"It's no use explaining to them; they only believe what they want to believe."
Amara sighed, her view of human nature always leaning towards the pessimistic side.
Keith paced back and forth in the break room, his brows furrowed tightly. Suddenly, he said, "Ama, why don't you just admit to it? Since they’re already accusing you of having an affair, admitting it would really stick it to them."
"No way!" Amara shot back without a second thought.
She and Keith were just friends, but with Keith's celebrity status, any false admissions would bring a heap of trouble their way.
"Oh, there's something else," Amara continued, biting her lip. "After Hogan left earlier, I made a decision. I want to give Finnian back the money and the house I got from the divorce."
"Keith, do you think I'm being incredibly foolish?" she asked with a tinge of apprehension.
Amara was independent and headstrong, but when it came to major decisions, she often sought the support of her close friends. It was this need for support that had caused a rift between her and Keith in the past.
"Not foolish at all," Keith replied calmly, much to her surprise. "They’ve given you money for the marriage back then, right?"
"Yes, they gave me three million dollars and some property as a settlement. During the divorce, Finnian gave me another three million, plus a house worth over ten million."
"Alright, return the money and the house, but keep the initial settlement. If you don’t owe them anything, you can stand your ground next time they try to push you around," Keith advised.
"Our divorce finalizes in a few days. Don’t get me wrong, I have no objections to the divorce. We’ll go get the paperwork done as soon as the period ends. This thing is a done deal. However, I’d like to renegotiate the property settlement.
You gave me a house and three million dollars. I don’t want any of it. I want to leave with nothing. This is the revised settlement agreement. Sign it, and I'll return every cent you transferred to me."
Amara spoke with a calm demeanor. Finnian’s downcast eyes were hidden by his hair, his emotions inscrutable.
"Why give it all up?" he asked, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Is Keith so rich that you don't want my money anymore?"
Amara frowned; his comment was unwarranted. But she chose not to argue, instead replying honestly, "I hadn't planned on changing the settlement, but Liliana came to me a few days ago, demanding I forgo what you gave me and leave with nothing. I refused then. But today, Hogan came to me too, insisting I abandon the settlement and hurling pretty nasty insults my way."
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