Chapter 4 - Lauren’s Husband Called Me
Lauren had told everyone she was divorced.
She wasn't.
Not yet.
Separated, yes.
Divorce pending.
Her husband was Michael Pierce.
Forty-six.
Corporate architect.
He called me after finding my number through an attorney.
“I think our spouses are together.”
“I know.”
He sounded surprised.
“How long?”
“Apparently at least months.”
A silence.
Then:
“Room 1708?”
My stomach dropped.
“You know the room?”
“It’s at the Bellmont Hotel in Nashville.”
He laughed once.
Without humor.
“She told me she liked that hotel because Meridian had a corporate rate.”
Then Michael said:
“There’s something else.”
Of course there was.
Lauren had asked him to sign a marital property agreement regarding her expected acquisition bonus.
He refused.
She told him the payout related entirely to future employment.
His lawyer disagreed.
Their separation became hostile.
Michael suspected Lauren and Ethan were both trying to arrange their financial lives before their spouses understood the acquisition timeline.
I told him about:
Once the money clears, Rachel and the kids won’t be our problem anymore.
He became quiet.
“Rachel, I don’t think she means one payment.”
“What does she mean?”
“Closing.”
Meridian’s acquisition was expected to close within weeks.
Lauren’s compensation package could exceed $2 million.
Ethan’s was smaller.
Still potentially seven figures when accelerated equity and bonus were combined.
If both divorces began before closing, every transfer would be scrutinized immediately.
So they had a reason to keep us calm.
May you like
Not forever.
Just long enough.
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