Chapter 2
"Awesome!" Sandra's eyes sparkled. "Even though it's joint property, you put down most of the money and the place is under your name. That gives you a real edge. Since he cheated, you can push for a bigger cut in the divorce."
"Yeah," I said, taking a sip of my coffee. "I'm meeting Edith this afternoon."
"Good," Sandra said, squeezing my hand. "Don't worry. I'll be right there with you."
I looked at her and nodded.
At three in the afternoon, I took some time off work and headed to the law firm.
Edith was in her fifties, glasses perched on her nose, looking sharp and professional.
"Have a seat," she said, gesturing to the chair across from her.
I sat down and handed her all the evidence I'd gathered.
Edith put on her glasses and started flipping through the documents.
Five minutes later, Edith looked up.
"You've got solid evidence," Edith said. "With all the bank transfers, chat logs, and the pregnancy report, they clearly show your husband cheated and got his mistress pregnant."
"So what can I go after in the divorce?" I asked.
"First, custody of your child. You've put in more money and spent more time raising him, so the odds are in your favor. Second, you can ask for a bigger slice of the property, especially the house. The deed is under your name alone, which gives you a huge advantage.
"Third, he'll have to pay child support. With his income, that's about 1000 to 1300 dollars a month," Edith explained.
"Alright," I replied.
"But there's one thing," Edith said, giving me a serious look. "Are you really sure about getting divorced? Some people collect all the proof, but in the end, they just let it go and chose to forgive."
"No way," I said. "Cheating once means it's for life. And he even got the other woman pregnant. That's where I draw the line."
"Alright." Edith nodded. "Let's get started on the paperwork."
I spent two hours at the law firm, signed the retainer agreement, and Edith handed me a detailed strategy for the divorce.
I got home at seven that evening.
Melvin was sitting on the couch, and when he saw me, he stood up immediately.
"Babe, let's talk," he said.
"Alright," I said, setting my bag down and taking a seat across from him. "Let's hear it."
"I was wrong," Melvin said, his head hanging low. "I shouldn't have lied to you, shouldn't have been with Colette, and I definitely shouldn't have gotten her pregnant."
"And then what?" I asked.
"I'll break things off with her," Melvin said, finally looking up. "I don't want the baby either. I'll tell her to get an abortion. Can we just put this behind us and be okay?"
I just stared at him.
"How much money did you send her?" I asked.
"U-uh..." Melvin stammered.
"170 thousand dollars, right?" I said, pulling out my phone and shoving the screenshots in his face. "That's 67 transfers over 26 months, about 6000 bucks a month. And don't forget the 45 thousand dollar car, registered under her name."
Melvin's face went ghostly pale.
"That's 220 thousand dollars altogether," I said, sliding my phone away. "And you had the guts to tell me business was bad this year, so we couldn't even afford a renovation."
"B-Babe, I..." Melvin stammered.
I said, my tone icy, "For the school district house, the down payment was 300 thousand dollars. How much did I put in?"
"200 thousand dollars," Melvin muttered.
"And how much did you put in?" I pressed.
"100 thousand dollars," Melvin mumbled.
"The monthly mortgage is 4000 dollars. How much do I pay?"
"2300."
"And you?"
"1500."
I stood up. "I'm the one putting in the money and the effort. Every night I worked overtime till ten, and weekends? I'm stuck babysitting."
I locked eyes with him. "But you? You earn more than me, yet you only give 1500 dollars to this family every month. The rest, 11 thousan`d dollars, goes straight to Colette. Isn't that right?"
Melvin just hung his head, not saying a word.
"You told me we couldn't afford to fix up the house, but you bought her a car," I said. "You claim you love our family, but you went and got your mistress pregnant."
"B-Babe, I really know I messed up," Melvin stammered.
"It's too late," I said, turning toward the bedroom. "I've already hired a lawyer. You'll get the summons tomorrow."
"What?" Melvin shot to his feet. "You're really divorcing me?"
"Yes," I said, glancing back at him. "Did you think I'd ever forgive you?"
"But what about our son?" Melvin asked.
"He stays with me," I said. "You can pay child support every month."
"No way." Melvin walked over. "I won't agree to a divorce."
"It doesn't matter if you agree or not. The court will decide," I said, pushing him away. "You cheated and got your mistress pregnant. I've got all the proof. Who do you think the judge will side with?"
Melvin stood there, stunned.
I walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind me.
Leaning against the door, I took a deep breath.
Finally, I got it off my chest.
*****
The next day, Melvin got served with the legal notice.
When he came home that night, he looked pissed.
"Are you actually going through with this?" He tossed the notice onto the table.
"Yep," I said, without even glancing his way as I kept cooking dinner.
"Why? I told you I'd end things with her for good and try to make it up to you," Melvin said, his voice trailing off.
"Make it up to me?" I said, setting down the spatula and turning to face him. "With what? You've already given 220 thousand dollars to Colette. What's left for me?"
Melvin was speechless.
"I checked your bank statements," I said. "You've only got 25 thousand dollars left in your account, right?"