Part 3

I went to my friend Leah's apartment rather than the house Victor and I shared. I needed someone who knew me before our marriage, someone who would not tell me to ignore what I had seen. Leah made tea and sat beside me while I called my attorney, Marisol Chen.

Marisol asked me to send the photographs and the email from the hotel. “Do not confront him again tonight,” she said. “I'll contact the title company first thing in the morning.”

At seven, Victor sent a message claiming that the agreement was unsigned. At seven fifteen, a title officer confirmed that a signed agreement had been submitted for review. The signature on the scan matched the one in my photographs.

Victor called while Marisol was still on the line. I didn't answer. A minute later, he sent another message: Maya was confused. She misunderstood everything.

Maya, however, had sent me copies of the emails he had written her over the past six months. He described our marriage as over. He also described my building as an asset I had agreed to sell, and asked her to prepare projections for a buyer named Northline Holdings.

The buyer's name meant nothing to me. Marisol requested the company registration. It listed a director I recognized: Victor's brother, James.

“A low price to a company controlled by his family,” Marisol said. “We need to know where the money was supposed to go.”

My phone lit up again. Victor had left a voicemail. “Please don't ruin everything before you hear me out.”