Chapter 7
James pushed his glasses up and smiled. "Ms. Sullivan, your husband has come here in good faith to resolve this. Neither side wants a public spectacle, do we?"
"I don't care about spectacles."
"Ms. Sullivan, please, let's stay calm. Mr. Carter's proposal is as follows. The apartment goes to Mr. Carter, since the title is in his name. Marital savings split 50-50..."
"50-50?" I cut in. "Our savings were 300 thousand. He spent 280 thousand on his mistress and their baby. That leaves 20 thousand. Split that in half, and I walk away with 10 grand?"
James' smile stiffened.
"Ms. Sullivan, regarding the 280 thousand figure, I'd need to see specific evidence..."
"Mr. Shaw has it. Bank statements, transfer logs, vehicle registration, itemized receipts. Which one would you like?"
James turned to look at Eric.
Eric's face had gone pale.
"Nina, you pulled my bank records?"
"You used our marital funds to bankroll your affair. What exactly is the problem with me looking at our own finances?"
"That's my money!"
"Income earned during a marriage is community property. That's basic family law. Did your attorney skip that part?"
James cleared his throat. "Ms. Sullivan, the application of specific statutes depends on the circumstances..."
"Then we can let the court sort out the circumstances."
Carol couldn't sit still any longer. "Nina! You're a girl from nowhere making 2,800 a month. Where do you think you're getting the money for a lawyer?"
"Mom, that's not something you need to worry about."
"Let me tell you something. My son is the victim here! You married him, gave him nothing in three years. No baby, no money, no connections. Is it any wonder he found someone who could give him a son?"
I looked at Carol.
"Mom, did you know your son bought Laura a car? The price tag was 45 thousand dollars. With our money."
Carol blinked.
"And that 65 grand he transferred to your account wasn't for medical bills. It was to hide assets."
"That's a lie!"
"The bank records show that three days after that money hit your account, you forwarded 50 thousand of it to a private account Eric opened under a second name."
Every drop of color left Carol's face.
Eric slammed his palms on the table and stood up. "Nina, that's enough! I told you, I am not signing anything!"
"Eric, listen carefully," I said, keeping my voice even. "No signature means court. And in court, every piece of evidence goes on the record. The affair, the baby, the hidden money. How long do you think you'll last at your company after that?"
His breathing turned ragged.
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm stating facts."
James placed a hand on Eric's arm, signaling him to stay calm.
"Ms. Sullivan, perhaps we can revisit the terms..."
"There's nothing to revisit." I pulled a printed copy of the divorce agreement from my pocket and set it on the coffee table.
"The apartment is divided by contribution. After the 280 thousand he misappropriated is deducted from marital assets, I get 70 percent of the remainder. He pays an additional 65 thousand in damages. That's my bottom line."
"You want 65 thousand?!" Carol leaped off the couch. "In your dreams!"
"Take it, or take it to court. A judge might award me more."
Eric stared at the agreement, a vein pulsing at his temple.
"Nina, you never used to be like this."
"And you never used to have a baby with another woman."
He clenched his jaw, turned on his heel, and walked out.
Carol followed. James gave me an awkward nod, tucked his portfolio under his arm, and left too.
The door slammed for the second time that week.
I gathered up the agreement and glanced at my phone. Olivia: [The legal blogger is doing a YouTube livestream tonight. She's very interested in your story. Want it posted anonymously?]
After a moment, I texted: [Anonymously, for now.]
Olivia: [Done. I've cleaned up the screenshots and removed all identifying info. She says stories like this pull huge numbers. Could hit a million views overnight.]
I replied: [Fine.]
"Nina, you sure about this? Once it's out there, Eric is gonna lose his mind."
"Whether he loses his mind isn't my concern. What matters is that everyone learns there are consequences for cheating."
That night at 10, the legal blogger went live on YouTube.
The title of the stream read [Husband Goes on Business Trip, Comes Home a Father. Wife Uncovers 280K Affair.]
No real names were used, but every detail was true. Within 30 minutes, 120 thousand viewers had flooded in. The comment section exploded with reactions.
[280K? This dude's got some nerve.]
[The mother-in-law helped hide the money? The whole family's in on it.]
[Girl, RUN. Leaving him with nothing is still too good for him.]
[Men like this deserve to be exposed.]
I didn't watch the livestream. I took a shower, put on a face mask, dried my hair, and read in bed for a while.
At half past 11, my phone started buzzing nonstop.
Eric was blocked, so his calls couldn't get through.
He tried from a different number.
"Nina, was that you?!" he shouted the second I picked up.
"Was what me?"
"That video! My coworkers are sharing it everywhere! Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You..."
The call ended. I blocked that number too. Then I powered off my phone.
That night, I slept like a baby.