“But the appreciation on your mother’s house during our marriage isn’t,” Ethan said. “And neither is the money you kept in our joint account.”

He leaned down until his face was inches from mine.

“I will sue you for every single penny of marital property I can find,” he whispered. “I will tie you up in court for years.”

I looked at him, seeing the desperate man behind the threat.

For the first time, I wondered just how deep his financial troubles really went.

“You’re threatening to divorce me over this?” I asked.

“You made your choice when you signed those papers,” Ethan said.

He turned and walked toward the hallway, his boots thudding heavily against the floor.

Linda gave me one last, icy glare before following him out of the room.

The heavy front door clicked shut a moment later.

I sat alone in the quiet dining room, the scattered trust papers lying before me.

My phone buzzed on the table, the screen lighting up with a text message from an unknown number.

I swiped the screen open with a trembling thumb.