Chapter 3
Richard's words hit Helen like a slap across the face.
He told her to get out.
He was kicking her out of her own home.
All just to make space for the woman who'd taken over everything that was hers.
Helen stared at Richard, completely stunned, as if she were meeting the man for the first time in her life.
She thought she'd fall apart, burst into tears, or maybe even throw a fit right then and there.
But to her own surprise she didn't. She stood there, numb, unable to feel anything at all.
So that was what it felt like when a heart finally went numb.
There was no pain worse than a heart that had given up.
She couldn't even cry anymore.
Helen didn't say a word. She turned around, quietly picked up her suitcase from the floor, opened the door, and walked out without looking back.
Behind her, Linda's voice rang out, full of phony concern.
"Rich, don't do this. Helen just got back. Where is she supposed to go?" she said, her tone oozing with fake sympathy.
Then came Richard's impatient voice.
"Leave her alone! I let her get away with too much and this is what it got me. Let her cool off outside," he snapped, his frustration clear.
Helen closed the door behind her, the soft click echoing in the hallway.
With that, she shut herself off from everything inside.
And with it, she left behind forty years of marriage and everything they had ever shared.
Standing in the hallway, the evening breeze drifted in, carrying a chill that seeped into her bones.
Only then did Helen notice that her hands and feet were freezing and that she was shaking so hard she could barely stand.
She dragged her suitcase behind her, drifting out of the neighborhood like a lost soul.
She had no idea where to go.
This was the city she had lived in her whole life, and right then there wasn't a single place in it that belonged to her.
In the end, she found the cheapest motel she could near the neighborhood.
The room was tiny, and the air was thick with the smell of disinfectant.
She dumped her suitcase in the corner and collapsed onto the bed, feeling completely drained.
The ceiling light was cold and bleak, its harsh glare making her eyes ache.
She just lay there, staring at the ceiling, wide awake until the first light of dawn.
She didn't sleep a wink all night.
Her mind kept replaying yesterday afternoon, over and over.
The annoyed look on Richard's face.
Linda's smug grin.
And that cold, merciless line. "Then you're the one who should leave."
By the time dawn broke, Helen's eyes were dry and gritty, bloodshot from a sleepless night.
But her mind was clearer than ever.
She didn't cry anymore.
She didn't feel hurt anymore.
After all the anger and sadness, all that was left inside her was a cold, numb calm.
She pulled out her phone and called her son.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Mom? Why are you calling so early? Is something wrong at home?" David's voice was still groggy with sleep.
Helen paused for a moment, then said, "It's nothing. I only wanted to ask when Emma leaves next week, so I can book my ticket back."
She didn't mention that she'd already come back to her hometown.
She didn't say a word about what had happened yesterday.
She knew David was already swamped with work and stress, and she couldn't put this on him too.
This was her battle, and she had to fight it alone.
"Her flight's next Wednesday. Mom, don't rush back. I've got things covered here," David said, his voice still a little groggy.
"Alright, I got it," Helen replied, her voice steady.
After hanging up, Helen stayed sprawled on the bed for a bit, feeling drained and lost.
Eventually, she dragged herself up and headed into the bathroom.
Looking at the exhausted, aged woman in the mirror, Helen felt like she was staring at a stranger.
She'd spent her whole life working herself to the bone for her family, her kids, and her husband.
She'd forgotten who she even was.
She'd forgotten how to live for herself.
From this day on, everything would be different.
For once, she was going to live for herself.
She was going to take back everything that belonged to her.
Her dignity and her property, and she wasn't giving up a single piece of it.
She took a shower, changed into some clean clothes, and felt a whole lot better.
She grabbed her phone and started browsing through her contacts.
Her finger hovered over a name.
Alex Young.
He was her cousin's grandson, a young lawyer only a few years into his career.
He might be new to the game, but everyone said he was sharp and quick-witted.
After hesitating for a second, she went ahead and called him.
"Hello, Alex? It's Helen," she said, her voice steady.
Alex's voice came through, sounding genuinely surprised.
"Helen? Wow, what made you call me out of the blue?" he asked, clearly caught off guard.
"Alex, I need your help with something legal," Helen said, keeping her voice steady.
Alex immediately shifted into a professional mode, his voice turning serious.
"Tell me what happened, Helen," he said, concern clear in his voice.
Helen told Alex everything that happened yesterday, leaving nothing out.
She didn't exaggerate and she didn't get emotional. She laid out the facts.
There was a long, heavy silence on the other end.
After a long pause, Alex finally spoke, his voice trembling, barely holding back his anger.
"Helen, I understand," he said, his tone serious.
"Where are you right now?" he asked, his voice steady.
"I'm at the motel right by the neighborhood entrance," Helen replied.
"Alright, just stay put. I'll come find you right away. Let's talk face to face," Alex said, his tone firm and reassuring.
Half an hour later, Alex showed up.
He looked at Helen, and his heart ached for her.
"I'm really sorry you had to suffer like this, Helen," Alex said, his voice gentle and sincere.
Helen shook her head.
"There's no point in that now. Alex, tell me what I should do," she said, her voice steady but with an edge of desperation.
Alex pushed up his glasses, his eyes suddenly sharp and alert.
"Helen, from what you've told me, your husband has all but taken a second wife, or at the very least he's been living with another woman for a long time.
"But for all this, we need proof.
"What I'm most worried about is that he might've already started secretly moving the money and property you two own together."
Helen's heart sank.
"How do I even get proof?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Alex paused, thinking hard, then looked at her and dropped a bombshell that made Helen's jaw drop.
"Helen, the first thing you need to do is go home," Alex said.
Helen was stunned.
"Go home?" she echoed.
"Yes," Alex replied, his gaze unwavering. "Not only do you need to go home, but you have to act like nothing ever happened.
"Pretend yesterday was just a misunderstanding. Tell him you spent the night out thinking things over and decided to forgive him.
"You need to go back, keep him steady, and make sure that woman doesn't get any funny ideas.
"If you blow up now, you'll just push him right into her arms and make them rush to move the assets."
Helen never expected Alex to suggest something like this.
How was she supposed to go back and act like nothing had happened?
Alex could see the hesitation in her eyes.
He lowered his voice, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Helen, just hear me out," he said.
"When you go back, you have two main tasks.
"First, find the house deed, his bank card info, and any other important documents. Snap photos of everything for evidence.
"Second, and this is the most important part."
He pulled a small voice recorder from his briefcase and handed it to Helen.
"Try to get them to spill the truth, and make sure you record it."