Chapter 7 - The Unraveling of Ryan Hails
Back in Las Vegas, Ryan’s life had devolved into a living nightmare.
Because Ava refused to sign an annulment, their case was dragged into the contentious gears of Nevada Family Court.
Ava had officially moved into the Summerlin apartment three days after Valentine’s Day. She brought four rowdy roommates, changed the smart locks on the front door, and legally barred Ryan from entering his own home without a court order.
Ryan was forced to live out of a extended-stay hotel near the airport, watching his bank accounts drain by thousands of dollars a week in legal fees.
"She’s demanding half the value of the apartment, Ryan!" his divorce attorney yelled across a desk covered in legal filings. "She claims that because you brought her into the home as your legal wife, she has equity rights! And to make matters worse, she submitted social media posts from your friends proving you willingly walked into the bureau to get married!"
"It was a dare!" Ryan slammed his fist on the mahogany desk, his face pale, dark circles under his hollow eyes. "Where is Nora?! Have you found her yet?!"
"Miss Vance’s attorney in Seattle served us with a formal Cease and Desist last week," the lawyer replied sternly. "If you try to contact her again, she will file for a protective order. Leave her alone, Ryan. You lost her."
"I don't care about the apartment!" Ryan shouted, tears of pure desperation finally overflowing down his cheeks. "I don't care about Ava! I want Nora! She was the only thing keeping my life together!"
"Then you shouldn't have traded her for a twenty-four-hour joke," his lawyer said quietly, closing the case file. "Ava’s settlement offer is three hundred thousand dollars to sign the divorce decree. Pay it, or spend two years in public trial."
That night, Ryan sat alone in his bleak hotel room, staring at a bottle of cheap scotch.
He pulled out his laptop and opened an old folder labeled Nora.
Hundreds of photos popped up on the screen. Nora laughing at the beach in San Diego. Nora asleep on his shoulder during a flight to Chicago. Nora beaming on the day he proposed, holding up her hand with that oval diamond.
He remembered how she used to leave little sticky notes on his bathroom mirror reminding him to take his vitamins. He remembered how she would rub his shoulders after a long day at work without him even asking. He remembered how safe, how peaceful, how noble his life had felt when she was by his side.
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He had thrown it all away so Ava Brooks and a room full of shallow acquaintances would laugh for five seconds on Instagram.
Ryan put his head down on the desk and sobbed until his ribs ached.
