Chapter 2
I booked an appointment with the most sought-after divorce lawyer in town, Melissa Henry.
Melissa was in her forties, sharp haircut, sharper eyes—pure business.
I slid my phone across her desk, letting her scroll through the evidence.
Her frown got deeper with every picture she swiped past.
"Mrs. Read… your husband and your sister—" She stopped, lips pressed tight, sympathy flashing in her gaze.
I nodded. My throat felt raw. "Yeah. I want a divorce. And I want him to walk away with nothing."
Melissa pushed her glasses up her nose. "Legally, the proof of his affair is solid. But forcing him out with empty pockets? That's gonna be tough."
She leaned back, matter-of-fact. "Unless you can prove he's been hiding marital assets or that he's physically abusive—and I mean serious abuse—the court won't strip him clean."
I froze.
Marsh might be a cheating bastard, but he never laid a hand on me.
As for the money… The house? Both our names. The car? His.
Savings? I had a ballpark idea, but not the numbers.
"So… what am I actually entitled to?" My voice trembled.
"By law, marital property gets split down the middle," Melissa replied. "Because he's the one at fault, a judge might tip the scales slightly in your favor, but don't expect miracles."
"So, at best, a little more than half?"
Melissa nodded. "Exactly."
Half—for all the years I gave him my youth, my love, my loyalty.
The thought made bile rise in my throat.
"Ms. Henry," I said, grasping at straws, "if I can prove Elvira—my sister—knew Marsh was married and still chose to sleep with him… does she face any legal consequences?"
Melissa shook her head. "Morally, sure, she's in the wrong. But legally? No. She's not the direct party responsible for the broken marriage.
"Unless she's guilty of bigamy or deliberately sabotaging a military marriage, the law doesn't touch her."
My heart sank.
When I stepped out of her office, the sunlight was blinding.
For a second, I just stood there, dizzy, not sure if I was breathing.
Was I really ready to go down this road?
Expose every ugly secret? Turn my family into small-town gossip fodder?
My parents—how would they survive that kind of blow at their age?
And Larry, my brother-in-law… steady, decent, always away on business.
What would he do if he found out?
I hesitated.
By the time I stumbled back home, my head was foggy. I pushed the door open, and the smell of food hit me.
Marsh was in the kitchen, apron on, playing the doting husband.
"Hey, you're back! Wash up, dinner's ready." He flashed me a smile like nothing in the world was wrong.
The table was set with three dishes and a soup—all my favorites.
Once, that might've warmed my heart.
Now, it just felt cruel.
The more he pretended life was normal, the more my hatred clawed at me.
"Work ran late," I said, forcing my tone to sound casual.
"No worries. Work's important." He set a bowl of soup in front of me. "Try this. Picked up a new recipe—see if you like it."
I sipped. Tasted like sawdust.
After dinner, Marsh took a call—some coworker asking him to play cards.
He grabbed his coat and was out the door in minutes.
The house was silent. Empty. Suffocating.
Then my phone rang. Elvira.
I stared at the screen before swiping to answer.
"Vannie, what're you up to?"Her voice was just as warm and friendly as ever.
"Just… finished dinner," I replied.
"Oh, nice. Hey, quick question—did you see my scarf? Cream color, little flowers on it. I swear I left it at your place."
My brain went wham, like a cymbal crash.
That scarf. Yeah, I'd seen it.
In Marsh's locked photo album—Elvira, wearing it, smiling like she knew exactly what she was doing.
The background? The bay window in our bedroom.
"Uh… nope. Haven't seen it." My voice was trembling.
"Huh, okay. I'll look again. Anyway, Vannie, mind if I crash at your place this weekend?" she asked. "Larry's on a business trip again and I'm bored outta my mind."
"No, not a good idea," I blurted out before thinking.
She hesitated. "What's up? You and Marsh fighting?"
"No, I just… might have to go out of town for work," I lied.
"Oh. Alright then." She sounded a little let down.