CHAPTER 21:
"All right now Ms. Mui if you will sign here, that will finalise you and Mr. Holt's divorce." Jen quickly took the pen, scribbling out her name.
"Done."
"As of now, you are officially divorced. Luckily, you don't need to split up everything as you both have moved on and the godparents have inherited your old house." The lawyer said, looking at the couple who were sitting on the bench at the back of the room. He gave an anxious look to the pair standing in front of his desk waiting for a reply. When he didn't get one, he moved on. "And for custody of your daughter you are doing what exactly?"
"Sole custody." James interjected before Jen could get a word out.
"Whoa, hold it! We did not decide on SOLE custody! Bloody Hell! You've been around less than I have and you want sole custody of Marissa? Seriously!" Jen exclaimed angrily. Cooper got out of his seat and walked over in between Jen and James.
"Hey, considering I practically raised her as her father, I believe that she wouldn't want straight up custody with you James."
"Screw off Cooper! You have no frigging idea!" James roared. Cooper clenched his fist.
"I was the one who was there for her after all those years of you being 'dead'! I went to every single game; every science fair and all that, and you just show up and expect to be her 'daddy'? Hell no, you're not getting sole custody of her, not if I can help it!" Cooper yelled back.
"Hey! Both of you quit it!" Jen growled. She didn't need this to be more complicated than it already was. Cooper backed down, but not before shoving his way past James to sit down on the back bench again.
"So it seems you do need to go to court to settle this after all." The lawyer said.
"Apparently." Jen grumbled. She couldn't believe the bastard; trying to take solo care of their daughter when he barely even knew her. Jen figured that she would win, considering he had nothing to defend his own case with.
After the group walked out, Cooper couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, seriously, what the hell? You can't just expect sole custody after what you've done! It doesn't work like that!"
"Would you just lay the fuck off already? She's not even your kid!" James shouted, getting closer in Cooper's face.
"You're a selfish bastard! If you think that I don't treat her like she's mine, you've got another thing coming!"
"Guys! Stop it!" Fiona screamed. But it was too late; James threw the first punch, hitting Cooper in the side of the jaw. Cooper went beet read in the face before he grabbed the man in front of him by the shirt collar. He lifted him slightly off the ground and started hitting him to gut. Then as James tried to fight back, Cooper slammed him into the wall of the lawyer's office building and kneed him in the crotch repeatedly. James couldn't breathe, but he fought back regardless, clawing with his only hand. Cooper reached into his jacket and pulled out his own .44 Magnum. He cocked it quickly, but before he could fire one round, Fiona grabbed him around the wrist.
"Cooper!" Fiona shouted in his ear. Cooper glared at James once more, letting go of the gun, discharging the chamber. He pulled Fiona's hand away and got in the front seat of his Zonda and before Fiona could follow him, he took off, tires squealing on the wet pavement.
"Damn it." Fiona sighed. Jen pulled out her keys.
"Come on, let's get out of here."
"He won't get in trouble will he?"
"James started it; Cooper can claim it was self-defence." Jen explained as they got into the Aston Martin that she had recently purchased as an early birthday present to herself.
"Sure…I've never seen him so pissed off."
"Neither have I, but it's good to know that he obviously cares for Marissa's sake. James lacked that. Still lacks that. You've got yourself a good man Fiona, a very good man."
A few weeks went by and eventually all was settled in court, leaving Jen and James with split custody. As to whom Marissa spent most of her time with, was up to Marissa. Cooper and Fiona were also still allowed to take care of her if Marissa chose to.
Marissa walked in the front door, dropping her book bag down on the table in a slump. She went to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of pop. She sat down on the cozy leather couch and turned on the television, mindlessly flipping through the channels. Suddenly, she heard a door slam shut and feet trampling down the stairs in a mad hurry. She looked around the corner and saw a man, struggling to put on his shirt rush for the door. He saw Marissa, gave a half smile and left. Marissa narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Then she heard more footsteps on the stairs. She could only guess who they were.
"Mum, who was that?" Jen sighed loudly.
"No one."
"Don't lie. Who is he?"
"Some bloke who lives down the street."
"And let me guess, you invited him in for some 'company'?" Marissa said doubtfully.
"What does it matter?" Jen said, walking into the living room. Marissa folded her arms, glaring at her.
"Seriously? You've been divorced how long? And you're already back to screwing around with some random bloke?"
"So what? Am I not allowed?"
"It's been two weeks!"
"So?" Jen exclaimed, shrugging her shoulders.
"Never mind." Marissa went back to dismally watching the TV.
"I know you're upset, but I'm sure he's moved on too. Besides, I am never, ever, getting in a serious relationship again. Take it from me, sometimes it's not worth it."
"Wait, are you saying that your relationship with Dad was pointless?"
"No it wasn't pointless. It was…" Jen sat down next to her daughter. "We had to fight to keep it alive between us. When we went to Qatar, I was tired of fighting for it all of the time. I didn't expect it to go sour so fast but it did. So, it wasn't pointless, but it wasn't exactly great."
"Well obviously it must have been; considering you did agree to marry him."
"It's called being in love; sometimes it makes you do stupid things."