Page 30 of Laws of Love
“Aiva,” Finx stated over the phone intercom. “Harvey’s on the phone for you.”
Aiva rolled her eyes because the last thing she wanted to do was speak to him. She’d just returned half an hour ago from mediation with one of her clients, and the woman’s husband was almost as headache-inducing as Mia. It felt like cruel and unusual punishment to deal with the other woman’s lawyer on the same day.
However, Aiva would rather have whatever conversation now instead of pushing it off until Monday morning and potentially starting her day wrong. She’d much rather end it that way because she could use the weekend to cater to and pamper herself.
“Send him through, Finx,” she stated, mentally preparing herself for whatever Harvey wanted to speak to her about. Aiva’s phone rang a few seconds later, and she picked it up, bringing it to her ear. “This is Aiva.”
“Hey, Aiva. It’s Harvey. How are you on this beautiful Friday afternoon?”
“I’m good, Harvey. How are you?”
“I’m doing well. How’s Meila? I haven’t spoken to her in a while, and I didn’t get to see her on my last visit.”
Aiva rolled her eyes. She knew he was going through the pleasantries and attempting to butter her up so that whatever he had to say wouldn’t receive the response she would have for him. That he was going through the process just meant that he knew she wouldn’t like it.
“She’s good. What can I do for you, Harvey?” She didn’t see a point in this conversation taking longer than necessary. At this point in his career, Harvey should know that ripping the bandage off was sometimes the best tactic.
“Right. Well, as you’ve probably guessed, I’m calling on behalf of Mia. She’s interested in sitting down for another mediation to see if there is some flexibility regarding the prenup.”
“There is not,” Aiva answered. “That’s why it’s called a prenuptial agreement. Both parties agree to the terms outlined in the document before marriage. Therefore, my client will not be changing or bending on them post-marriage.”
Harvey fell quiet, and she figured he was trying to come up with something to say. Aiva wasn’t sure why he hadn’t prepared a counter ahead of time. They both knew that she would say no. So, it isn’t as if he didn’t have time to prepare before he called her.
“My client is being more than generous by giving her the marital home, even though that was not a stipulation of the prenup. He’s also willing to pay her the settlement immediately after the decree is received. Mrs. Chandler is letting her greed blind her, which will cost her.”
“Mr. Chandler’s net worth now, as opposed to when the prenup was signed, has grown significantly. My client feels she’s getting the short end of the stick, and I think we both can agree that’s unfair.”
Aiva pulled the phone away from her ear to look at it, wondering if he’d just said that to her. She would not be complaining if someone was willing to give her two million dollars.
“Harvey, please let your client know I will follow through with everything I said in mediation. Since I’m receiving this phone call, I take it she doesn’t want to settle. So, on Tuesday afternoon, I’ll be filing for a court hearing and proposing my terms and a request for child support.”
“Aiva, if we could just—”
“Have a good day, Harvey,” Aiva interrupted him, hanging the phone up.
She didn’t have any clients for the rest of the day. So, she filled in the documentation to file for their court appearance. She was booked with appointments all day Monday and had a mediation session on Tuesday. She could file the paperwork that afternoon, depending on what time they finished. If not, she was going to do it first thing Wednesday morning.
As Aiva filled out the paperwork, her mind drifted to her father’s birthday party the next day. She didn’t want to go and did an excellent job of not allowing her younger siblings to talk her into doing so. However, Edison really wanted all of his children there because he pulled out the big guns and had her grandmother call her.
Aiva always found it hard to say no to her, and she knew that even though her grandmother knew what her father did was wrong, he was still her son, and she just wanted the family to get together for occasions and spend time with one another. Aiva believed she could do that without going to events her father was at, let alone those for him or at his place of residence.
So, she hadn’t told her grandmother no, but that she would think about it, and honestly, she was leaning far towards not going. Yes, she would get to see her siblings, but it wasn’t as if she couldn’t see most of them whenever she wanted to, and they had a trip planned in a few months.
Aiva decided she would get with those of her siblings who were old enough to go out; they could have a night out on the town. She would do something with Tara alone since she was the only one in her age range, and then she would get the youngest siblings and take them to do something of their choice. That way, she wouldn’t feel bad about not seeing them, and it would keep her from having to see their sperm donor.
With a solid plan in mind, she focused her attention back on the task at hand. She made a mental note once she got it done to call Knox and let him know when she would file the paperwork. By the time she did so, Mia would have had a week and a half to respond, which was all Aiva was willing to give her.
16
Aiva pulled into the parking lot of her office. She’d gone to meet with a new client who could not make it to her. She’d gotten so many over the past few months that she was surprised she could keep count. It made sense since the divorce rate was at an all-time high. It was sad to see, but she would not complain. It was what paid her bills.
She grabbed her purse and satchel and stepped out of her car. When she walked through the front door, Aiva wanted to turn around and walk back out. Her day had been going so well; the last thing she’d expected to cause it to turn sour was coming face-to-face with Edison.
“Aiva,” he greeted.
“Hey, Edison.”
She didn’t miss the way her father’s jaw ticked. He was not a fan of her calling him by his name. Aiva didn’t care. If he acted like a father, she would call him as much. Since he didn’t, he would remain Edison.
