Against All Odds

Chapter Twelve

"Are you sure you want me to come? I don't want to invade your privacy," Ollie says, following me out of the house. Emmie meows behind us but just sits and watches as Ollie closes the front door, locking it behind him.

"I want you there with me," I tell him, my tone slightly exasperated. This is at least the fifth time that he has asked me this and it is starting to get on my nerves. I know that he worries, and ever since the two kisses we have shared, the worrying has only increased. It is clear as day that he is worried about me, especially with what we saw at the coffee shop. "Now, stop asking, before I change my mind."

Ollie mimes zipping his lips, climbing into the passenger side of the car while I turn the ignition.

Today is my appointment with Ms. Mikelson. For some reason, my nerves are on edge. This is the first step in my final separation from Aaron. While weeks ago, the thoughts had hurt, now it feels as if it is more of an ache than a constant sting. Too many blows have hit me since Aaron initially left.

The fact that he has been cheating on me for god knows how long and even got her pregnant, while I was aching for my own child just makes me despise him even more. Ollie must sense my thoughts, because he reaches over to grab my hand resting on the center consol. He twines his fingers with mine, gently pulling his hand up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to the back of my hand.

The gesture has me relaxing slightly, and I shoot him a smile before returning my eyes to the road.

The drive takes a little over a half an hour, and music plays softly in the background. It takes a little bit to find the building, since it is a small one, located behind a bigger apartment complex.

An older man greets us when we walk in, taking my name and then offering us some refreshments while we wait for our appointment.

Not even five minutes later, someone is calling my name. "Milo Katz?" an older woman calls.

"That's me," I say, standing up.

She smiles, revealing a charming smile with a gap in between her two front teeth. Her hair is curled, graying at the roots. But it suits her, along with the shallow crows feet around her eyes and the smile lines framing her mouth. "It's nice to meet you. Virginia has been telling me so much about you." She looks over at Ollie, who is standing right beside me. "Oh, and you must be her grandson, Ollie."

"Ollie Bellamy," he says, holding out his hand to shake. "Thank you for taking on this case."

"Virginia has done a lot to help my family. It's time I returned the favor." She turns then, motioning us to follow her. "Why don't the two of you follow me back to my office where we can discuss those papers you sent me."

We follow behind her into the back office, the one at the very end of the hallway. She holds the door for us as we come in, closing it behind us before going to sit down in her own chair. The office is nice, small, but the window behind her desk makes the room feel larger. Lamps are lit on either side of her desk, giving the room a soft illumination. It feels almost out of place, but I won't complain.

"I'm going to me blunt with you, Mr. Katz," she says, pulling on a pair of horn-rimmed classes as she shuffles through the papers. "Your husband is looking to claim everything, the cars, savings, and businesses."

"What?" I breathe, my hand tightening into a fist. Ollie reaches over, wrapping his own hands over mine and giving them a small squeeze of comfort. "He can't do that, can he?"

"Unfortunately, the law tends to lean heavily in alpha's favor, especially if there are no children involved." She flips through the papers again, stopping once she finds what she is looking for. "It says here that you are infertile?" She looks up at me no judgment on her face, which is the only thing that keeps me from tensing up.