"Forget it, Mom. I'll figure something out on my own."
That evening, Joel came home from work.
He stood in the doorway in a white dress shirt, leaning against the frame. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, striking features.
In my past life, that face was all it took. I fell for him completely, loved him until it killed me.
He looked like he'd been out entertaining clients. Too much to drink. His gaze was slightly unfocused.
He loosened his tie and sat on the edge of the bed, squinting at me.
"Leila, the family's already poured all its resources into me."
"Maya just graduated. She barely knows anyone."
"She came to you because she sees you as real family. How could you turn her down?"
I glanced up at him, then lowered my eyes back to the magazine in my hands.
"I didn't turn her down."
"I just asked her to sign an IOU."
"Is that really necessary?" Joel looked genuinely confused.
"If it's not necessary, then forget the whole thing."
Joel's mouth opened and closed. Nothing came out.
When he realized I wasn't budging, he raked a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I'm taking a shower," he muttered, and walked off.
He disappeared into the bathroom.
The next morning, at the breakfast table.
Maya's eyes were red and swollen. She'd obviously been crying all night.
Laurel held her bowl and looked at me like I was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe.
Drew Henson, on the other hand, was the same as always.
As if the tension in the room didn't exist. Eating, drinking, minding his own business.
Joel peeled a boiled egg for Maya like he was trying to make up for something.
"Maya, don't worry about the money. I talked it over with your sister-in-law last night."
"She has a small apartment downtown. You can move in there for now."
I slammed my chopsticks down. My head whipped toward Joel.
"When exactly did you 'talk it over' with me?"
"That apartment is already rented out!"
Laurel jumped in immediately, her voice dripping with sarcasm:
"So you'd rather let a stranger live there than your own sister-in-law? Is that it?"
Joel stared at me too, something odd in his expression:
"Do you have some kind of problem with Maya?"
In my past life, if he'd asked me that, I would have said no without hesitation.
But now I took a deep breath and held my temper with everything I had.
"I don't have a problem with her. I have a problem with you."
Joel blinked. "What did I do?"
"You made decisions about my property without my consent."
"That's it? We're married..."
"Married people still discuss things, don't they?"
"I..."
Joel had nothing.
I didn't finish breakfast. I grabbed my bag and went straight to the office.
During the lunch break, I met up with my best friend.
She was a lawyer. Her time was measured in billable seconds.
I got right to the point. "I want to divorce Joel. Can you help me sort out my premarital assets?"
She froze. "You've only been married a month. Did he cheat?"
I shook my head. "No. Just family issues."
She winced.
"In that case, it has to be a mutual agreement. If Joel doesn't consent, the court almost certainly won't grant a divorce."
That was just how the law worked.
Easy to get married. Nearly impossible to get out.
That evening, Joel was waiting outside my office. A massive bouquet of red roses sat in the passenger seat.
"Come on, don't be mad. The apartment thing was my fault. I've already figured out another way to handle it."
The second those words left his mouth, my scalp prickled.
I jerked my face up from the roses and stared at him, eyes wide.
"What did you do?"
Joel kept his eyes on the road. He glanced at me once through the rearview mirror.
