Page 18 of Aquarius Awakening
“Faith, dear, how is everything?” Lisa asked.
“That depends on what updates you have for me,” I replied.
“Mason’s attorney has gotten back to me with his full list of demands,” she continued.
Hearing the worddemandsreminded me that we were in the process of negotiations. Still, I reminded myself to keep my cool regardless of what he wanted.
“First off, he wants the current market value of the initial investment in Love Faith. If you are unable to provide that, then he would like equal co-ownership. Next, he wants to sell the condo and split the proceeds sixty-forty, with you taking the forty. He claims he made the down payment on the home. And last but not least, he would like to keep the Long Island property. You would give up all ownership of the home. He’ll keep whatever money is in his accounts, and you’ll keep yours,” Lisa explained.
It was a lot to take in, and much more than I expected. I took a deep breath to take it all in.
“My biggest concern, of course, is my business. In terms of the homes, we were supposed to sell them both and split the proceeds equally. He wants me homeless and at a large financialloss. Were you able to prove his infidelity like we previously discussed?” I asked.
“Yes. I’m sending you some photos my private investigator was able to snag. The good thing is that his mistress’s pregnancy helps us to establish a timeline for the affair. We can use the medical records from your fertility treatments to prove you weren’t aware of his illegitimate child,” she replied.
“Right, because I would never actively try to conceive while my husband had a baby on the way. Is there a way to avoid going to court? I don’t want this to be a long, drawn-out process,” I inquired.
Lisa paused before responding. “Here’s what I’m thinking. You agree to the sale of the condo, with the proceeds being split equally. You pay him for the original initial investment in Love Faith, not the current market value. And how attached are you to the Long Island property? We have to make him feel like he won. While you are taking a short-term financial hit, this will be the quickest way to get rid of him,” she explained.
Although Lisa couldn’t see me, I nodded my head in agreement. Mason liked his ego stroked, which was why he continued to mention a business he never had an interest in.
“I agree. Mason can keep the house on Long Island. If he can agree to the split of the condo and the amount on his investment for Love Faith, I’m fine with that. Do we use the information from the private investigator if he doesn’t agree?” I asked.
“Exactly. If he takes the generous offer, he won’t know anything about being followed. If he tries to play hardball, we’ll push back until he gives in. You’re more than generous, but I understand the strong desire to be done with him. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. If all goes well, we’ll have an uncontested divorce finalized within thirty days,” she affirmed.
Lisa and I said our final goodbyes while I reflected on my current reality. I had no desire to go back to either of our homes.Since we didn’t use the Long Island property as our primary residence, I never left anything of value there. All that the house held were memories of my designing the house to make it a home.
We only purchased the house to be close to Mason’s grandmother, whom I adored. Once we had children, we planned to move out of the city. We intended to make that house our primary residence. With Mason so adamant about keeping the house, I assumed he would keep that plan with his mistress. The idea of someone enjoying all my designs made me sad all over again.
I started the daunting task of apartment hunting, something I thought I would never have to do again. With the sale of the condo, I would have enough for the down payment on a new place. The thought of purchasing something right now felt so final. It was a step I just wasn’t ready for. The cost of rent in the city was more than my mortgage payment. I didn’t want to waste money, so I started my search in Brooklyn. I initially thought of staying in this building, but as the days went on, I didn’t love the amount of traffic coming in and out. I needed a building that wasn’t so busy but with similar amenities.
Within a couple of hours of searching, I had some appointments scheduled for this evening. My first thought was to call Imani or Milani to see if they could join me. Deep down, I knew I needed to do this alone. This would be the start of my new life as a single woman. If I had a hard time finding a place, I could loop them in at that point. As of now, I have to stand on my own again. Out of habit, I twirled my wedding ring on my finger. With the current state of my marriage, I took my rings off. My marriage was over, and that version of a woman who was married to Mason needed to grow. I needed to remember the woman I was before I allowed a man to verbally abuse me.
When I stared at the tan line on my finger, a dull ache in my heart overcame me, and a lone tear slid down my cheek. The finality of the life I lived hit me. My rings symbolized the marriage I fought to keep together. They symbolized the relationship that failed. The rings were a reminder of what was supposed to be my fairytale ending. I would now have to grow out of the daily habit of putting them on.
Around six in the evening, I stood in front of the first location the realtor Debby wanted to show me. From the outside, it was quaint. It appeared to be only three floors. As I approached the front door, a woman I assumed was Debby greeted me.
“Faith?” she asked.
“That’s me. It’s nice to meet you,” I confirmed.
“Thank you for providing such a thorough list of what you are looking for. It should make this process a lot smoother for us. Let’s head on upstairs to the second floor,” she directed.
I followed Debby as she led the way to the second floor. As I looked around the building, it was well-kept but older than I would have liked. There were some cracks in the tiled floor. I questioned whether Debby truly looked at the list I sent to her. This was our first viewing together, so I decided to keep an open mind. When we reached the second floor, I noticed there were only two units on the floor. The building was quiet, which I appreciated. Debby opened the door to Unit 2A, and I followed her inside.
“As you can see, the building is not as busy as most. The layout of the units is railroad style. There are two bedrooms andone bath in this unit,” she continued as we walked around the place.
The kitchen needed to be updated. Although I didn’t cook, I still needed an updated kitchen. As I continued to walk through the place, I couldn’t picture myself living here. Debby continued on trying to sell me on the place.
“Debby, this isn’t for me. Why don’t we move to another place?” I inquired.
“Tell me specifically what isn’t working for you. I don’t want this experience to be a waste of time,” she offered.
“The railroad-style apartment is a no for me. I’m looking for something modern. Something that has been updated within the last five years minimum. While I love how intimate the building is, I can’t fathom where the amenities are hidden. Do you have any newer units to show me?” I asked.
Debby smiled. “Actually, I do have something that may work for you. It’s a little over your budget, but if you’re okay with that, we can head over,” she responded.
“As long as it has everything I need, an increase in the budget won’t be a problem,” I assured her.
