Chapter 3

The next day, I took Dad to the bank.

He pulled out a savings book and placed it beside me.

Dad said, "There's 280 thousand dollars in here. Your mother left this behind. I was planning to give it to you once you had a child."

I pushed it back to him. "Dad, I can handle this."

Dad argued, "You have to check your balance before you can even afford a bus ride. How are you supposed to handle it?"

His eyes reddened as he continued, "Em, I used to tell you to put up with things. I thought that as long as Alexis wasn't cheating on you, she was a good wife. Well, I was wrong."

I pushed the savings book back toward him. "My lawyer has already filed for an injunction to preserve our assets. I'm not walking away with nothing."

Just then, Alexis' lawyer called.

He said in a polite tone, "Mr. Selcer, the marital home was purchased under a contract signed before your marriage, so in principle, it's Ms. Lomb's premarital property. Ms. Lomb considers the 450-thousand-dollar down payment you mentioned to have been a gift."

I argued, "The transfer memo says it was for our joint home."

The lawyer said, "But the deed is only in Ms. Lomb's name."

I responded, "Because she told me I wasn't eligible to buy property as I wasn't from this state."

The lawyer paused. "I strongly recommend that you negotiate with Ms. Lomb. Continuing with the lawsuit won't benefit either of you."

After the call ended, I immediately checked my old bank account. The transfer record for that 450 thousand dollars was still there. However, the purchase agreement and payment receipts I'd kept at home were all gone.

I called Alexis. "Did you take my property documents without my permission?"

Alexis replied, "I have the right to take anything in our marital home."

Her voice was absolutely calm, and it sounded as though she were driving.

After a moment, she said, "Come home. We'll talk in person."

I demanded, "Give me my documents back."

"Withdraw the lawsuit first."

"That 450-thousand-dollar deposit came from selling my apartment before we got married."

She questioned, "So? When you married me, you said you wanted us to build a home together. Now that we have one, you're trying to turn everything you contributed back then into a debt I owe you?"

I tightened my grip on the phone. "The house is now worth 12 million dollars, yet you're unwilling to acknowledge the 450 thousand dollars I put in?"

Alexis replied, "It's not that I won't acknowledge it. You just don't have the evidence."

Then, I heard Wesley's voice in the background. "Alexis, should I go with cream curtains or light gray?"

Alexis paused before answering softly, "Cream. You like brighter surroundings."

I asked, "Are you at his place?"

She said, "He just moved. I'm helping him pick things out."

"Which card did you use to pay his rent?" I pressed.

"Emmett, stop interrogating me."

"Was it our joint household account?"

Alexis was silent for two seconds. "I earned all the money in that account."

I looked at the savings book Dad had given me.

My voice grew increasingly cold as I spoke to her. "So, giving me 300 dollars is a joint household expense, but giving him 120 thousand dollars out of your own pocket isn't an issue?"

Alexis finally lost her patience. "He's different from you. He knows how to appreciate what people do for him. He doesn't take other people's sacrifices for granted."

I hung up and rushed back to our house. The door code had already been changed.

Half an hour later, Alexis returned, carrying a bag of decorative pieces Wesley had discarded while furnishing his new place.

Upon seeing me, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

I said, "I'm here for my identification and documents."

She unlocked the door but blocked the entrance. "Withdraw the lawsuit first. Then, you can have them."

I repeated, "My ID and other legal documents are inside."

"I'm your wife. What's wrong with me keeping them for you?"

With that, I pulled out my phone to call the police.

She reached over and pressed down on the screen. "Do you really have to take it so far?"

I stared at her hand and said, "Let go."

Alexis released me and pulled 300 dollars from her wallet. "Here. Your spending money for the next few days."

The bills fluttered onto the mat at my feet.

Alexis said, "Stop being stubborn. You don't have a stable income, and you have Vincent to take care of. Life won't be easy after the divorce. A court summons isn't a trump card. The courts will still look at the evidence."

I didn't take the money.

She was about to close the door when Molly's voice suddenly came from inside. "Alexis, did you change the safe combination? Make sure he can't get his hands on that property contract and the transfer receipt."

Alexis froze.

I immediately hit the record button on my phone.

Through the crack in the door, Molly continued, "If he can't prove anything, he'll come crawling back to you."

Alexis reached for the door, desperate to close it.

I lunged forward and wedged my foot firmly into the gap.