At last, the court scheduled a definitive hearing. Valerie geared up to return to Springfield. Margaret, fixing Mikey’s little hat, gave her a spirited pep talk:
— Valerie, keep your chin up! Show Ethan that he can’t push you around anymore!
Paul added his own support:
— I am coming along, kiddo. Who else is going to back you up? I have a law degree, don’t forget.
Andrew, who had become a regular for morning coffee chats, grinned from the doorway.
— Then I am driving us all. I will be there to support you, whatever it takes.
Valerie looked at the three of them, tears spilling down her cheeks.
— You guys, thank you, she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. — Thank you for being my family.
Andrew blinked, clearly thrown off by her tears; he couldn’t stand seeing her upset. Margaret sniffled, hugging Mikey close to her chest. Paul stood up, tapping his cane.
— Alright, enough crying! You ladies are something else. Everything is going to be okay, so what is with the tears?
Back in Springfield, Ethan was livid. His quilt shop was crumbling—he had spent years blowing the cash on wild nights with Sophia and satisfying her pricey tastes, and now he couldn’t even pay his seamstresses. They were quitting in droves, bad-mouthing him as they left. And now Valerie was back, aggressively pushing for a divorce! Ethan hadn’t expected her to fight.
He had figured she was off sulking in poverty somewhere, not dragging him to court.
— She thinks she can take something from me? he grumbled as he sat in the courtroom. — The condo? I made it perfectly clear what will happen if she tries anything.
Sophia sat next to him, watching the room like a hawk.
— Ethan, look, she is here, she whispered urgently.
Ethan glanced up. Valerie strode into the Springfield courtroom, her head held high. Her new look—short, dark-blonde hair and a sleek, professional blazer instead of her old, baggy sweaters—left him speechless. His phone nearly fell from his hand, his jaw dropping. If he had seen her on the street, he might have missed her, but he certainly would have stopped to stare.
— How did she do this? he wondered, bewildered.
Valerie wasn’t alone. Paul Harrison walked confidently beside her, ready to fight for her rights.
— She got a lawyer? Ethan thought, visibly rattled.
Then there was Andrew, the Peoria taxi driver. His presence threw Ethan for a complete loop.
— No way she has a new guy already. She wouldn’t, he told himself, trying to dismiss the thought.
Sophia leaned over, her voice dripping with irritation.
— Your Valerie is no pushover anymore. Four months, and she’s already got a boyfriend?
— Shut it! Ethan hissed.
Sophia pouted and turned away, crossing her arms, leaving Ethan to dread the task of smoothing things over with her later.
When the proceedings began, Paul handed the judge the documents, including the proof of payment and the condo’s property deed. The judge studied them carefully, nodded, and banged the gavel. Ethan sat through the hearing in a fog, unable to process what was happening until the final ruling.
— You have got to be kidding! That is my condo! I am not giving it up! he yelled, charging toward Valerie in a blind rage.
Andrew stepped in front of her in an instant, a human shield, and court officers grabbed Ethan seconds later. The hearing was done.
Ethan realized with horror that he had lost the condo. Valerie didn’t just win it—she immediately listed it for sale to sever all ties with him. Sophia stood beside him outside the courthouse, looking frustrated and bored.
— What is the plan now? she asked. — I am crashing at my mom’s place until you fix this mess.
— Your mom’s? I thought we would handle this together! Ethan snapped.
— Your mess? I have got my own issues to deal with, she shot back, walking off without a backward glance.
Ethan stood alone on the sidewalk, his world falling apart. His only shot at survival was selling the failing quilt shop. The business was a wreck, but he had heard rumors about a highly successful shop in Peoria that was doing similar work.
— I will head there, offer to sell mine to them, maybe get them to buy me out to cut out the competition, he decided, desperate for a lifeline.
Two weeks later, he found the contact info and booked a business meeting.
At the Peoria quilt shop, a cheerful young woman greeted him at the entrance.
— Come on in, they are waiting for you in the back.
Ethan noticed active construction out back—the shop was clearly growing and thriving. He had heard the owner was a young woman, and he had even pictured charming her into a good deal. But when he walked into the main office, he stopped dead, his face twisting in disbelief. Valerie sat behind the large oak desk.
— What, just standing there? Sit down, don’t waste my time, she said, her voice cool and steady.
— You? Ethan choked out, his voice barely a whisper.
Valerie gave a small, confident smile.
— Surprised to see me?
— You can’t be… he mumbled, unable to form a coherent sentence.
— Ethan, if you have a business offer, let’s hear it. If not, I am very busy.
Ethan sat, glancing nervously at Andrew, who lounged in the corner with a coffee mug, watching him like a guard dog. He knew he was completely outmatched. Valerie knew all about his failures, his debts, and his incompetence.
— Forget this! he shouted, bolting out of the chair and slamming the door behind him.
Valerie raised an eyebrow at the closed door, unfazed. Andrew walked over to the desk.
— Don’t sweat it. I will track him down and talk to him. We will sort it out—he has absolutely no leverage. Plus, we will revive your mother-in-law’s Springfield shop and add it to the chain before our wedding.
Valerie smiled, resting her head against his arm. She trusted Andrew completely: when he made a promise, he always kept it.