Chapter 3
"Scheming against you?" Alice shook her head. "Steve, I poured my heart and soul into you, your mom, and our family in the past five years.
"What did I get in return? Your indifference, the humiliation from your mom, and the death of my daughter. Now, I just want what I deserve back."
The door of the mourning hall was pushed open, and a worker from the funeral home said, "Come in."
Alice shifted her gaze away from Steve, turned around, and walked into the mourning hall.
In the small mourning hall, Betty lay with flowers around her.
She was in her favorite dress that was similar to Snow White's.
Alice walked over and gently caressed Betty's cold face.
"Sweetheart, don't be afraid. Mommy's here. Mommy will seek justice for you. I promise," she whispered.
The funeral was simple, and it lasted for only twenty minutes.
During the entire funeral, Steve lingered near the door of the mourning hall, and he answered two calls.
Alice didn't look back at Steve. She held Betty's urn in her arms and dragged her feet out of the mourning hall.
Steve's car was right in front of the funeral home.
Steve rolled down the window and shouted, "Get in. We need to talk."
Alice ignored him and walked on. His car slowly followed her.
He shouted, "Alice, come on. I can give you the money, but not all my wealth. The house and the company shares are my premarital assets, so you can't take them away."
Alice stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at him.
"Steve, do you know what Betty said to me before she died?" she asked.
Steve was shocked.
Alice said, "She asked me whether her dad disliked her, why he never hugged her, and why he was always away from home. I told her that Daddy was busy.
"Betty said, but, Mommy, I saw a photo of Daddy hugging a woman. That woman had a baby in her belly. Daddy's smile at her was so gentle. Why did Daddy never give me that smile?"
Alice's voice was calm, unusually calm. "Steve, you aren't qualified to be a father, or a human being. I will make you pay. I swear."
Then, she hailed a taxi, got in it, and left.
Through the rearview mirror, she found that Steve's car remained where it was.
Alice withdrew her gaze and hugged Betty's urn close to her chest. "Betty, I will take you home, our home."
She headed to the old neighborhood in the south of the city.
Before her marriage to Steve, she had rented a one-bed flat there.
Her previous landlady, Sara Guillen, was very kind. Sara let Alice move back in soon after she learned of Alice's misfortune.
"Ms. Brown, stay here. As for the rent, pay when you can. No worries," Sara said.
Alice expressed her gratitude to Sara. Then, she gently placed Betty's urn on the little balcony.
In the flat, that balcony was the spot with the longest period of sunlight. Betty loved basking in the sun.
Alice turned on her phone after she tidied the flat.
There were dozens of missed calls from Steve, Rebecca, and Caroline Jacobsen who was Steve's little sister.
The Jacobsen family had left Alice a ton of messages.
Rebecca: [Alice, what do you mean? It is said that you want a divorce and all Steve's wealth. No way!]
Caroline: [Alice, we are family, so it is unnecessary to make a scene like this. Steve now knows what he did was wrong. Why don't you forgive him?]
Steve: [Answer my call.]
Steve: [We need a talk.]
Steve: [Let's talk things over.]
Alice didn't send a reply to the Jacobsen family.
She turned on her laptop and began to sort through the evidence.
Her evidence included her marriage certificate, Betty's birth certificate, Betty's medical bills, the contracts with the lenders, the photo of Steve cheating on her, the screenshot of his chat record with Anna, and a recording.
Three months ago, she had accidentally gotten that recording at the doorway of the study.
*****
Steve was on the phone, and he said, "Anna, don't worry. After the baby is born, his surname will be Jacobsen. I will give him the best life possible.
"As for Alice... I will divorce her after Betty dies. Betty is just a girl, so she can do nothing. I like boys. I need a heir. I love you, Anna. Wait for me."
That was all the content of the recording. Alice saved the recording on her phone.
*****
'All these things are sufficient to convict Steve,' Alice thought.
The next day, she found herself a lawyer.
On the recommendation of her college classmate, she met a divorce specialist who had a good record in the field.
The specialist, Grace Porter, was in her forties and looked sharp and efficient.
Grace flipped through the evidence provided by Alice. Then, she pushed her glasses into place and said, "Ms. Brown, your case is pretty complicated.
"Firstly, the cost of your kid's treatment is a joint debt, so your husband is legally bound to pay half of it.
"Secondly, there is sufficient evidence to convict him of his infidelity. You can ask for compensation for your moral damage. However..."
After a pause, Grace went on, "It will be difficult to get all his wealth away. Unless you can find evidence of his transfer of assets or grave faults."
After a moment of silence, Alice said, "What if I have the evidence of his company's tax evasion?"