Page 15 of Forgotten Desires

That isn’t a yes. “You think there’s just a chance?”

Ms. Banks smiles, but there’s no humor there. “Mr. Knight, I’m not in the habit of making promises I can’t keep. Do I think we can get custody? Of course I think that, or I wouldn’t be sitting here. Do I have a good guess on the chances? No. It depends on the judge and the information your ex-wife is presenting. Do you do drugs?”

“No.”

“Drink excessively?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Have you ever hit or abused your wife or child?”

“Not ever.” My voice leaves no room for confusion on that.

“Cheated?” She continues her interrogation.

“No.”

She shifts in her chair. “Good. And you have proof of a possible neglect situation?”

“I have the nanny, who is willing to testify. I have voicemails where Jacqueline is belligerent and can’t remember where she is. The fact she doesn’t come home some nights and Layla cries because Jacqueline is—unkind—when she’s drunk.”

“All of that is good, but I want to temper your expectations. It is very hard to get a judge to remove a child from her home to go into an unsteady household. She’s the child’s mother and they are going to consider the time that you spend with your daughter in comparison to the time she spends with your ex-wife.”

“I’ve never missed a visitation,” I inform her.

That’s the one thing I am adamant about. I will always be there for Layla. If I can have time with her, I take it. Two weeks ago I flew sixteen hours to spend three with her. There’s nothing I won’t do for that little girl.

Ford clears his throat. “The issue is that Jacqueline claims two of the above things are true. That he cheated on her, and he was emotionally abusive. She’s trying to get Carson’s visitation reduced and an increase in child support and alimony.”

“I imagine she is. Your net worth has grown and she signed a pretty iron-clad prenup,” Ms. Banks replies, keeping her gaze on mine. “I’ve dealt with this before, Mr. Knight. Which is why I believe you contacted me. I know her lawyer well, and he’s good, very good, but I believe I’m better. How long have you been divorced now?”

“Three years, three months.”

Her brows rise. “So you were in the process of divorcing when your daughter was born?”

“Jacqueline thought if she could become pregnant, I’d drop the divorce. She got me incredibly drunk, and got herself pregnant when she stopped taking her birth control the day I filed the papers.” Yeah, that’s my ex-wife. A manipulative and calculating bitch who had a child just to keep her finances where she wanted them.

“I see,” Ms. Banks says, pursing her lips. “And I’m assuming since the baby was born during the process, there were concessions on both ends?”

Ford laughs. “I think you mean on Carson’s end.”

“Yes, I agreed to a monthly amount for Layla’s needs. I also fought for fifty-fifty custody, but since she was an infant, it was denied because I was living in a hotel and Jacqueline was going to breastfeed Layla.”

“And did she breastfeed Layla?”

“No,” I say, feeling a surge of anger that only comes when I think of her.

Ms. Banks nods once. “For a medical reason?”

“No. Because she didn’t want her perfectly paid-for breasts to deflate and wanted to drink wine. Which is fine, I don’t care about that, but it was what kept me from more time with Layla as a baby, and that’s what I’m angry about.”

Truly, I couldn’t have given two shits why she didn’t want to breastfeed. Her reasons weren’t my concern, but Layla was. I wanted to be there with her. I wanted to hold her at night, be the father that mine wasn’t because he was always gone.

I know she’ll never remember that time—she was a baby—but I wanted it. Time is a luxury that you can’t afford to give away. I could have all the money in the world, and it wouldn’t matter because I can’t buy that back.

“I understand.” She clasps her hands, resting them in her lap. “Mr. Knight, I’m going to get to work, and do what I do best, which is dismantling every possible angle of defense that she is going to use. We’ll start off filing a petition, which can take time to get through the courts. Then we’ll have a preliminary hearing, where your ex-wife will have a chance to present her case, and then we will. It’s not easy, it’s not fast. I want you to be prepared for a long fight, and one that often shows sides of people we never wish to see. In the meantime, what I need from you is perfection.”

I lean back in my seat, glancing at Ford who shakes his head. “Perfection?”

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