She was toweling off her hair, clearly fresh out of the shower. My shower. The master bathroom.
"You send your own wife to the police station, then bring your assistant home. Really stepping up your game, Bruno."
"Don't get the wrong idea. Ellie got something on her clothes, and the hotel was close to the house, so I brought her up to shower and change."
"You don't like other people touching your things, so I let her wear mine."
He said it like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. Like I was the one being unreasonable.
"You're a germaphobe, Bruno. You insist our laundry be washed separately. But now your shirt's on her back. So the germaphobia was only ever about me, is that it?"
Ellie put on that same saccharine act. "Mrs. Matthews, please don't misunderstand. Mr. Matthews said he was giving me this shirt. He won't be wearing it again."
"Did I ask you? My husband and I are talking. Stop putting your nose where it doesn't belong!"
Ellie's eyes glistened, her lip trembling with practiced hurt. "I just didn't want you to misunderstand Mr. Matthews."
"How thoughtful of you."
Bruno turned on me. "Judith, enough! You threw your weight around at the restaurant, and now you're starting in at home too?"
I matched his volume. "You think I wanted any of this?!"
Ellie tugged at Bruno's sleeve. "It's fine, Mr. Matthews. She's your wife, after all. I'm just an assistant. A little mistreatment won't kill me."
"Wife or not, that doesn't give her the right to treat you like this!"
"Let's get a divorce, Bruno."
He froze. "What did you just say?"
"I said I want a divorce!"
"Over something this trivial, you want a divorce?"
"You think this is trivial?"
"Nothing happened between me and Ellie. She's a young girl just starting her career. I looked out for her a little. What's wrong with that?"
"I don't want my man looking out for another woman. It disgusts me."
Something snapped in Bruno, like a cornered rat whose tail had been stepped on. He exploded.
"Fine! You want a divorce? Then you walk away with nothing! My money, my house, none of it has anything to do with you. Without me, you won't even be able to afford your next meal!"
He snatched up his phone and called his lawyer, barking orders to draft divorce papers.
The agreement arrived in no time.
I didn't think twice. I signed.
Bruno saw my signature and didn't hesitate either. He scrawled his name right below mine.
Ellie was barely containing her glee. "Judith, now that you and Mr. Matthews are divorced, I wonder how you'll even afford to eat."
I pointed at the door. "Get out."
"Why should I? Mr. Matthews hasn't told me to leave."
"Bruno and I haven't filed the papers yet. That makes me the lady of this house. Get out. Now."
Bruno pulled Ellie into his arms. "This house is mine. If anyone's leaving, it's you."
He called the staff over and ordered them to throw all my belongings out. Everything I owned ended up piled by the front door like a small mountain.
I didn't rush. I didn't panic. I pulled out my phone, opened a group chat, and typed a single message.
Uncles, I'm divorced. Bruno threw me out of the house.
The chat erupted instantly. Messages flooded in one after another.
This Bruno actually dared treat our precious niece like this? Seems like the good life made him forget who he really is.
We put him where he is. We can just as easily tear him back down.
Treating our Judith like this? The man must have a death wish!
...
Enough talk, everyone. Move.
I stood at the gates of the villa, watching the messages roll in, one after another.
Ellie was standing in the doorway too, arms crossed, watching me. "Still here? Can't bring yourself to leave?"
"After all, once you leave, forget about living here. You probably won't even get another look at a mansion this grand."
She was still gloating when a procession of vehicles from the prosecutor's office pulled up the drive.
The cars rolled to a stop in front of the villa. Bruno and Ellie both froze.
Several prosecutors stepped out.
"We are hereby seizing this property in accordance with the law. Nothing inside may be removed."
They walked to the front doors and affixed official seals across them.
