He Buys Her a River-View Apartment While I Pay the Bills

Chapter 6

She knew everything. They were all in on it, cheating me.

"You knew about his affair, didn't you? Then do you know who he's been spending all his money on?" My voice was cold as ice, and my mother-in-law looked like she might shiver under my glare. But still, she stood her ground, growing more confident.

"Who my son spends his money on is none of your business. Don't even think about touching a cent of it. Elaine's pregnant, she's beautiful, and she's a good person, unlike you. What are you even good for?" Her words were sharp, and with every one of them, my heart froze a little more.

"Really? Well, you just wait and see how I take his money," I shot back, slamming the door as I left, leaving her screaming after me. I couldn't hear it anymore.

By the time I got back to the house, the door was wide open, and Lionel was storming around the place, his face twisted with anger. The second he saw me, he practically ran over, grabbing my arm.

"Emma, how could you talk to my mom like that? It's your responsibility as a daughter-in-law to take care of my dad when he's down! You've made my mom furious! If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you!"

What a ridiculous question.

"And what about you? Isn't it your job as a son to take care of your dad?" I snapped back, my patience running thin.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes flicking to his phone. "Why haven't you paid off the mortgage and car loan? The messages asking for money were all sent to my phone!"

Was this guy for real? I was seriously questioning my past decisions at this point.

"Emma, I let you live in my house! If you don't pay off that loan, get out!" He shoved my packed bags out the door with a burst of anger. "Get out of my house!"

"Lionel…" I couldn't believe what was happening.

"It's no use begging me. Get out!" He slammed the door behind him, and I stood there in the dark, staring at it.

It was pitch black outside. I dragged my suitcases to the nearest hotel. I'd booked it earlier, but now the weight of the night seemed heavier. I squatted down on the sidewalk, the streetlights stretching long, lonely shadows across the pavement. The world felt so distant, the lights in the distance too dim, like everything I had was slipping away.

I wasn't sad anymore. No, it was something worse, bitter disappointment. But the good news was, Lionel had made my decision for me. He kicked me out. That meant I had the perfect reason to go after him in court, and he had no idea what was coming.

When the day arrived, Lionel was completely unprepared. He hired a lawyer without a second thought, convinced I was just stirring up trouble. But in the courtroom, when the evidence and logical arguments came out, he had nothing to say. The judge not only ruled in my favor, giving me half of our shared assets, but the lawyer managed to secure extra compensation for me. It was even more than what I'd written into the divorce agreement.

Lionel was furious, but he couldn't do anything. He filed an appeal, wanting a second trial, but that only made me more determined to follow this through to the end.

Then, out of nowhere, Elaine showed up. She wanted to talk, so we met at a coffee shop near my office. Gone was the arrogant woman I had once known. She was a different person now, sad, broken. I quietly turned on the recording app on my phone as she started speaking.

"Emma, Lionel's been treating me horribly lately."

I rolled my eyes. What did this have to do with me?

But she went on, ignoring my lack of interest. "He said he's going to take everything back. Not only is he selling the house, but he wants me to pay back all the money too. Do you think he has no conscience? What should I do if I lose everything?"

Tears started to well up in her eyes as she spoke. "Emma, please, don't sue me. Please. For the sake of our friendship, give me a break. I'm begging you."

She reached for my hand, but I jerked it away, disgusted.

"Elaine, don't think I'm stupid. What does your kid have to do with me?" I took a slow sip of my coffee, watching her go from desperate to furious. "You're so proud of your perfect boyfriend. Go ask him to buy you a house."

Her face turned red with rage, but I was calm. "I'm going to divorce him as soon as possible so that your kid can have a 'complete' family. A 'complete' family where none of us even have a house?"

She lunged at me, but I quickly dodged, not wanting to get her spit on my face.

"Emma, if you don't drop the lawsuit, I swear I'll ruin you. I'll go to your company and make your life hell. I won't let you get away with this!"

"Go ahead. I'm waiting for you to try." I slipped my phone back into my bag, silently thanking Elaine for handing me the perfect evidence.