring. Now we just have to clear up alimony and child support and we'll be done here."
"My client does not want alimony and we have taken the liberty in getting a child support order placed."
Karen slides a thick packet of paper across the table, where Kevin grabs it up. He flips through the papers and then tosses it to me. She only wants ten thousand a month for kids; I would pay twenty if I had to. I nod to Kevin and he signs the papers. He then hands me the pen and I sign underneath his name. We slide the papers back over to Luci and Karen, and they too, sign the papers.
"Okay, we are done here folks. We will be contacting you two when Ms. Allison and I come up with a date when you can go through the house. Other than that, Mr. Timberlake and I will see you ladies in November."
We all stand up and shake hands awkwardly across the table. Luci grabs her purse and looks over at me again, "I have a doctor’s appointment on Friday, I was wondering if you could pick the kids up early."
"What time?" I ask, replacing my sunglasses over my eyes.
"Two."
"That's fine."
"Great. See you then."
She turns on her heels and stops just before she opens the door to walk out. She turns back around and pulls her glasses down to the tip of her nose, "I told you you would good in that suit. That's why I bought it." She says devoid of sarcasm and hatred. I think she actually means it.
"Thanks, you look amazing as ever."
She shrugs her shoulders, "See you Friday."
And with that, she walks out. Out of the room, out of the building and out of my life.
