Chapter 4
Willow hesitated, her eyes avoiding mine as she mumbled, "I... I've kept the money safe for you guys, put it in a secure financial fund. It's temporarily inaccessible, so I can't withdraw it right now."
"Temporarily inaccessible?" I smiled. "No worries. If you could show me the investment contract, I'd be happy to take a look. I'm an advertising planner, but I'm pretty familiar with financial products. I can help you break down the returns."
Seeing her face grow more tense, I knew I'd nailed it.
Most likely, she'd already siphoned off that money for something else.
I decided to turn up the heat.
"Oh, and Mom," I added, "if we're all about market prices, maybe we should get really specific."
I turned to Leo, keeping my voice steady.
"Leo, didn't you have a small apartment that you rent out? If we're counting the rent on this place, shouldn't the money from that apartment be included as well? Since we're married, what's earned from it belongs to both of us, right? You owned it before we got married, but the rent it brings in now is our joint income."
I dropped my bombshell.
Leo had let it slip once when we were dating. He said the apartment was left to him by his dad, and his mom had been collecting the rent all this time.
As soon as I said that, not only did Willow's face change, but Leo's expression also shifted completely.
Willow shrieked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "That's my son's apartment! Of course, I collect the rent. What's it got to do with you?"
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "But this house belongs to you and your husband, Jaxon. By that logic, shouldn't I only pay half the rent since I'm living here?"
"You... you're twisting things!" Willow snapped.
Willow's defenses were on the verge of collapse under my barrage.
She finally realized she wasn't up against some pushover she could walk all over.
I wasn't here to bicker. I came to do the math.
Playing by her own "market price" rules, it was time to make things crystal clear.
That night, Leo tried to reason with me.
He sat on the edge of the bed, looking exhausted. "Ellie, can't you just let it go? My mom's getting old. Can't you just go along with her? Is it really worth turning the whole house upside down over a few thousand dollars?"
I was at my laptop, going over all the wedding expenses, and didn't even look up.
"Leo, this isn't about a few thousand dollars. It's about dignity," I said.
I stopped typing, turned to face him, meeting his gaze with a cold look in my eyes.
I said, "When your mom demanded I pay $2,000 in rent, and you just kept quiet, that was the moment our marriage stopped being a family. It turned into a business deal.
"If it's all business now, let's do the math. I'm not trying to take a dime from your family, but you better not think you can treat me like a gold mine."
My words cut like a knife, and Leo's face went pale.
He probably never thought I, the always gentle one, would ever say something so cold.
I pulled up my chat with my best friend and sent it straight to Leo.
About an hour ago, I texted her: [Day two of my marriage and I'm already keeping score.]
She fired back with a barrage of angry emojis and said, [Count it all! With in-laws like that, you deserve to make them pay for every single thing you went through. If you need to walk out, I've got you covered—divorce ready, and I will always have your back!]
I held the phone up to Leo so he could see for himself.
"See this? This is my way out," I told him. "I'm not someone who needs your marriage just to keep going. I make my own way."
That night, Leo and I slept in separate rooms.
Lying on the cold bed in the guest room, I'd never felt more awake in my life.
This battle was way more complicated than I'd ever imagined.
But there was no turning back now.
The next few days, the house fell into a weird, heavy silence.
Willow never mentioned the rent again, but whenever she looked at me, her glare was pure daggers.
Leo became the ultimate sandwich, squeezed in the middle and suffering from both sides. He tried to talk to me but didn't know where to start, ultimately choosing to escape by leaving early and returning late every day.
I knew this was only the calm before the storm.
Willow would never let this go. She was just searching for a new angle of attack.
I couldn't just wait passively.
I reached out to a college friend. She'd built a solid reputation for himself as a lawyer.
Over the call, I spilled all the details: the rent drama, the gifts, and that apartment listed under Leo's name.
When I was done, she said firmly, "Ellie, you're doing the right thing. People like that? Feelings get you nowhere. You have to let the law and hard evidence do the talking. What you need to do now is uncover their complete financial picture."