Chapter 3

After we left the hospital, I helped Flora, who was cursing the whole way, over to a taxi.

The driver took one look at the situation and hesitated, not wanting to take us.

It was only after I slipped him an extra two hundred bucks that he reluctantly let us get in the car.

After that, I took her to the three-bedroom apartment that Ronald and I had bought after we got married.

When she first got sick, she'd lived here for the better part of a year, so she knew the place well.

Once we were inside, I ran a hot bath for her.

When I was drying her hair afterward, her eyes looked a little clearer.

She suddenly looked up at me and said, "Tracey, I'm sorry... that bastard Ronald is just like his father. I'm so sorry you've had to suffer like this..."

My hand stilled. I draped the towel around her neck, smiled, and said, "Mom... he's the one in the wrong, not you... you don't need to apologize for him."

Flora sighed and gently took my hand. "Tracey, you're a good girl. I know that all these years, you're the only one who's truly been good to me. Don't worry... Mom will make sure that little slut pays for this..."

I gently slipped my hand free and patted the back of hers. "Mom, you're tired. Get some sleep first, and we'll talk more tomorrow."

I settled her in the guest bedroom, tucked the blanket around her, and put on some soft music.

Before long, the sound of steady snoring filled the room.

I quietly pulled the door shut and went to the study to turn on the computer.

The wedding photo in its frame was still sitting on the desk.

The picture was of Ronald and me, taken seven years ago.

Back then he hadn't put on the weight yet, and his smile was open and guileless.

I reached out, wiped the dust off the glass, and gave a cold laugh. "Sure enough, feelings are the thing that can least survive being tested..." Then I flipped the frame over and laid it face down on the desk.

"But now that the feelings are gone... all that's left is to talk about money!"

5

I pulled up records for all of our family's bank cards and assets.

I started going through the last six months of transactions, page by page.

That's when I found out he'd been quietly transferring out a lot of money.

The recipient's name was always Lois Pruitt, and altogether he'd moved four million dollars out.

That was how I finally learned the mistress's name.

I took a deep breath and pushed down the anger churning in my chest.

I opened the stock account Ronald used most often.

Sure enough, the holdings that had once been worth over three million were now down to nothing.

I'd had my suspicions before.

How had Ronald managed to pull out money and cheat without anyone noticing?

The money in our joint account clearly hadn't been touched much.

So this was the real reason.

After that, I checked the deed for the storefront property.

The name on the deed hadn't changed, and only then did I let out a long breath.

Then I took screenshots of all the transfer records and transaction details, saved them to the USB drive I always carry, and sent a message to my friend who's a lawyer.

"Irvin, I'm going to the county clerk's office to file for divorce first thing tomorrow. There may be a lawsuit down the line. Can we meet tomorrow morning?"

Irvin was my college classmate.

The moment he heard I wanted a divorce, he immediately understood what was going on.

He replied instantly: "Come straight to my office tomorrow. Don't worry... you won't lose a single penny of what's rightfully yours!"

I typed back, "Thank you," then turned off the computer, leaned back in my chair, and lit a cigarette.

I rarely smoke; I only take a drag when something is really eating at me.

In the drifting smoke, I remembered when Ronald and I first started dating.

He'd just graduated back then, working as a supervisor on a construction site, so broke he couldn't even afford a decent suit. I called in favors all over to line up work for him and helped him earn his first real money.

With his eyes red, he'd held my hand and said, "Tracey, someday I'm going to give you the kind of life everyone envies."

I was pretty moved at the time. I thought I'd read him right.

Looking back now, it's honestly laughable.

It really does prove that old saying.

It's easy to share hardship, but hard to share good fortune.

The next morning, I bought Flora coffee and a bagel.

She was eating when she suddenly said, "Tracey, once you finish the paperwork today, you go on and leave. Mom will handle the rest!"

I stopped mid-bite of my bagel and said nothing, my eyes reddening despite myself.

She set down her bowl, wiped her mouth with her sleeve, her gaze as fierce as ice. "Don't worry... I won't let you suffer for nothing. Today I'm going to claw that little slut's face to shreds!"

I forced a smile and nodded. "Thank you, Mom... it's about time. Let's go!"