Chapter 4

I ignored him.

A few minutes later, the TV volume blasted louder.

I sat on the edge of the bed, opened Valerie’s contact card, and dialed.

After three rings, a sharp, confident voice answered.

"Hello, this is Valerie."

Her tone instantly made me feel safe.

"Hi, Valerie. My name is Clara. Jenna recommended you to me. I’d like to consult you about a divorce."

"Hi, Clara. Jenna mentioned you," Valerie said. "Is it convenient for you to talk right now?"

"Yes, it is."

"Great. Let’s get a quick overview of the situation. Do you have any hard evidence of your husband's infidelity?"

I gripped my phone, my eyes landing on the thin wooden door of the guest room.

"Not yet."

"That's fine," Valerie said calmly. "We can gather evidence slowly. Tell me about your marital assets first."

I explained the situation with the house.

"He made the down payment before the marriage, and the title is in his name. But we've been paying the mortgage together for three years."

"Even if the mortgage payments came from his bank account, his income during the marriage is considered marital property."

"Exactly," Valerie confirmed. "You are legally entitled to a split of the home equity gained during the marriage, plus the appreciation. Anything else?"

"We have a car he bought in cash before the marriage. Our savings are small, maybe around twenty thousand dollars, all in his account."

"Got it. I'm taking notes," Valerie said, the sound of her typing echoing through the line. "Clara, your husband refuses to sign a separation agreement, correct? He wants you to leave with nothing?"

"Yes. He wants me cleaned out."

Valerie let out a soft laugh.

"Well, he's dreaming."

For three years, no one had ever stood up for me like this.

I blinked back my tears, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Valerie, what documents do I need to prepare?"

"Marriage certificate, IDs, and his personal info if you have it. Also," she paused, "try to gather any evidence of his cheating. While infidelity doesn't dramatically change asset division under the law, it is incredibly powerful leverage during negotiations and mediation. Plus, it proves the marriage is irretrievably broken, which helps push the judge to grant the divorce quickly."

"How do I collect it?"

"Text messages, photos, audio, or video recordings. Just make sure you don't violate privacy laws. For example, a hidden camera in your own home is generally fine, but breaking into someone else's place to take photos is illegal."

My own home.

I looked around the small guest room.

Jared never set foot in this room.

"I understand."

After hanging up, I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

I could hear the faint murmur of the TV next door, and Jared occasionally shouting at the game.

He was so comfortable.

In the middle of the night, a sound woke me up.

I was instantly alert.

The noise came from the living room.

Then, the master bedroom door clicked shut.

I grabbed my phone. The screen lit up: 1:23 AM.

I slipped out of bed barefoot and pressed my ear against the guest room door.

The living room was quiet now, but muffled giggles were coming from the master bedroom.