A mile in my shoes

Chapter 33

The judge was more than happy to sign the divorce papers. Laura was going to get everything. Clint's words were easy to use against him. The archer had openly admitted that he never worked on the farm, not even helped a little. His wife was in charge of that aspect of their lives while he was away saving people, or not, all over the world. Laura had all the necessary documents to establish her claim. The land and buildings were registered under her maiden name. Shield had made certain that no trails led back to their agent, the one who was still on active duty. Every detail was carefully shielded from prying eyes.

It had been done to protect Clint's family, to ensure that he would go on risky missions with fear of repercussions on his loved ones. The farm was supposed to be a shared dream between him and Laura, a tranquil retreat from the chaos of the world.

The dream began to unravel quickly when Clint's involvement when back home became noticeably absent. Their tractor had been sitting idle in their garage for quite some time even though she had asked her husband to have a look at it. It represented the growing distance between Clint and the life he had intended to build with Laura, raising the first of many red flags that something fundamental had shifted in their marriage. Tony Stark, with his hands-on approach, had been able to breathe life back into the dormant engine. Later on, he had also exposed the growing gap between the dream she had with Clint and the reality she was living most of the time without her husband.

Laura had no doubt that Clint had funds hidden across the globe. However, what was in his official accounts was justifiably hers as well. With her now ex-husband incarcerated, the financial responsibility for providing for their children rested on her shoulders. That money would be saved for Cooper. It was a pragmatic move, ensuring that her children would have financial support if they ever required it. She refused to have anything to do with it beyond that.

In the car, on their way back from the court, Laura turned to the blonde woman beside her. "Thank you, Miss Potts," She said, with a grateful smile. "For everything."

"Don't mention it."

Pepper let out a deep sigh, the weariness evident in her actions as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Laura noticed the cracks in the masks, revealing the toll that recent events had taken on the otherwise composed CEO. A subtle movement caused the sleeve of Pepper's white shirt to slide down her forearm, revealing red, raw marks. In a moment of vulnerability, she quickly readjusted her attire to cover them. The road to recovery, both physically and emotional, was long and winding.

"Wong came to see me," Pepper disclosed, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "He said he had a way for me to forget everything. Not change your choices but to give me peace of mind."

Laura contemplated the gravity of the proposal. "Will you do it?" she asked slowly, recognising the complex nature of such a decision.

Pepper's voice turned distant, as she thought about the possibility. "It's tempting, you know. To be ignorant once more. To be my old self again. Not everything was perfect, far from that. It just seemed a lot easier then."

A heavy silence hung in the air, casting a shadow over the occupants of the car. Laura hesitated, unsure of whether to break the silence. What could she possibly say? They kept driving through the traffic, the steady hum of the engine giving a background to their thoughts. Happy, behind the wheel, was a stoic presence, someone who, without words, stood as a pillar in their lives, never passing judgement on their decisions. Sometimes simply having someone there was enough.

After a while, Pepper broke the silence with a firm declaration, her resolve evident in her tone. "I'm not going to do it."

Laura's anxiety surfaced as she spoke, her words coming out in a hurried confession. "I hope it's not because of Tony and I. It's our fault, I know. It was not our intention. We didn't want any of that to happen to anybody."