“What?”
“Name them.”
He glanced at his attorney.
“I should have defended you at dinner.”
“Yes.”
“I shouldn’t have mentioned divorce.”
“You asked for one.”
“I was angry.”
“Brenda insulted me.
You punished me for answering her.”
He looked down.
“We can still fix this.”
My hand rested on my stomach.
“Why?”
“Because we’re having a baby.”
“You have not asked about the baby once without connecting it to money or the divorce.”
His face tightened.
“That’s not fair.”
“You called me after I left.
Your first concern was Tyler’s tuition.”
“He’s a child.”
“So is ours.”
For the first time, Thomas had no answer.
Then his attorney requested another private conference.
The final settlement took weeks, not hours.
There was no dramatic instant victory.
Real consequences arrived through documents, appraisals, disclosures, and deadlines.
The house was valued.
The source of the down payment was verified.
