She stood and approached the witness box, holding a folder.
“Dr. Bennett, you testified that your wife offered to support you financially during medical school,” she said. “Is that correct?”
“Yes,” he said.
“And you accepted that offer?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“For four years, you contributed no income to your household,” Patricia said. “Correct?”
“I was in medical school,” Trevor said. “I couldn’t work—”
“That’s not what I asked,” Patricia cut in. “For four years, you contributed zero to household expenses. Yes or no?”
Trevor shifted uncomfortably.
“Yes,” he said.
“And your wife worked on average sixty to seventy hours per week during those four years,” Patricia continued. “Is that correct?”
“I don’t know the exact hours,” Trevor said, “but she was working, yes.”
Patricia opened the folder.
“I’d like to submit Exhibit A—text messages between Dr. Bennett and Mrs. Bennett from September of his first year of medical school,” she said.
She handed copies to the judge and to Richard.
“Dr. Bennett, did you send these messages?” she asked.
Trevor looked at the printout.
His jaw tightened.
“Yes,” he said.
“Can you read the message from September fourteenth aloud for the court?” Patricia asked.
Trevor cleared his throat.
“Babe, I know this is hard. I know you’re working like crazy to keep us afloat. I promise when I’m a doctor, I’ll make this up to you. I’ll pay back every cent you’ve spent on me. We’re in this together.”
“Does that sound like a casual comment to you, Dr. Bennett,” Patricia asked, “or does it sound like an explicit promise?”
“It was—I was expressing gratitude,” he said weakly. “It wasn’t meant to be a literal contract.”
Patricia pulled out another document.
“And here’s Exhibit B—the promissory note you signed in October of your first year,” she said. “Do you remember signing this?”
“Vaguely,” Trevor muttered.
“It states very clearly, ‘I, Trevor Bennett, acknowledge borrowing funds from Michelle Washington for educational expenses and agree to repay the full amount within five years of completing my medical education.’ That’s your signature at the bottom, correct?” Patricia asked.
“Yes, but I only signed that because Relle was nervous about taking out a loan,” he said. “It wasn’t meant to be a real contract.”
“It has your signature,” Patricia said. “It’s witnessed. It’s dated. In what way is that not a real contract?”
“It—it was just to make her feel better,” Trevor stammered. “She was worried about the debt.”
“So you signed a legal document under oath with no intention of honoring it, just to placate your wife?” Patricia asked.
“Objection,” Richard said quickly. “Argumentative.”
“Sustained,” Judge Morrison said, though he was watching Trevor with interest.
Patricia nodded and changed course.
“Dr. Bennett, when did you decide you wanted a divorce?” she asked.
“Around the time I graduated from medical school,” he said.
“And when did you tell your wife?” she asked.
“At my graduation celebration,” he replied.
“So you waited until you’d successfully completed your education—your education, that she had fully financed—to inform her that the marriage was over,” Patricia said.
“The timing wasn’t intentional,” Trevor protested. “The marriage just wasn’t working.”
“Interesting,” Patricia said. “Because in six years of marriage, you never mentioned marital problems before then, did you?”
“We had normal problems like any couple,” he said.
“Did you ever seek marital counseling?” she asked.
“No,” he said.
“Did you ever tell your wife you were unhappy?” she asked.
“We didn’t communicate well toward the end,” he said, “because—”
“Because you were busy starting a relationship with Dr. Vanessa Hunt?” Patricia asked.
“Objection,” Richard snapped. “Relevance.”
“I’ll allow it,” Judge Morrison said. “Answer the question, Dr. Bennett.”
Trevor’s face flushed.
“Vanessa and I became close during my last year of medical school,” he admitted. “Yes.”
“Close enough that you introduced her to your wife as your new partner at your graduation party?” Patricia asked.
“I didn’t introduce her as my partner,” Trevor said quickly. “We were colleagues.”
“Is Dr. Hunt here today?” Patricia asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Why would a colleague attend your divorce trial?” she asked.
Trevor hesitated.
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