Chapter 3
"Relax. The law says that if the cheating spouse moves assets around, the other party can get a bigger share." Sarah pointed at the papers. "$290,000 he sent her in the last three years is all marital property.
"We can demand he pays it back, or you get a bigger cut in the divorce."
"How much can I get?" I asked.
"Conservatively, you can walk away with the house."
I nodded. "One more thing." I looked at Sarah. "He has no clue that I know. He thinks I'm totally in the dark."
"Better." Sarah smiled. "When he gets back from Avelaa, we'll give him a real surprise."
I picked up my coffee and took a sip.
The coffee tasted bitter. But inside, I felt nothing but sweet satisfaction.
*****
Curtis came back on June 12th. One day after Wendy got her exam results.
On June 11th, Wendy checked her SAT results. She ranked third in the whole school. She could get into one of the best universities in the country.
I hugged her and cried for a long time.
She really made me proud.
Three years of high school, no dad, no tutoring, no private lessons. She did it all on her own.
Wendy said, "Mom, don't cry." She patted my back. "I can get into a great university. Trust me, Mom. I'll make it big after graduation."
"Alright, I'll be waiting." I wiped away my tears.
That night, I sent Curtis a message: [Wendy did a great job on the SAT.]
He replied: [Oh.]
That was it.
I stared at that word for a long time.
Eighteen years of everything I gave, and all I got was a single "Oh."
I put my phone down and didn't reply.
The next day, Curtis came back.
He walked in with his suitcase, tanned from head to toe.
"You're back, huh?" I stood at the door, watching him.
"Yeah. I'm exhausted." He dropped his suitcase on the floor. "It's boiling in here. Turn on the AC."
I didn't move. "Wendy got a good grade."
"I know. You already texted me." He walked into the living room, switched on the AC, and collapsed onto the couch. "Not bad. She can get into a top university, right?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
He closed his eyes, acting like he was dead tired.
I looked at his face.
He got tanned from the sun, and he looked pretty refreshed.
He was practically oozing that post-vacation relaxation from every pore.
"You seem pretty happy with your trip," I said.
"It was alright. I needed to clear my head." He didn't bother to open his eyes.
"You went alone?"
"Yeah."
I smiled. "Alone in Avelaa, huh?"
"What's the problem? Can't I?" He opened his eyes and looked at me. "It's my money. I can spend it however I want."
"You posted a photo on your feed. There were two lunches in it."
His expression flickered for a split second. "They were the gifts from the hotel."
"The hotel gave you two lunches?"
"Yeah, some kind of promotion."
I nodded, letting it drop. But I knew he was lying. He had always been lying.
Three years of lie after lie. And I'd been waiting for the perfect moment. Now, that moment had finally come.
Wendy came out of her room. "Dad, you're back."
"Yeah." Curtis sat up and looked at her. "Not bad on the exam."
"Thanks." Wendy's voice was flat. There was no affection, no warmth, like she was talking to some random adult.
Curtis frowned. "What's with that attitude?"
"What attitude?"
"Seriously? I'm your dad."
"I know." Wendy looked at him. "But you were in Avelaa on the day of my SAT."
"That was my vacation. I booked it a long time ago."
"So, your vacation matters more than my exam?"
"I figured you didn't need me there. Your mom could take care of you."
"For eighteen years, it has always been Mom taking me." Her voice was steady, but her eyes were red. "You missed my two SSATs. And you missed my SAT.
"How many parent-teacher meetings have you actually been to? Do you remember my birthday?"
"I was busy with work."
"Busy with work. Right. Always busy with work." Wendy turned and went back to her room.
The door slammed shut.
Curtis stared at the door, his face darkening.
"Great job raising her!" He jabbed a finger in my direction. "She thinks she can talk to me like that now?"
I looked at him. "Did she say anything that wasn't true?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you haven't been there for her these eighteen years."
"I bust my ass to support this family. I work myself to the bone. Maybe I wasn't around, but I did my part!" His voice kept getting louder. "And who are you to judge me?"
I didn't say a word. I stared at him.
He suddenly looked a little guilty. "Whatever. I'm taking a shower."
He grabbed his suitcase and headed for the bedroom.
"Hold on," I said.
He stopped.
"How's your 'Billie' doing?" I asked.
He froze. One second. Two. Three. He slowly turned around. "What did you say?"
"I said, how's your 'Billie' doing? She's three months pregnant, right?"
His face went ghostly pale. "How... How do you know that?"
I smiled. "I know a lot more than you think."