“The house was purchased before our marriage, with my personal funds, and held in my private trust,” I said. “You know that. You tried to force me to sign it over, but I never did.”

“I will sue you for every dime!” he roared. “I’ll tie you up in court for the next ten years!”

“The buyer is a cash investor group,” I said. “They have a legal team that deals with this every day. You aren’t dealing with me anymore. You’re dealing with them.”

In the background of the call, I could hear Diane screaming at the workers.

“Tell these grease monkeys to get off our lawn!” Diane yelled.

“You have exactly twenty minutes to pack whatever clothes you need for your trip,” I told Brent. “After that, the security company is disabling your gate codes, and Craig is changing the deadbolts.”

“Tessa, please,” Brent said, his voice suddenly shifting to a desperate, whining tone. “We can talk about this. Let’s just sit down. I love you. We have a daughter.”

“Do not mention Ivy,” I said.

I hung up the phone.