Chapter 3

Over the next two weeks, James' attitude shifted noticeably. He was not being kinder. He was just suddenly all formal and overly polite. It felt as if he was treating me like an employee who was about to get the axe.

James started coming home right on time, trying to play the perfect husband. Every night, he would place his phone face down on the nightstand.

But he never touched me anymore. Even when we passed each other in the hallway, he would make sure to turn his body away.

On the tenth day, James finally laid his cards on the table. He looked me straight in the eye and said, "Rachel, let's get a divorce."

He sat across from me at the dining table, his hands clasped together, as if he were closing a business deal. "No hard feelings. Let's end things cleanly and move on."

I stared at him and asked, "And your reason?"

"We are just not compatible anymore. After six years, you act more like my personal auditor than a wife," James said.

I asked, "Is this because of Susan?"

"No. It is just work between us," he replied.

I looked right into his eyes. He always looked up to the left when he lied. That time, he kept his eyes locked on the ceiling spotlight in the corner.

"Fine," I said, keeping my tone even. "How are we splitting the house, the car, and the savings?"

James pulled out a handwritten list and slid it across the table to me.

The apartment was his. He claimed it was because he had paid the down payment. He got the car. It was because it was under his name. Out of our four hundred thousand dollars in joint savings, he offered me 230,000 dollars.

"The down payment on the house was one million dollars, and there was still 310,000 dollars left on the mortgage," James said. "I have been making the monthly payments all these years. You are getting 230,000 dollars in cash, so you are not getting shortchanged."

I pointed out, "My family contributed half a million dollars toward the down payment."

"Was that a loan or a gift from your father? Do you have an IOU or anything?" James shot back.

No. When we got married, my parents had put together their life savings to help him with the down payment. They had wired it straight to his account. They didn't ask their son-in-law for an IOU.

"And besides," James said, pulling out another piece of paper, "your salary over those seven years mostly went to daily expenses. The real growth in our family assets came from my income."

James had come prepared.

I reached out and took the list, scanning it from top to bottom. It only mentioned assets inside the country.

There was no sign of Harbor Holdings Ltd. There was no mention of any overseas accounts. None of the information I had found in the bank system appeared on it.

"What if I do not agree?" I asked.

James leaned back in his chair, looking smug. "Then we will do it the legal way. Drag it out for a year or two. Your monthly salary is eight thousand dollars. Go ahead, hire a lawyer, and see if it is worth it."

The doorbell rang again. This time, it was not Linda. Instead, a woman walked in wearing a beige trench coat and nude heels, a Velorium bracelet gleaming on her wrist. It had cost 16,000 dollars. It was the exact same one.

Susan stood in the doorway, her gaze meeting mine without a hint of hesitation. She was not there to hide.

James got up and walked over to her, his voice suddenly much gentler than it had been just moments before. He said, "Susan, what are you doing here? Did I not say we would handle this at home?"

Susan said, "I figured you might need backup. I did not want you to mess up the negotiation alone."

She glanced at me and gave a polite smile. "Ms. Foster, it is nice to meet you. I am Susan Manning, James' business partner," she said.

Business partner, huh.

My eyes narrowed just a bit. I stared at the Velorium bracelet on her wrist, refusing to say a word.

"Ms. Foster, James already told me about your situation," Susan said, setting her purse on the sofa as if she owned the place.

"Honestly, we are all adults here. It is better for everyone if we end things cleanly. Take a look at this plan. James is being more than fair," she added.

She pointed at the list on the table and said, "With 230,000 dollars in cash, you will have more than enough to start over, plenty to tie things up."

She meant "plenty to spare," but she said "plenty to tie things up."

I suddenly felt like laughing. It was not out of anger, but because everything had become crystal clear. It was so clear that it felt like a safe's lock springing open after the right combination was entered.

"Alright," I said, my voice steady. I set the list down. "I will take three days to think it over."

James and Susan exchanged a glance, both visibly relieved.

I grabbed my bag and walked out of the apartment, the one that still had my name on the deed. As the elevator doors slid shut behind me, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

I asked, "Lucy, are you still taking divorce cases?"