Chapter 3 - The Envelope
Julian recovered quickly.
Too quickly.
“So what?”
He gave a nervous laugh.
“It’s a marriage certificate, Elena.”
“I know what it is.”
“Then why are you acting like you discovered some classified document?”
Victoria interrupted.
“That certificate belongs here.”
I looked at her.
“Why?”
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Caleb looked from his mother to Julian.
“Yeah.”
He frowned.
“Why does it matter?”
“It doesn’t,” Julian snapped.
Then he looked at me.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
His voice dropped.
“Elena.”
“No.”
Something cold passed behind his eyes.
It was the same expression I had seen when he threw the towel.
Possession.
Entitlement.
Control.
I rolled my suitcase toward my car.
Julian followed.
“We need that document for insurance.”
“You can order another certified copy.”
“For taxes.”
“You can order another copy.”
“For changing accounts.”
I stopped beside my car.
“What accounts?”
He went silent.
Victoria answered for him.
“Our family accounts.”
Even Julian turned toward her.
“Mom.”
But it was too late.
I looked between them.
“What family accounts?”
Victoria crossed her arms as though she had decided secrecy was beneath her.
“You’re married now.”
“Yes.”
“That means families combine things.”
“Things?”
“Finances.”
My hand tightened around my suitcase handle.
“What finances?”
She sighed dramatically.
“Elena, stop pretending you don’t understand marriage.”
Caleb muttered something under his breath.
I couldn’t hear all of it.
But I heard one word.
Mortgage.
Julian shot him a warning look.
I turned immediately.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Caleb.”
He looked uncomfortable.
“Mom and Julian have been talking about refinancing the house.”
Victoria’s face twisted.
“Stay out of this.”
I looked at Julian.
“Why would my marriage certificate have anything to do with refinancing your mother’s house?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then why did your face change when I said I took it?”
He stepped closer.
“You’re making connections that aren’t there.”
Maybe.
Or maybe the connections had been right in front of me for months and I had refused to see them.
The rushed engagement.
Julian’s endless questions about my credit score.
Victoria asking whether my parents had given me cash instead of investments.
Julian insisting we shouldn’t sign a prenup because it would be “unromantic.”
His sudden interest in exactly when the $45,000 wedding gift would clear.
I felt cold despite the sunlight.
“You knew about my parents’ check.”
He shrugged.
“You told me.”
“I told you they were giving us a gift.”
“It’s for us.”
“No.”
My voice sharpened.
“It was made payable to me.”
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“There it is.”
She pointed at me.
“The selfishness.”
I stared at her.
“You were planning to use my parents’ money to refinance this house.”
Julian’s face went rigid.
“No one said that.”
Caleb looked away.
That was enough.
I opened my car.
“Elena.”
Julian stepped forward.
“You’re misunderstanding everything.”
“Good.”
I placed my suitcase inside.
“Then my lawyer can explain it to me.”
Victoria actually gasped.
“Lawyer?”
“Yes.”
“Fourteen hours into your marriage?”
I shut the trunk.
“No.”
I looked at Julian.
“Fourteen hours into my mistake.”
Then my phone vibrated.
I glanced down.
It was a banking alert.
Attempted login detected.
My stomach dropped.
The location displayed beneath it was Julian’s house.
I lifted my eyes.
May you like
Julian was still holding his phone.
And suddenly his concern about my backpack made perfect sense.
