Baggage

{Chapter Eight}

Chapter Eight

The buzzing of the courtroom halted as the judge's gavel smacked onto the table. Normally, family-law cases such as these were more imitate because they were lacking a jury, but the wife's extended family had wanted to come to show their support. And they were loud. Loud to the point that Noah had to chug down two Advil tablets during a break to calm his throbbing head.

Noah straightened his tie, awaiting the decision of the court.

"Do you think he'll be in favor of me?" the wife breathed into Noah's ear, causing him to squirm. The proximity and anxiety was killing him. 

He hated cases like these. Hell, he hated most of his cases. It was the usual child custody dilemma. The husband, Arthur, had called it quits after sixteen years of marriage and cited "irreconcilable differences." Marlene, his wife, had kicked him out of the house and demanded full custody of their children.

That Arthur guy is such a saint, Noah quipped to himself, catching a glance at the quivering blonde with coke-bottle glasses in the tattered suit.

Marlene, whose father's inheritance had made her extremely wealthy, was not asked for a single penny by Arthur. All he wanted was joint custody over their three children, John, who was fourteen, Leslie, who was eleven, and Jacey, who was three months. Two of the children resembled their father, but Jacey, the youngest, appeared to be the "out-ball-out" in terms of looks. 

"I thank you all for coming today to appear in court. Both of the closing remarks were very compelling. However, while I feel for Mr. Arthur Tyson, I am a bit worried about him raising his children in such an unstable environment."

Arthur stopped quivering and just peered up at the judge with cloudy eyes. Noah had to turn away.

"You lack a permanent residence and a sufficient job to provide for three growing children. At this point, I must give full custody to Ms. Marlene Tyson, and will allow weekly visitations on Saturdays. This case will be reviewed again in the following year."

Marlene squealed next to Noah, placing her hands onto his forearm. 

"You're absolutely brilliant! Thank you for helping me keep my babies!"

Noah held back his desire to roll his eyes. He nodded politely before turning away. He cursed his luck that his large firm would require him to represent Marlene rather than Arthur. Marlene was selfish, self-absorbed and completely could care less about the upbringing of her children. 

She had used this custody-battle and ultimately her children as a way to spite Arthur.

How low can you get?

Arthur, meanwhile, was still leaning over his table, looking as if the wind had been knocked out of him. His lawyer, one of Noah's old colleagues at his past law firm, rubbed his back, whispering comforting advice in his ear.

On the other side of the courtroom, Marlene was chatting it up with her family, hugging anyone that would come her way. Noah squinted, wondering who that strange man standing next to her was. Noah had said hello to all her family members prior to the beginning of the case, and this man had never shown up once. With a few more seconds of observation, Noah realized that this guy's hand was on her lower back and that his eyes seemed somewhat familiar.

Oh shit.

Noah clutched his chest.

Jacey's eyes. 

Arthur could've robbed that woman of everything, citing the divorce as her fault. However, he probably didn't want his kids to remember the divorce as their mother's fault because she wanted to shag another guy. Nah, this Arthur was a true class act. He let her go on with her life, only wanting equal parental rights over his children.