His phone buzzed again. He checked it and groaned.
— Problem? — I asked.
— Jessica’s at the condo already. She’s moved in.
I smiled. — The condo you put in both your names? The lease you signed last month?
He nodded, confused.
— Check with the leasing office. That application was flagged for credit issues and never finalized. The agent called our home line. I handled it.
I walked out, leaving Daniel to grapple with the first of many consequences. His meticulously planned new life was unraveling faster than he could comprehend.
Claire lived in a cozy craftsman across town, near the college where she taught history. She greeted me with a fierce hug.
— Sophia just called, — she said, ushering me inside. — Are you okay?
— Better than I thought, — I admitted, following her to the kitchen, where a bottle of pinot noir was open.
— The restaurant? In front of everyone? — Claire shook her head, pouring two glasses. — He’s lost it.
— It was meant to humiliate me, — I said, taking a glass. — A public rejection so I couldn’t react without seeming unhinged.
Claire’s eyes narrowed. — My brother always loved the spotlight, but this is beyond anything I imagined.
We settled in her sunroom, surrounded by ferns and bookshelves. Claire, single by choice, had always cherished her independence, and I’d sometimes envied her freedom.
— What was in that envelope that rattled him so much? — she asked.
I explained: the divorce filing, the evidence of his financial misconduct, and the prenup that would leave him with far less than he’d planned.
— The prenup, — Claire mused, sipping her wine. — I remember him insisting on it when Dad gave him that startup money. He was so paranoid about protecting it. — She chuckled darkly. — The irony’s rich.
My phone rang—Sophia.
— Mom, — she said, voice tight. — I’m coming to Aunt Claire’s.
— Honey, you don’t have to—
— I’m already on my way, — she cut in. — Dad’s telling everyone you’ve lost it, that you’ve been scheming for months. He’s saying awful things.
Of course he was. Daniel always spun stories to paint himself the victim.
— Let him talk, — I said. — The truth will come out soon enough.
Twenty minutes later, Sophia arrived, still in her graduation dress, mascara streaked from tears. She collapsed into my arms like she did as a child after a bad dream.
— Why didn’t you tell me? — she asked, voice muffled.
— I didn’t want to ruin your final semester, — I said. — You worked too hard for this.
She pulled back, wiping her eyes. — Well, Dad ruined it anyway.
We moved to Claire’s living room, where I shared the full story—Daniel’s affair, the hidden accounts, their plans for a new life. Sophia listened, her expression shifting from shock to anger.
— I knew something was off with Dad, — she admitted. — He’s been distant, always on his phone. But I never thought—
— We don’t want to see flaws in those we love, — Claire said softly.
My phone buzzed with a text from my attorney, Michael Carter. The emergency filing was approved; the accounts I’d flagged were frozen pending the divorce. Daniel had access to his personal account—enough for essentials, but not for the lavish purchases he’d planned with Jessica. I showed the text to Claire and Sophia.
— Good, — Sophia said, her voice firm. — He deserves it.
Her loyalty warmed me, but I stayed practical. — He’s still your father. Your relationship with him is separate from this.
— Maybe someday, — Sophia said, shaking her head. — But not now. He hugged me this morning, gushing about how proud he was, all while planning to destroy our family hours later.
The doorbell rang, interrupting us. Claire returned with a grim look.
— It’s Daniel. And Jessica’s with him.
I braced myself as Claire led them into the living room. Jessica, thirty-seven, shifted awkwardly, her blonde hair catching the light, her confidence dimmed by the moment’s weight. Daniel, however, was livid, his earlier desperation now pure rage.
— Lauren, stop this madness, — he demanded. — Unfreeze the accounts. We can talk like adults.
Sophia stepped forward, shielding me slightly. — Maybe you should’ve tried being an adult before blowing up our family at my graduation.
Daniel blinked, as if just noticing her. — Sophia, this isn’t about you.
— Not about me? — she snapped. — You wrecked our family on my day, and it’s not about me?
Jessica touched his arm. — Dan, maybe we should go.
He shook her off. — No. I’m not leaving until Lauren acts rationally.
Claire crossed her arms. — My sister-in-law seems to be the only rational one here. You made this mess, Daniel.
I stayed seated, done with playing peacemaker. — The accounts stay frozen until the preliminary hearing in three days. The judge will decide asset division then.
— Three days? — Daniel sputtered. — What am I supposed to do for three days?
— You have your personal account, — I said. — The one you’ve been funneling money into. That should suffice.
Jessica’s head snapped toward him. — You have a separate account? How much is in it?
A crack in their alliance was forming. Daniel ignored her.
— This is vindictive, Lauren. This isn’t you.
— Maybe you never really knew me, — I said. — Just as I clearly didn’t know you.
Sophia turned to Jessica. — Did you know he’d announce it like that, at my graduation?
Jessica looked ashamed. — I thought he’d talk to your mom privately. Today was… unexpected.
Daniel shot her a betrayed glance, their unity crumbling.
— You both need to leave, — Claire said firmly. — You’ve upset Sophia enough.
— Sophia, — Daniel pleaded. — You get that relationships evolve, right? People drift apart.
Sophia’s face hardened, a look I’d never seen. — What I get is that you’re a coward who couldn’t give Mom the respect of a private conversation. What I get is you were stealing from us while I worked two jobs to afford textbooks because you said money was tight.
Daniel paled. — That’s not how it was.
— It’s exactly how it was, — Sophia said. — Please leave, Dad. I can’t look at you.
Silence hung heavy. Finally, Daniel turned to go, Jessica following. At the door, he looked back.
— This isn’t over, Lauren. I’ll fight you.
— You’re welcome to try, — I said, meeting his gaze.
After they left, Sophia collapsed beside me, tears flowing. — I’ve never spoken to Dad like that.
I hugged her. — Standing up for what’s right can hurt.
Claire brought fresh wine. — To new chapters, — she toasted.
Indeed, I thought. This ending was my beginning.