The Force of Gravity ✅

Chapter Twelve

June 7th, 2027

"She filed paperwork?"

"Yes," Junichiro responded. He was sitting on a king-sized bed in a massive hotel suite, speaking to his attorney on the room's phone. He struggled furiously with unpacking his new cell phone while he spoke. "I—received her chotei rikon this morning, Tanabe. So you know that she has filed for Divorce by Conciliation."

"What do you wish to do, Arachi-san?" Tanabe asked cautiously.

"I want to go before a judge. Prepare a saiban rikon—Divorce by Judgment. I don't care how embarrassing it is for everyone involved, I will drag this out into a public forum and tear them all down!" he had started shouting, and he took a moment to catch his breath and try to bring his emotions under control. "Please forgive me. Shouting at you was uncalled for, Tanabe."

"I understand how you feel," Tanabe said. "But you should know that if you want to proceed with a saiban rikon instead of a rikon todoke, proceeding with a chotei rikon first is mandatory. As your wife has already filed a chotei rikon Arachi-san, she has leverage."

"She has leverage already because she sent my parents and her parents to my apartment and I was caught with Miori." He grunted in satisfaction when he was able to free his cell phone from its packaging. "The fact that Miori and I were physically assaulted during the confrontation—can I use that during the proceedings? As proof that Tora set me up for violence?"

"You could, but only if either Chibana-san or you filed a police report for the assault," Tanabe said.

And neither of us did, Junichiro thought grimly. He sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his face. "Just...how bad did I make everything with this? I may have technically cheated on Tora, but Tora cheated first and we were in fact separated when I was caught with Miori."

"Your wife may have cheated first, but more people caught you Arachi-san. And she filed her paperwork first on grounds of infidelity. And unlike you, who had sought a rikon todoke—which requires mutual cooperation—Tora-san filed a chotei rikon, which didn't require your cooperation. She may have cheated first, but she filed first and gathered more allies in her corner."

"And turned my parents against me," Junichiro snarled. He fumbled for his SIM card. "Since she's already filed her chotei rikon, that positions us to be able to file a saiban rikon. Make it happen."

"If I may provide feedback, Arachi-san?"

"Go ahead."

"Many missteps were made on our end by waiting for your wife's cooperation. Even though we have proof of her committing infidelity first, her actions have been far more damaging for you. If you take the route of saiban rikon Arachi-san, you run the risk of financial ruin."

"What about my proof of her infidelity? Will that help me?"

"That will help you in terms of fulfilling the clauses of the breaking of the omiai contract, but she did technically file first. Even with your proof, she has the advantage and she WILL come out of this in a better position than you financially. As difficult as it may be right now, in the long run giving cooperation will save you financially. But if you decide to act on vengeance and spite, you may end up breaking her financially...but you will break as well."

Junichiro pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "And what if I out her to her family outside of court? Will that hurt me?"

"...No. It will not. But it may not make any difference to assisting your case."