I didn't go back down. For 24 years, I had been the man who tried to solve every problem before it became a crisis. If Julia was upset, I asked what was wrong. If we argued, I looked for a compromise. If she pulled away, I assumed there was something I could do to bring her closer.
That night, I finally understood how little those efforts mattered when the other person had already decided to leave. The following morning, I found Julia asleep on the living room sofa. Her suitcase was beside the door, still packed from her trip. She had apparently decided not to return to the bedroom. I made coffee and called Patricia.
"She has the papers," I told her. "She knows I've filed." "Good. From this point forward, keep communication civil and preserve anything related to the finances." If she wants to discuss the divorce, direct her to my office.
She says she was protecting herself. That may be her explanation. We still need to establish where the money went and account for it properly. Don't get drawn into an argument about motives. After the call, I sat at the kitchen table and reviewed the bank statements again.
I had spent years investigating cases where people tried to hide what they had done. The patterns were familiar. What I hadn't expected was how difficult it would be to apply that same discipline to my own marriage. Around 10, Julia came into the kitchen. "Did you tell Natalie?" she asked.
"No, please don't involve our daughter in this. I haven't involved her, but I'm not going to lie. If she asks me what's happening," she folded her arms. "She's going to blame me. That's between you and her."
Julia looked away. For a moment, I thought she might apologize. Instead, she picked up her phone and walked outside. I didn't follow her. About an hour later, Liam called.
He wanted to confirm that his report had reached Patricia and ask whether I needed anything else documented. There's one thing, I said. I don't want you contacting Colin or confronting either of them. Everything goes through the attorney from here. Understood, Liam replied.
The report covers what I was able to verify. If your attorney needs clarification, she can contact me. After we hung up, I returned to the house records and financial documents Patricia had asked me to organize. Then my phone rang again. This time it was Natalie.
Dad. Mom called me. I leaned back in my chair. What did she say? She said you were divorcing her because she went away for a few days.
She said you hired someone to follow her and that you're trying to take all her money. I closed my eyes briefly. That's not what happened. I figured there was more to it, but she sounded really upset. Your mother and I have problems that you shouldn't have to solve.
I won't ask you to choose sides. Did she cheat on you? The question was direct, and I wasn't going to insult my daughter by pretending not to understand it. I have evidence that she was meeting another man and arranging an apartment with him while we were still married. I also found transfers from our joint savings that she never explained.
"Honestly?" Natalie was silent for several seconds. How long has this been going on? I don't know everything yet. Are you okay?
That question nearly broke through the control I'd maintained since Julia returned. "I'm going to be—" "I'm sorry, Dad." Thank you. But listen to me. Whatever happens between your mother and me, you don't have to carry it.
We talked for another few minutes before she ended the call. That afternoon, Patricia contacted me with an update. Julia had apparently begun looking for legal representation of her own. Patricia expected her attorney to respond once the initial paperwork had been reviewed. There was nothing surprising about that.
Julia had every right to obtain advice and protect her interests. What surprised me was the message that arrived later that evening. It came from an unknown number. This is Colin Price. Julia says you filed for divorce.
"I think we need to talk." I read it twice. Then I placed the phone on the table without replying. Colin had finally decided to contact me. And for the first time since this began, I was curious about what he thought he knew.
I didn't answer Colin that night. I had no interest in meeting the man my wife had been seeing behind my back, and I certainly wasn't going to let him drag me into an emotional confrontation. If he had something to say, he could say it in writing. The next morning, I found another message on my phone. I'm not trying to cause more problems.
I just think you should hear my side. I replied with one sentence. Anything concerning the divorce can go through our attorneys. He didn't respond immediately. I put my phone away and went about my day.
Around lunchtime, Julia approached me in the kitchen. Colin told me he messaged you. I received his message. Why didn't you answer him? Because I don't have anything to discuss with him.
She looked frustrated. He's trying to explain what happened. What happened isn't a mystery, Julia. You left for 5 days, lied about where you were, and returned expecting me to accept your explanation without question. You don't understand the situation between us.
Then explain it. She hesitated. For a moment, the room was quiet enough for me to hear the refrigerator running behind her. We were close before anything happened, she finally said. He listened to me.
He made me feel like I mattered. And you decided that justified lying to your husband. No, I'm telling you how it started. I nodded slowly. How long?
She looked down at the counter. Several months. The answer didn't surprise me, but hearing her say it made the situation harder to dismiss as a single mistake. Did you love him? I don't know.
That's convenient. Jeremy, please. No, you don't get to give me half an answer and expect me to make it easier for you. She pressed her hands against the counter. I was unhappy.
I felt like we were living separate lives. Then you should have told me. I tried. When? She couldn't give me a specific example.
Instead, she returned to the same complaints about my work habits, my questions, and the fact that I wanted to know where our money was going. I let her finish. I would have listened to you, I said. I might not have agreed with everything you wanted, but I would have listened. You never gave me the chance to make that choice because you were already building a life with someone else.
Her eyes filled with tears. I didn't know how to leave. You knew how to arrange an apartment. You knew how to open an account. You knew how to move money and disappear for 5 days.
Don't tell me you couldn't find the words to tell me our marriage was over. She turned away. I felt no satisfaction in watching her cry. Whatever affection remained after 24 years, it wasn't enough to make me forget what she had done. That evening, Colin sent one final message.