Daniel’s a dogged one. Very competitive,
287 needless to say. He won’t fight me for custody—if that’s where
288 you’regoing. He doesn’t have time, and he thinks, I think, I’m
289 a pretty good mom, or at least a devoted one. Since she was
290 born, I’ve loved her more than anyone else. [Pause] Well, that
291 says it all, doesn’t it. Well, maybe not all. In some way, it’s
292 been self-protective. Daniel has always needed “his children,”
293 those terribly sick and dying children, more than he needed
294 me or Jane. [Pause] But I’m not being fair. He adores Jane. He
295 calls us, or used to call us, the Three Musketeers. If we were
296 going somewhere, out to dinner or maybe a movie, the two
297 of them would go through this silly ceremony of departure,
298 a kind of Monty Python changing of the guard. I was the
299 audience. It started when Jane was about 3. He’d stand at
300 the side door and shout out, “Musketeers on the forecastle.”
301 Hearing those words, from wherever she was, Jane would fling
302 herself down the stairs to join him. When she got there, he’d
303 hold out his right hand and say, with a very solemn face, “All
304 for one.” Jane would high-five him and answer with an equally
305 solemn face, “And one for all.” Then he’d scoop her up, throw
306 her over his shoulder, and carry her out to the car. Jane was
307 in heaven in those moments; I think he was too. [Pause] The
308 Musketeers have disbanded.
309 Q. Was your husband’s decision to start divorce proceedings
310 a surprise to you?
311 A. No. Yes. He told me on January 3rd, three days into
312 the New Year, that he wanted a divorce. It threw me into
313 a tailspin. I thought we’d live unhappily ever after. I never
314 thought he’d go through with a second divorce. I asked him
315 if there was another woman. He said no but I don’t believe
316 him. I know his modus operandi, after all. I think he’s been
317 messing around with Dr. Stephanie Roth, a dermatologist
318 with a private practice in New York. They were in med school
319 together, and they’ve been intermittently in touch since.
320 She’s apparently
the
person to see for wrinkles in the City.
321 Her bread and butter is rejuvenating work, Botox, dermal
322 abrasions, and the like. She had a write-up once in
Harper’s
323
Bazaar
. Her face looks like it’s been ironed. [Pause] Do you
324 remember that scene in
A Man for All Seasons
, when More
325 confronts Richard Rich for betraying him in exchange for
326 being made Chancellor of Wales? More says to him, “I can
327 understand a man giving up his soul for the world, Richard,
328 but for Wales?” That’s how I feel. I can understand Daniel
329 leaving me, but for Stephanie Roth?
330 Q. You seem very composed now.
331 A. Xanax. I took 3 mg. before I came. I’ve been seeing an
332 analyst from Northeastern Psychoanalytic, for 6 years. Isabel
333 Stokes. Over the years, she’s prescribed for me a variety of
334 antidepressants. Right now I’m on Wellbutrin. I’ve been
335 depressed since I was 10. I’m a pretty high-functioning
336 depressive, but a depressive nonetheless. Daniel hates it; he
337 takes it personally. I can’t blame him altogether. Depressives
338 are downers. Dr. Stokes gave me Xanax back in January. I
339 was so anxious, I couldn’t read, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t
340 eat. I took it pretty regularly in January and February, but
341 now I only take it when I think an occasion calls for it. Like
342 this. When I was given the summons at Golightly’s, I almost
343 passed out. Since then, I never travel without the Xanax. I
344 still haven’t gotten over it. I can’t believe Daniel would have
345 agreed to that, but maybe I’m
Heidi Hunter, Bad Boy Team