Page 69 of Margo's Got Money Troubles

“Three things,” Mark said, clearly having rehearsed this. “One, I believe Margo to be in financial jeopardy. She has already turned to me for funds. Two, she is currently living with her father, an ex-professional wrestler, a very violent man, who threatened my life and on whom I was forced to place a restraining order. That’s not a healthy environment for a baby. And three, because of her financial distress, it is my understanding that Margo has begun doing sex work, also not a suitable environment for a child. I feel Bodhi is safer with me.”

Nadia blinked three times, as though waiting for Mark to go on. When he did not, she turned to Margo. “Would you like to tell us your goals?”

“My concern...” Margo began. She was dizzy and trying to adjust to the fact that Mark knew about the OnlyFans. She and Ward hadn’t intended to hide it; she’d just thought she’d have more control as to how it was presented. “To clarify,” she began again, “I do make web content that involves some nudity, but—”

“Porn,” Mark said. “She makes porno.”

Why was it so much grosser with the o?

“It is erotic in nature,” Margo said, “though again, for clarity’s sake, I am not having sex on camera.”

“You certainly sell videos of something!” Mark said.

“I’m happy to explain the content of the videos,” Margo said to Nadia, trying to breathe, to calm down. Ward had said, “Just keep calling it a job, over and over. My job. Oh, you’re talking about my job? Yes, I have a job. My job is very...”

Nadia seemed to be holding her eyes open without blinking like a turtle, waiting for Margo to continue.

“Mark is clearly extremely prejudiced against my job, and the idea of having Bodhi live with Mark and his wife, who would undoubtedly have complicated feelings— I have no objection to Mark knowing Bodhi or being in his life, but it is hard for me to understand the demand for full custody as anything other than an attempt to punish me for my job, no doubt spurred by my father’s inappropriate behavior.”

The mediator had her mouth open, about to ask about the inappropriate behavior no doubt, when Mark spoke up. “I’m actually in the midst of a divorce, so if I were granted custody, Bodhi would live with me in my apartment, not with my wife and kids. In terms of it being a ‘hostile environment.’”

She had to admit, the divorce surprised her. As philandering as Mark was, he had a strangely steadfast devotion to his wife, and Margo would never have predicted he’d leave her.

“I’m sorry, this is new information for me,” Margo said. “So are you also going through a custody battle over your other children?”

Mark nodded. “I mean, not a battle. But yes, we are in mediation.”

Seriously, what was this? Had he gotten a two-for-one custody deal from his lawyer or something? She couldn’t imagine he was serious. Mark wanted a baby? By himself in an apartment?

“We have heard,” Nadia said, her voice low and yet squeaking like a hinge, “the reasons why you do not want Mark to have his goals. But I’d like to hear from you what you do want for Bodhi. What parenting scenario do you think would benefit him the most?”

“Oh, sorry,” Margo said. She had gotten so rattled she’d failed to even answer the question. “I think as difficult as Mark and I may be finding it to get along right now, Bodhi would be better off knowing both parents. Because he is breastfeeding, I would want him to remain in my custody, but I would be happy to give Mark visitation if he wanted to be in Bodhi’s life.”

It killed her to give this answer. She’d argued with Ward for almost an hour over exactly what she should ask for, and he had finally worn her down to this compromise, promising it would make her look sane and make Mark look like “a rage-addicted, mama’s boy cheese-dick.”

She really had come to like Ward.

“There’s a lot of middle ground in your two different visions,” Nadia said. “You seem to be in agreement that Bodhi would be better off with both parents in his life. That’s some real progress!”

Margo did not feel it was progress; she felt like she was losing ground. Why were their two positions being equated? Mark was supposed to look like a cheese-dick.

“Let’s get into the details a little bit,” Nadia said. “Sometimes you can find there’s more to agree on than you thought. So, Mark, say you were granted full custody. What’s your work schedule like? Who would take care of Bodhi while you were at work?”

“I’m a professor, so I have a great deal of flexibility in my schedule. It wouldn’t be a problem,” Mark said.

“But when you are teaching, who would take care of Bodhi?”

“I suppose I would hire someone? I don’t know, a nanny.” It seemed like Mark had genuinely not considered this. “Or, I mean, if Margo wanted him during the days, I could drop him off with her?”

“Ms. Millet is not a daycare, she’s the child’s mother,” Nadia said, and Margo’s heart surged with hope. This mediator was turning out to be much more badass than anticipated.

“It also strikes me as strange,” Margo put in, “that you would be willing to leave Bodhi in my care while you were at work, if you believe I am an unfit mother and my home a dangerous environment.”

Nadia looked expectantly at Mark, waiting for him to reply. It was clear Mark didn’t know what to say, and he hesitated, then said, “You have, like, four roommates! I’m sorry, but a kid shouldn’t be raised in what is essentially a college dorm!”

“And what is your living situation exactly?” Nadia asked Margo.

“I live in a four-bedroom apartment with Bodhi, my father, and we have a roommate named Suzie, who is currently a student at Fullerton College. It’s hardly a college dorm. I made a list of all their contact info here.” She opened her folder and pushed a sheet of paper over to Nadia. “I also brought my financial statements. I thought it might be helpful since Mark seems so worried about my being in financial jeopardy.” She slid Nadia her bank statements and a copy of her quarterly taxes. She’d brought them because Ward insisted, back when she still hoped the OnlyFans was something she could gloss over. Now she was glad she had them.

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