The Life I Want To Live With You

Tea or Coffee? - Chapter 38

Danny and Lisa walked out of the church, silently sipping their warm drinks. The weather was better than their lives at the moment. Danny hadn't explained what happened to his eye, and when Lisa bluntly asked if "they" did it to him, he didn't say anything.

"Want to go somewhere else?" Lisa asked, taking a sip of her drink.

Danny nodded. "Sure, I've got nothing planned today. I'll go with you."

"Let's get to my car then." He didn't ask any questions. Before starting the car, she called her lawyer and told him she would be at his office shortly.

As they drove, Lisa's curiosity got the better of her. "So...what did you do?" she asked, glancing at him.

Danny looked at her for a moment before turning back to the window. "David decided to make sure I don't ruin my reputation. He didn't like what I told the kids at school because it went against Scientology's teachings." He touched his bruised face lightly.

Lisa frowned. "So you're a teacher? Do you teach only Scientology stuff, or...?"

"It's a regular school, but with a heavy dose of religious education. I tried encouraging the kids to think critically and not just accept everything they're told, you know?"

Lisa sighed. "Yeah, I get that. David is a tyrant. Do you know my own mother filed a report on me?"

Danny scoffed. "Your mother... she's notorious for filing reports on people while maintaining this saintly image."

"Oh, really? Because she's far from a saint," Lisa replied, making a face.

"What do you mean? I thought with all the money you have, you'd be able to enjoy life."

"No, just because things look peaceful on the outside doesn't mean they are on the inside. My mother makes sure she stays relevant in my father's company. I never engage because she can be a real nightmare when crossed." Lisa's tone was calm but firm. "She did things to me that many would consider abusive, though I was a problematic girl."

Danny was surprised by her openness. Every time he talked with Priscilla, she painted Lisa as someone who never opened up. Now he understood her situation a bit more and started seeing Lisa as honest. "Your mother shouldn't punish you just because you were a teenager making mistakes like everyone else."

Lisa shrugged. "I know what I've done to her and myself, so I guess I deserved it."

Danny shook his head. "No one deserves to be abused because their parent can't be a good parent. You know, I don't know you well, but you seem like a good person. You care. Many people in the church are like that, but many are also driven by pride to stay close to David. And you seem very honest."

Lisa parked the car in a parking lot and looked at him. "That's nice to hear. Thank you." They exchanged smiles. "Okay, we're here."

"A lawyer's office? Trouble with the company?" he asked, confused.

Lisa looked at him, deciding whether to be honest or tell a half-truth. She chose honesty. "Divorce. My escape."

She left the car with the papers before Danny could respond and headed into the building, making her way to the reception.

"Hello, how can I help you?" the blonde lady at the reception greeted Lisa with a smile.

"I have an appointment with John Harris," Lisa replied, fiddling with the envelope in her hands.

The receptionist stood up. "Follow me, Ms. Presley." They walked through a long hallway, and at the end, she stopped and gestured towards a door. "Here we are. Would you like tea or coffee?"

"Tea is fine, thank you," Lisa said, taken out of her thoughts.

The receptionist nodded understandingly, opened the door, and let her in. "Mr. Harris, Ms. Presley is here."

"Perfect, let her in. Did you ask what she'd like to drink?" said an older man with a bright smile from his chair. The receptionist nodded. "Thank you, Jessica."

Jessica smiled and gestured for Lisa to walk in, then headed back to her desk.

Lisa walked in and closed the door behind her. "Good to see you, Lisa. I'll handle your divorce. I'm John Harris. We spoke on the phone." He stood up, extending his hand. Lisa shook it slowly, and they both sat down.

"Did Luke tell you...?" she began, her voice shaking.

"Luke? I don't know any Luke. I got the call that you need a lawyer to file for divorce, so I took the case. That's all," he said calmly.

"Don't you think it's strange that I didn't use my usual lawyers and had to find someone else?" she asked, trying to understand how Luke had orchestrated everything.

"Some people prefer to use different lawyers to avoid leaks to the media. They love to dig around. We'll handle this quietly," he said with a smile, glancing at the envelope. "May I?"

Lisa realized how tightly she was clutching the papers. She handed them to him with shaky hands. "You may not leak anything to the media, but my husband has lawyers who operate discreetly."

"Mrs. Presley, it's better this way. He'll find out through his lawyers when I send it to them. If everything goes smoothly, we won't need to go to court. I have a question, though. You're divorcing due to irreconcilable differences. What does that mean for you?"

Lisa looked at him but before she could respond, Jessica walked in with a cup of tea, placing it on the desk with a clink. "Thank you, Jessica. Did they call you?" John asked.

"No, they didn't. It's possible he's still in the meeting," she said, standing at the door.

"Ah, all the Johns are always busy. Oh well. Let's get back to my question." Jessica left the room, and Lisa focused on answering.

"Too many things are getting between us," she said, unsure.

"You guess? This isn't a guessing game, Mrs. Presley. This is a serious situation. Think it through," he advised.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "I thought lawyers were supposed to do what they're told?"

"Yes and no. That's not how I handle things. So?" he pressed.

Lisa took a deep breath and started, "I don't want the divorce, but I have to do it."

John looked confused. "What do you mean? Is he blackmailing you?"

Lisa frowned and shook her head. "No, it's not that. It doesn't matter. I need the divorce because I feel trapped."

She thought about Luke and David. She had thought the divorce would be straightforward, but now it felt as if Luke wanted her to suffer twice. They both wanted completely different things from her, and nobody cared what she wanted. Her mother was no help; she wanted Lisa to be indoctrinated by Scientology. Lisa had stopped trusting her mother after years of feeling unwanted and controlled.

Meeting Michael had been different. He always listened. But after the coma and losing the baby, they had grown apart. Their relationship had changed drastically, and everything felt like it was falling apart.

4o