He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Richard’s brows pulled tight. "Are you sure there’s nothing you need?" he asked.

Roxanne looked at him, her gaze steady as she shook her head. "No. I just need to gather every piece of evidence I have. If the court won’t grant an expedited divorce, we’ll give them a reason to," she said. "Once I am a free woman, the public scandal will die down. No one will be able to question our relationship anymore."

Richard smiled, the pride in his eyes unmistakable. "I am right behind you, whenever and however you need me."

Roxanne smiled back, the heavy weight on her chest finally lifting. "Good. Now, let me make that call. Time to get that divorce filed."

Roxanne’s fingers were surprisingly steady as she unlocked her phone. She tapped the screen, and the rhythmic, hollow drone of the dial tone filled the quiet boardroom. She hit the speakerphone icon and set the device on the polished wood between her and Richard.

Sensing the sudden spike in her tension, Richard reached over. His warm palm slid over her thigh, squeezing gently. The solid weight of his hand anchored her.

After three agonizing rings, the line clicked.

"Hello, Roxanne," Harry said, his voice instantly cautious, vibrating with an uncomfortable, tight energy.

"Hello, Harry," she said, letting out a slow breath to steady her vocal cords. "I need to talk to you about the divorce. I want to accelerate the filing against Christian."

"Has he signed the papers yet?"

Roxanne shook her head automatically, forgetting for a fraction of a second that the lawyer couldn’t see her. "No, Harry. He refuses to sign, and frankly, I’m done waiting for him to cooperate. That’s why I’m calling. I need to know if I can push this through a judge without his signature. Can we get a default judgment?"

A heavy sigh came through the speaker. "Technically, yes. In many standard cases, if a spouse refuses to respond or evade service, a judge will eventually grant the dissolution in their absence."

Harry paused. The sudden silence stretched out, thick and suffocating.

Roxanne frowned, her eyes darting over to Richard as her pulse gave a sudden, sharp spike against her throat. "There’s a catch, isn’t there?" she asked, her voice dropping an octave.

Another beat of hesitation passed before Harry spoke again. "Yes, Roxanne. A massive one. Things are incredibly complicated right now, and I’m highly doubtful any family court judge is going to just quietly stamp a default divorce for you."

Roxanne felt a cold weight sink directly into her stomach. "Why? I am legally entitled to leave a marriage. We both know he is intentionally trapping me."

"I know, Roxanne, believe me," Harry said, his tone softening with a hint of genuine sympathy. "But the optics are disastrous. I’ve been watching the media updates. With the current public drama surrounding the Vances and Westbrook’s videos, a premature filing without his participation looks incredibly suspicious. If we rush a judge right now, you could be outright denied."

"Denied?" The word tasted like ash in her mouth. "On what grounds? You told me yourself that this is a no-fault state and no one can force me to stay married. Why would a judge deny a legal separation?"

"Because the ongoing scandal actively damages your credibility in court," Harry explained patiently. "If it looks like you’re rushing a divorce solely to be with Richard or evade public scrutiny from his allegations, a conservative judge will stall the motion until the litigation settles."

Roxanne swallowed hard, her chest tightening as a hot wave of frustration rushed up her neck. Beneath her hand, Richard’s fingers tightened on her thigh, a silent command to stay grounded.

Roxanne drew herself up, straightening her spine against the back of the leather chair. "I still want to try," she said, her voice cutting through the speaker with absolute finality. "I refuse to remain married to Christian for another second. I’m willing to take the risk, Harry. If a judge pushes back, I will stand in that courtroom and make my case personally."

"Then there is only one viable path," Harry said. "We have to formally serve him and invite him to an emergency hearing. If we give him a date and he intentionally refuses to show up, the judge will see his non-compliance as bad faith. It proves you are trying to be completely transparent."

Roxanne bit the inside of her cheek, a deep frown marring her forehead. "I wanted to do this behind his back. I don’t want him to have an inkling of this."

Richard leaned in closer to the phone, his jaw rigid as his thumb rubbed soothing circles against her knee.

"Looking at how crazy Christian is acting right now, Harry might have a point, Rox," he said softly, his deep baritone entering the conversation. "We don’t know what kind of retaliation he’ll plan if he suddenly finds out a court dissolved his marriage without his knowledge."

Roxanne pressed the heel of her hand hard against her forehead, her eyes stinging with a sudden, suffocating wave of unshed tears. "If we notify him, he’s going to use everything he can to stall the process. I know him. He’ll drag this out for years just to punish me."

"It’s a risk," Harry interjected. "But it’s the safest one legally. We need the paper trail to show the court that you are acting in total good faith."

Roxanne closed her eyes, her heart racing as a montage of Christian’s smirking face and malicious videos flashed behind her eyelids. Every instinct told her this was a dangerous game. But Richard was looking at her, his steady gaze providing a quiet oasis of calm in the middle of the storm. He gave her a reassuring nod.

"Alright. Fine. Serve him the papers and do whatever is necessary to get us a court date. Just let me know what documents you need from my end."

"Understood," Harry said. "But there is one more thing. And it’s non-negotiable."

Roxanne’s eyebrows pinched sharply together, her heart skipping a beat. "What is it?"

"Richard cannot be anywhere near that courthouse, and the two of you need to completely avoid being seen together in public during this entire filing period," Harry advised bluntly. "Any photos of you two together right now will be weaponized by Christian’s legal team to prove alienation of affection."

Roxanne looked over at Richard. His entire face hardened, his jaw clenching so tightly a muscle ticked violently beneath his tan skin.

She swallowed the bitterness in her throat and nodded at the phone. "I understand, Harry. Just send over the paperwork."

With a brief confirmation, the line went dead.

The silence returned, heavy and thick.

Richard turned toward her immediately, his jaw tight. "I am not leaving you alone to face that lunatic in a courtroom, Roxanne."

Roxanne reached out, placing her smaller hand over his clenched fist, feeling the rigid tension in his knuckles. "You have to, Richard. There’s no need to worry. I know exactly how to handle him," she said. "If he wants a fight, then let him fight me in court instead of attacking your family."

Richard stared at her, his eyes searching hers before he finally let out a frustrated growl. "Fine. But I am absolutely not letting you go through this alone. First things first, I’m helping you move your things out of that penthouse."

Roxanne let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. "I can’t just pack up a suitcase, Richard. Have you forgotten he literally changed the locks?"

"Then we go there with a police escort," Richard said without a shred of hesitation, his tone commanding and absolute. "Or I will hire a locksmith to drill the core out of that door myself."

Roxanne looked at his fierce expression, and a warm smile finally broke through her exhaustion. She leaned in slightly, her eyes dancing with a sudden spark of amusement.

"Actually, I have no intention of letting him keep that apartment," she murmured. "If I’m bringing the police to that building, Richard. It’s going to be to throw Christian out on the street."

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