Guest Author - Khara

The Million Dollar Divorce by RM Johnson


What happens when really rich people want to divorce their mates? Well, take your pick of evil schemes. They beat, murder, kidnap or rob their spouses. The have them committed to mental institutions. They take all the money and run for some exotic island that I can’t spell or pronounce. Or, as in the case of Nate Kenny, the scheming husband in The Million Dollar Divorce, they emotionally abuse their wives, and pay a stranger a small fortune to seduce the lonely, emotionally overwrought woman, just so that she won’t receive any of Kenny’s fortune -- thanks to a standard adultery clause in the prenuptial agreement.


Nate’s well-planned scheme to get his wife Monica to cheat is too crazy to explain. But I will try to explain why Nate decided he wanted to divorce Monica. It’s simple: Monica can’t have kids. She was not willing to have a child right after she married, at 27, because she wanted to enjoy being a married couple for a while. Three years later, when she is ready and trying to have a baby, she discovers that she has developed premature menopause, a condition that runs in her family. She’s shocked and hurt – she really did want a baby, and the other women in her family did not develop the condition until they were in their forties.


But she isn’t as shocked and hurt as Nate! Oh, poor Nate! (I’m being sarcastic here.) All Nate wanted in this world is to be rich and successful, and to have a family! Monica was supposed to help with the family part, and how she’s denied him the chance to fulfill his dreams. How dare she! She was too selfish to have the child at 27, when she would have still been capable, and even worse, she deceived him by not telling him about this horrible medical condition – the premature menopause – that ran in her family. Nate is determined to divorce Monica, but unless she has committed adultery, she will be entitled to half his fortune.


Now Monica Kenny is a nice girl (and, of course, beautiful, because all the girls in all these books are just plain beautiful), and she doesn’t want to cheat on her husband. Since the day that they met, Nate was kind and romantic and supportive. But Nate’s sudden change from doting and dutiful husband to cold and indifferent roommate has her feeling lonely and neglected. Monica is sure that he’s cheating, and she’s starving for attention – a combination that Nate correctly predicted would make her ripe for an affair.


Essentially, he sets her up, paying another man to seduce his wife and bring him proof. (In the form of panties or photos, I presume. Hey, did I see this happen on a daytime soap?) Watching Monica suffer emotionally, Nate feels a little guilty, but not enough to fess up. He still feels that his actions are justified. (Besides, it’s all her fault. Right?) But watching Monica cheat, Nate feels jealous and begins to have second thoughts about his little plan. Low and behold, Monica actually seems to be falling for the guy that Nate has paid to seduce her, and the guy, Lewis, is falling in love with Monica as well! Suprised? Anyway, things finally whirl out of control, and Monica discovers that both of the men in her life are deceiving her. Of course, both men declare their love and regret, and both want to make it up to her. Goodness, who shall she choose?


All I’ll say is that, all circumstances and options considered, Monica made the smart choice. The Million Dollar Divorce was certainly a roller-coaster ride, entertaining to the last. The writing wasn’t remarkable, though it was clear and straightforward. The only character who seemed to be well developed was Lewis, the guy that was paid to seduce poor Monica. Monica has no memorable personality, and I guess the reader is just supposed to accept that a man can turn from sweet to sour, the way Nate did, without any real explanation. No matter how disappointed he was that Monica could not have kids, I could not comprehend how a man who was formerly sweet and loving could change into such a sneaky, conniving jerk. Was he like that before? Weren’t there signs? Oh well. Suspend disbelief if you can, and enjoy the ride.