Scornful Revenge

Chapter Sixteen

 "Are you insane? We can't go to her." Alice protested.

"We ended on good terms, Alice. It's worth a shot to bring this all to her and see what her opinion is. Even if she's busy with another case or doesn't want to help, she might refer us to someone just as good as her." Tom explained.

"We're not going to her, Tom. We'll just find someone else."

"I'm trying to offer a solution to this problem."

"And we're not taking that solution."
"Alice, this is serious. You know we don't have the money they're asking for. We need her opinion to know what are the next steps," Tom argued. "What do you think, George?"

"George, you don't have to answer," Alice interjected. "Leave him out of this."
"What? He's also in this case. I want his opinion."

"I mean... it wouldn't hurt. The worst thing she could do is not offer any help." George replied quietly.

Alice snapped her head in George's direction before pushing her chair back and storming out of the kitchen. Tom clenched his jaw as he stood from his seat.

"Hey, just let her have a few moments to herself. I think she just needs some time alone." George commented.

Tom stopped in his tracks as George wrapped his hand around his forearm. George gasped as Tom pulled his arm back, glaring down at George.

"Please, stay out of my marriage. You have no clue what she needs." Tom seethed.

George furrowed his brow as he stood from the table. He watched as Tom paced out of the kitchen and down the hall. George took a few breaths before sitting back at the kitchen table. Tom made his way to their bedroom and shut the door behind him. Alice was sitting on the edge of the bed with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Alice, you need to think about this rationally. We just need an opinion." Tom argued.

"Are you crazy? We can't involve her in this." Alice protested.

"Why not? She's a good lawyer."

"Tom, we can't. She knows our history. She's involved in our history."
"We ended on good terms with her, Alice. You don't really think she'd actually use our relationship to get back at us in court?"

"If she's as good as you say she is, who's to say she won't?" Alice retorted.

Tom exhaled sharply as he ran his hands over his face.

"Let's just go talk to her and see what her opinion is. We don't have to hire her."

"I don't want her knowing about our business." Alice replied.

Tom quickly seated himself next to Alice and took her hand in his. He took a moment to just caress the skin as he thought of what to say next.

"I know we ended on good terms with her... but I don't want her in my life in any way. I thought you'd want the same thing too." Alice spoke softly.

"I do. I don't want her in our lives but this is serious, Alice. If we can't get a good lawyer who knows what they're doing... we could lose everything we have. We have two small children and another on the way. I'm thinking about them when I'm telling you that we need her and her opinion. I'm not doing this because I want her in our lives. I'm saying we need her so she can help us and then we go our separate ways. It's strictly business, Alice." Tom explained passionately.

Alice swallowed the lump in her throat as she squeezed Tom's hand. She bit down on her bottom lip as she glanced up at him, smiling weakly.

"If it's strictly business... and nothing else... I guess we can ask for her opinion on all of this." Alice told him.