Chapter 7

Cameron found the situation amusing. "Now, can't my wife and best friend get along for once? Why do you two always have to bite each other's heads off whenever you meet?" Cassandra casually answered, "I don't know. He's probably jealous." Cameron stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her waist, saying sweetly, "Nonsense. He has a decade-long crush, remember?" "I know. A married woman." A trace of melancholy crossed Cameron's face. "Yeah, but she's getting a divorce soon. Ryan's been waiting for her for many years, and I really hope he'll get what he wants this time." Cassandra had little interest in gossip about Ryan. To her, it was just another tale of a modern-day loyal rogue—sharp and calculating to everyone else but soft only to one. She asked Cameron, "Was it a work call? Do you have to go back to the office?" At that, he wore an apologetic look. "Yeah. They need me for something urgent. I'll probably have to pull an all-nighter. Don't wait up for me and just go to bed, Cassie." She secretly let out a cold laugh. An all-nighter at the office? It sounded more like an urgent meeting in Annabelle's bed. Cassandra nodded. "Go on. I'm ready to sleep anyway." She turned back into the bedroom, but Cameron pulled her into his arms for a kiss. He raised her chin with his fingers, but she swiftly looked away, causing his lips to crash into her chin instead. He was displeased. "Not even a goodbye kiss for your husband?" She struggled out of his arms. "Hey, urgent work matters, remember? Just go." Cameron stifled his laughter. "I know. You're shy because Ryan's here. It's fine. He's been my friend for more than 20 years. He's practically family." "Alright, alright," she urged. Cameron's phone rang again at that moment, likely an urgent call from Annabelle. He caressed the top of Cassandra's head and lovingly said, "I'll get going, then. Be a good girl and stay home. It might rain tonight, so remember to close the windows. I'll be back first thing in the morning." He took his leave, and soon, Cassandra and Ryan were alone. "Your best friend just left. Aren't you gonna leave?" Ryan leaned back with his arms crossed, clearly amused. "He left just like that? Not even a second thought about leaving us alone together? What if something happened?" Cassandra was unimpressed. "Don't you have a crush on someone? And it's a married woman, no less. I thought you were the type to pine endlessly, not jump at the first warm body in the room." He smiled. "You can never be too sure." "Are you free tonight, Attorney Scott?" "I am. What's up?" "Let's go over the terms for the authorization letter and divorce agreement." He nodded. "I was thinking the same thing." Cassandra wasn't a lawyer, so she had downloaded a few templates for an authorization letter and a divorce agreement from the internet. Since Ryan was here, she pulled them up on her laptop and turned the screen toward him. "What do you think?" He shook his head. "The formatting is all over the place." "Why don't you show me what real legal expertise looks like, then?" He sat down, took over the keyboard, and, within minutes, drafted a clean, properly formatted authorization letter. "Print two copies," Ryan said, pushing the laptop back toward her. "Get him to sign when you can. You keep one and send the other to me." When discussing a serious topic, Cassandra naturally resumed her solemn demeanor. "Yes. I'll get him to sign as soon as possible." "There's also the divorce agreement. You two don't have kids, so custody isn't an issue. The real issue here is asset division." Cassandra stated, "I've looked into it. Marital assets are usually split 50-50. But he cheated, which makes him the party at fault. So, I'm asking for 60-40, 60 for me." Ryan glanced at her and chuckled. "And here I thought you were the noble, selfless type who was above money and just eager to get it over with." "Why should I walk away from what's rightfully mine? I'll leave this part to you since you want this divorce to happen so badly. If I don't get 60%, I'll take it as a sign of your incompetence," she replied. "Really? Pulling the reverse-psychology card on me?" He scoffed, then added, "Anything else you want to throw in? Might as well tell me now, and I'll add it to the draft." Cassandra was quiet for a moment before she said, "I want custody." Ryan's fingers froze mid-keystroke. "You two have a kid?" His gaze instinctively dropped to her stomach. She pulled her cardigan tighter around her and explained softly, "A dog, the Westie we're raising together. She stays with me." It had been back when Cassandra and Cameron were still head over heels for each other. On their first Valentine's Day together, he gave her a Westie puppy while every other guy had given their girlfriend roses. It had just been weaned when Cassandra got her, but now, she was a 15-year-old senior dog. "She's 15. In dog years, that's ancient. She's got all sorts of health problems, and she's half blind now. There's going to be a new woman in his house soon, and I don't trust anyone else to look after her the way I would. So, I must take her with me." Ryan was silent for a moment, his tone softening a little. "What if Cameron picks up on how much the dog means to you and decides to fight you for her? What then? Will you walk away or stay here until she passes, just to be with her?" Cassandra pondered over his question. "I'll give up everything else—the house, the assets... I just want Snowball." He froze, clearly caught off guard. Then, he seemed to be in deep thought. She smiled. "What's wrong, Attorney Scott? Losing your edge? Go on, write it down. I'm not leaving without my dog." Ryan finally blinked himself back to focus. "You don't have to give up your share of the assets. If the dog is that important, my advice is to move her out now—before he realizes what she means to you." Cassandra hesitated. "Snowball is old and has chronic issues. I wouldn't trust a pet hotel. My friends… Well, they've all got lives. It's too much to ask for daily care." He quickly suggested, "I can foster Snowball. I don't have many cases right now. I can take care of her." Cassandra was dubious. "Shouldn't you be spending your free time pursuing your woman? Why are you playing pet sitter?" He turned toward her, fixing his eyes on her. "My woman loves dogs as well." Suddenly, a buzz rang in the air. Cassandra's phone had vibrated. She picked it up and saw a message from Annabelle on WhatsApp. "Hello, Ms. Blake. We just got a new shipment of jewelry in the store. The designs are new and exquisite. Take a look and see if anything catches your eye." Then followed a flood of photos that necessitated an endless scroll. "I thought you hated jewelry. Why are they sending these to you?" Cassandra ignored Ryan's question and replied to Annebelle. "You're working late. Shouldn't you be spending the night with your boyfriend instead?" Annabelle: "Girls gotta focus on our careers first, don't we? Guys can just take the backseat! Haha!" Cassandra: "You're a professional." Annabelle: "Actually, my boyfriend has been complaining that I haven't been spending time with him lately. You didn't drop by the store today, so I got to finish work early and go home to him." Cassandra: "I guess my frequent visits have been a hindrance in your relationship." Annabelle: "No, Ms. Blake. Please don't think that way! You're our favorite VIP client! If you see anything you like from these new items, just hit me up. I'm here 24/7 to assist you!" Cassandra suddenly had a mischievous idea as she typed a reply. "Sure. I'll head to your store now to try them on and see which one suits me. Are you free to come by?" A date night, huh? Well, it looked like it was time to crash Cameron's party…