Three's Company

3. Liar's Office

Contrary to popular belief, the countryside wasn't totally deserted.

Where she lived, there happened to be one doctor's office, one dentist and two lawyers. That's right. Two whole lawyers.

It was quite the ordeal when the second one decided to move into the area, no one would've believed the empty countryside could be expanding as it was.

To Mona, having grown up in Palestine for seventeen years and leaving her parents behind to study in the states, she didn't know that residing in the country would be so interconnected. Everyone knew everything at all times.

She still had a slight Arab accent, something he once found adorable and impossible to resist. He loved hearing her speak her mother tongue, whenever she was on the phone with her family back home, he'd insist to stay with her until she finished.

Throughout the ten years of being with him, he had learnt a fair few phrases and things to say. Like 'I love you' and the mushy terms of endearment that made her heart soar.

Her long curly dark hair was let down and cascaded down her back, a small smidge of makeup covered her regard and simple yet expensive gold studs decorated her ears.

Unsure of what to wear to such a significant occasion, she wore a blood-red dress that fell below her knees and elegantly hugged her breasts.

Blood red represents her failing marriage. How very appropriate.

"Ms. Callahan is here," the receptionist said pulling her from her thoughts.

"Thank you," A tall stern man said as he stood, Heath by his side. "Please come in and have a seat, Ms. Callahan. My name is Christopher Dunn, and I'll be dissolving the union between you and Mr. Callahan. I sincerely hope this can be a quick and painless matter for the both of you."

Painless.

Pftt, five years too late for that.

She snorted, averting her eyes from the exhausted looking man next to the lawyer. Her soon-to-be ex-husband looked awful, to put it bluntly.

She wondered if he had been able to sleep in the last seven days. It hadn't been that long since they'd seen each other last, well not long compared to his usual time away from her.

And yet, unlike usual, he looked anything but well-rested.

She thought the truth coming out and him being able to go to his mistress's home and stay there without the guilt eating him alive would do him good.

Mona emptied her throat in an awkward cough as she walked into the small office with the two men ahead of her.

They were signing the divorce papers today. Something she wasn't surprised that had been written up and served to her the day after the truth was out.

As she came to sit down on a two-seater sofa opposite a desk, Heath followed suit and their lawyer sat behind the desk on an intimidating leather chair.

Despite being side by side on such a tiny couch, Heath was trying his hardest to not graze his arm against her. She mused.

"It's nice to meet you Christopher, but if we're going to do this then I'd rather you call me Mona, or Miss. El-Issa since that's going to be my name again pretty soon."

"Of course, my apologies." The man said opening a folder in front of him. "So let's get into this so we can go over what the two of you are requesting and why you came to this decision in the first place."

She didn't skip a beat, answering. "To put it simply, my husband has been cheating on me for five years and wants to finally settle down with his lover."