Chapter 3: The Lawyer

A wave of nausea surged within me. I lunged toward the sink and began to retch violently.

As I struggled, a memory flickered in my mind—the morning sickness I suffered when I was pregnant with Daisy. Panic flared. This wasn't just a stomach bug. My period was already long overdue. A terrifying thought took root.

I couldn't be pregnant. Not now. Not like this.

Please, let it be anything but that.

I washed up quickly and hurried out of the bathroom.

Julian was getting dressed, sliding a clean shirt over his shoulders. By some cruel twist of fate, my eyes caught a faint mark on his chest—the unmistakable trace left by a woman.

I walked over to him and reached out to button his shirt. When I reached the middle, I stopped and looked at him with feigned surprise. "Honey, what’s this red mark on your chest? How did that happen?"

Julian immediately pushed my hand away. He glanced down and said dismissively, "It was itchy yesterday. I must have scratched it."

He finished buttoning the shirt with practiced nonchalance, hiding the crimson stain from view.

I looked into his slightly panicked eyes and smiled. "Honey, do you love me?"

Julian brushed past me toward the bathroom door. As we crossed paths, he tossed a cold remark over his shoulder: "Why are you asking that all of a sudden? What’s gotten into you?"

What’s gotten into me?

Ha. Perhaps he’s right.

I knew he didn't love me, but whenever I asked in the past, he would always say he did. He’d say he loved me and our daughter, and that his career would never have been this successful if I hadn't taken such good care of our home.

Today, I got a different answer.

I was just "acting out."

A mocking smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I walked toward the nursery.

As I was dressing Daisy, she asked in her sweet, high-pitched voice, "Mommy, you promised we’d go to the amusement park today. Do you remember?"

"I remember, sweetie. I just don't know if your father is free."

"It's the weekend. Daddy doesn't have to work. He's free!"

"Alright. We’ll ask him in a moment."

Once she was ready, I led her out of her room. Julian was just stepping out of the master bedroom. Seeing him, Daisy ran over and hugged his leg. "Daddy, will you and Mommy take me to the amusement park today?"

I heard him reply, "How about another day? Daddy has work to take care of today."

I caught his eye the moment the words left his lips.

Daisy persisted, "But you promised me before."

Julian ignored her and looked directly at me. "Honey, why don't you take her yourself? I have to head out of town today and tomorrow. I have a client to meet."

I found that strange.

Why hadn't he mentioned a business trip yesterday?

He saw Lydia last night, and now he’s suddenly leaving town?

"Fine," I said, keeping my tone casual. "Who are you going with?"

"Just myself."

"I see. Drive safely then. Have a smooth trip."

After saying that, I knelt in front of Daisy to ask her opinion. "Baby, Daddy has to go away for work. Do you want to go to the park with just Mommy, or wait until Daddy comes back so we can all go together?"

"I'll wait for Daddy. The other kids always have their daddies and mommies with them."

"Alright then. We’ll wait until Daddy is free next time."

Though disappointment was written all over her face, she nodded obediently.

During the two days my husband was away, I reached out to a friend who introduced me to a divorce lawyer named Sebastian.

The moment I got his number, I dialed it. The call was answered quickly by a voice that sounded remarkably young yet steady. "Hello, who is this?"

"Is this Mr. Sebastian?" I asked hurriedly.

"Speaking."

I introduced myself and gave him a brief overview of my situation. When the lawyer learned that my husband and I had a prenuptial agreement, he seemed to hesitate. His hesitation made me feel as though I might be at a significant disadvantage regarding the division of assets.

"Let’s do this," he said. "Let’s set a time to meet. Bring the prenuptial agreement so I can take a look at it."

"Alright. But Mr. Sebastian, I’m only free tomorrow between two and four in the afternoon. Does that work for you?"

Over the phone, Sebastian’s tone remained strictly professional. "That works for me. The client comes first."

For some reason, after I hung up, his words "the client comes first" kept echoing in my mind. Perhaps it was simply because his voice was far too pleasant to the ear.