Page 30 of Doctor Neighbor

Jake's voice softens slightly. "I know it feels unfair, but try to look at this as a starting point for negotiations. We can work from here."

"Work from here?" I scoff. "She wants half a million dollars for doing absolutely nothing!"

"I understand you're upset," Jake says, "but we need to approach this calmly. Take the emotion out of it and?—"

"Take the emotion out of it?" I interrupt, my voice rising again.

Jake sighs. "Buster, I know this is difficult, but?—"

"No, you don't know," I snap, standing up again. "You don't know what it's like to have someone you thought you loved try to screw you over like this. You don't know how it feels to see all your hard work and savings potentially go down the drain because of one stupid mistake!"

I'm pacing again, my hands clenched into fists. "I can't be calm about this, Jake. I won't be calm about this. She doesn't deserve a single cent, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let her walk away with my money."

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. A thought strikes me, and I turn to Jake.

"What if I give her the house and take my name off? Then I ask her for the money I put into it. I don't even want to be greedy like her and ask for half the equity. Just the money I put down for the lot and building."

Jake leans back in his chair, considering. "That could be a counter-offer, Buster. But there's a catch. She'd have to qualify for a loan of about $600,000 to cover the mortgage. Can she manage that?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Are you kidding? She could never afford that. That's why she attached herself to me in the first place." My voice drips with contempt. "She seduced me into putting her name on the deed. It was all part of her plan."

Jake's expression turns serious. "Buster, I know you're upset, but we must be careful about making accusations. Let's stick to the facts."

I lace my fingers behind my neck, frustration bubbling up again. "The facts? The facts are that one, she's a con artist, and two, she is manipulative, Jake. She contributed nothing to this house, and now she wants half a million dollars? It's insane."

"I understand," Jake says, his voice level. "But if she can't afford to buy you out, and you can't afford to buy her out, we might be at an impasse."

I slump back into my chair, feeling defeated. "So what do we do now?"

Jake leans forward, his eyes meeting mine. "We negotiate. We find a middle ground. It might not be perfect, but it's better than letting this drag on in court."

I nod slowly, the fight draining out of me. "Alright, Jake. What's our next move?"I run my hands through my hair, frustration coursing through my veins.

Jake's words echo in my mind, and I realize I'm at a crossroads. Half a million dollars to buy Lara out? It's not just about the money—it’s the principle. Why should I have to go into debt for her greed?

The reality sinks in. If I can’t—or won’t—come up with that kind of cash, there's only one real option left. We'll have to list the house. The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

At closing, the loans will be paid off first. Whatever equity is left after all the closing costs, we'll split. It's not ideal, but it's clean. It won't have to come out of my pocket, and Lara will get her precious money. Most importantly, I can move on and start over without her toxic presence in my life.

But damn, it hurts. This was my dream location, my dream house. I poured all my savings into it, envisioning a future that now seems like a cruel joke—years of hard work, saving every penny, all for nothing.

Yet, what other choice do I have? Taking out a loan to pay her off is out of the question. Every payment would be a reminder of her betrayal, fueling my resentment. I'd be shackled to that bitterness for years.

No, selling is the only way to make a clean break. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it's the medicine I need to heal and move forward.

Before I leave Jake's office, a thought strikes me.

"Jake, wait. I bought that lot before Lara and I even got together. I had plans to build there long before she came into the picture. Can we back the value of the lot out of this? At least reduce her money grab by that much?"

Jake leans back in his chair, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "You know, Buster, that's a reasonable argument. We could get an appraisal done for the land value alone, then factor that into our counter-offer when we propose listing and selling the house."

I nod, feeling a glimmer of hope. "That sounds good. At least it's something."

"Absolutely," Jake continues. "We'll also need to agree on the sale price. I'd recommend getting three price opinions from different realtors to include in the offer. That way, we're working with solid numbers."

I stand up, extending my hand. "Thanks, Jake. I appreciate your help with this mess."

As we shake hands, Jake gives me a reassuring smile. "It's going to be a long road, Buster, but we'll get through this. At the end of it all, she'll be out of your life for good."

---