Chapter 5

“I made a mistake,” Eric said as the elevator descended.

“A child-sized mistake?”

He flinched.

“I love you and Julia.”

“You gave Vanessa my mother's bracelet.”

“I said I screwed up. What do you want?”

“A divorce. An honest account of the money. My share of what we built.”

“What we built?” He gave a short laugh. “You don't have a career, June.”

“I have three jobs.”

“And without me, you and Julia won't make rent. College? Forget it.”

The doors opened.

I stepped out before he could finish explaining how dependent I was on a man who had contributed less to our home than I earned cleaning his other one.

Julia was awake when I got back. She'd been staring at the same page of her textbook for an hour.

I told her Eric and I were separating. I didn't show her the photos. She didn't need to become a witness to every detail of my marriage.

“Will we move?” she asked.

“Eventually. I'll tell you before anything changes.”

She took my hand.

“Okay. As long as we're together.”

The next morning, the joint account had less than a hundred dollars in it.

That was all I could find of sixteen years.

Diane called while I was outside the bank.

She told me I had failed as a wife. Failed to give Eric a son. Failed to appreciate what I had.

“Did you practice that while you were taking pictures with his other family?” I asked.

She went quiet.

“I've saved those pictures, Diane.”

Eric called five minutes later.

“Leave my mother out of it.”

“Meet me at the family-law office on Madison at three. I'll send the address.”

“You found a lawyer?”

I had found a consultation and someone willing to listen. For now, that was enough.

“You want this over quickly? Then show up.”