Chapter 1

My husband charged me three hundred and fifty dollars for half of our monthly HOA fee while I was nine months pregnant.

That same week, he spent forty-five hundred dollars furnishing another woman’s apartment.

I had just finished my final prenatal appointment alone when I saw Alexander in the hospital hallway.

He had promised to come with me.

An hour earlier, he had texted: Emergency board meeting. I’m sorry, Camille. I can’t make it. But there was no board meeting.

Alexander was kneeling in front of Jessica, carefully slipping a sneaker over her bandaged foot.

“Is that better?” he asked.

Jessica smiled. “I’m sorry you had to miss your meeting because of me.”

“The meeting can wait.”

That morning, Alexander had told me to take a rideshare because he was too busy to attend my appointment.

Now he was on the hospital floor because Jessica had twisted her ankle.

My phone vibrated.

ALEXANDER VANCE REQUESTED $350.00

Half of this month’s HOA fee.

Four months earlier, Alexander had persuaded me to quit my job.

He said the commute was becoming unsafe for the baby. He promised to support me until I was ready to work again.

Three days after I resigned, the first Venmo request arrived.

Half the parking fee at my prenatal appointment. Half the iron supplements my doctor prescribed. Half the nursery paint. Half the groceries we both ate.

I opened my payment history and counted.

Forty-four previous requests. The HOA fee was number forty-five.

Alexander stood and offered Jessica his arm.

Neither of them saw me.

As they disappeared into the elevator, I opened our shared credit-card account.

The charges formed a trail.

Restaurants. Spa appointments.

Grocery deliveries to an address that wasn’t ours.

Then I found the largest payment.

FURNITURE WORLD — $4,500.00

The delivery address belonged to Jessica.

The order included a bed, couch, dining table, dresser and two nightstands.

Beneath it was a gift message:

For your fresh start. You deserve a home where you feel safe. — Alexander

At thirty-four weeks pregnant, I had assembled our daughter’s crib alone because Alexander said the assembly fee was unnecessary.

For Jessica, he had paid it without hesitation.

I downloaded the credit-card statements.

Then I created two folders.

WHAT HE CHARGED ME

WHAT HE BOUGHT HER

I saved every request and receipt.

Then I paid the HOA request and placed the confirmation beneath the forty-four that came before it.

At the top of the folder, I typed:

45

I selected all forty-five requests and sent them to Claire Morgan.

Claire had been my best friend since college.

She was also a family-law attorney.

I added the furniture receipt, the delivery address and Alexander’s gift message.

My phone rang immediately.

CLAIRE CALLING

I declined the call.

Then I sent her a message.

I need you as my lawyer, not my friend.

Three dots appeared on the screen.

Before Claire could answer, I typed one final instruction.

Draft the divorce papers. Don’t contact Alexander.