Page 49 of Before We Were Us

“This is bullshit, Rich, and you know it!” My stomach rolls. “She isn’t even on the fucking deed and more than half of the shit inside was bought for us by my family. She came into our marriage with her clothes and a rusted Camry with a blown head gasket.”

“You don’t have to convince me, I’m on your side.” I feel like the world is against me. “What about the fact that her piece of shit boyfriend is living in my house?”

“She’s been careful.” He leans forward. “Neighbors haven’t seen him there, we can go the PI option but?—”

“Do it,” I interrupt.

“It’s not cheap, Jensen.”

“I don’t care.” Leaning forward I rest my elbows on my knees. “I can’t do this anymore. She is ruining my life one day at a time. If I have to sell off everything tofind the dirt on her I need, then that’s what I’ll do. She can have the car, she can have half the accounts. But that place was bought with the money left to me by my father. I get that as my wife she is entitled to half but come on.”

“I’ve obtained all the documentation of the inheritance. I’ve got the paperwork showing you purchased prior to marriage. We can drag this out until she runs out of money, tying up everything in legal fees. She will eventually hit a wall with no income.”

He slides the statements across his desk. “Remove yourself from this account.” It shows less than two thousand dollars. “She’s been living like she has an income and hasn’t worked in over eight months.” Chrissy has done some modeling here and there since we met. But once we were married she stopped, living off my income alone.

“I suggest you move everything out of your individual accounts before she gets wind that they exist. Move them into your mother’s name, do what you have to do to still be able to access, but to ensure she gets none of it.”

“She’s going to get desperate.”

“I can’t give up the house.” I know it’s only a property but I feel like it's tied to my father. He may have never stepped foot inside, but it took me months to find the perfect place. From the moment I entered for some crazy unknown reason I felt like he was there at my side saying, son, this is the place.

“I can’t.”

Rich nods. “I’ll ride this out with you as long as you tell me to go. I’ll push, I’ll drain her. I’m on your side, Jensen.”

I thank God every day that he’s my friend and doesn’t bleed me dry in fees.

“We go back in front of the judge next month,” he adds. “I’m not sure she’s got the money to pay her attorney. From what I’ve picked up on, he’s ready to wash his hands of her.”

“Him and every other person in her life.” I suddenly feel exhausted. “Her parents gave up on her, half the friends she does have, they tolerate her at best.”

“I got to say knowing what I know now, I can’t quite see what you ever saw in her.”

“I think we’ve established that I fucked up real good with that choice.”

He chuckles, tapping away on his computer.

“I sent an email to a guy who owes me a favor.” He offers. “He's a scorned man, with a vendetta against cheating wives. I told him to go big.”

“I may have done a thing last night.” Connor says this like anything he’d do would surprise me.

“You brought home twins,” I say and he chuckles.

“That was last New Year’s.” He smiles. “Ah the memories.”

“You have no shame.”

“No, I do not,” he states proudly. “Though what I did last night may surprise you or piss you off.”

“What did you do?” The options are endless.

“Not so much what, but more like who.” I look away from the basketball game on television and stare down my best friend. Why my mind immediately goes to Brynn is crazy. He may be a walking dick with ears but he’d never do that.

“Taylor is a wildcat.” He nods and my stomach feels like it drops. “We ran into each other outside of the liquor store, she gave me sass for simply knowing you.” I shrug, not surprised.

“We argued back and forth as to why you were wrong and how you’re the one who ruined a good thing.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel better?”

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