“Do you remember that prenuptial agreement you signed?” she asked. “And the original paperwork for the house?”
I frowned. “The prenup because his family ‘always does it that way.’ And the house—my parents paid most of the down payment as a wedding gift. The place is in both our names now.”
“Why bring this up now?” I asked.
“Because you keep acting like the girl who just wants everyone happy,” she said. “It’s time you act like the woman who owns that house.”
She paused. “His family is going to Maui next week. You don’t have to stay here watering their plants and waiting for the next time they decide whether you belong.”
That night, Nolan texted to remind me to lock the doors and to pick up “nice boxes for Mom’s souvenirs from Maui.” I stared at the message and started laughing, and then the laughter turned into tears.
This is over, a voice whispered inside me. It’s really over.
Unlocking the Door He Kept Closed
The next morning, Renee showed up at my front door with coffee and a bag of pastries.
“Black coffee with a touch of oat milk, just how you like it,” she said. “And your favorite almond croissant. Now sit, and tell me what you’d want to protect if you walked away.”
I stared into the coffee. “If I wanted a divorce… how would I protect myself?”
I nodded. “They covered almost everything up front. I paid about seventy thousand dollars more in upgrades from my savings. His family chipped in a little, then insisted his name go on the title so he ‘wouldn’t look like a freeloader.’ I agreed. I wanted peace.”
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