I listened to those twenty-three minutes three times.
Then I called a family law attorney.
The next morning, on the fifty-third day of my marriage, I came downstairs to find Daniel and Norma in the kitchen.
Norma was stirring that same soup pot.
The spoon scraped slowly against the bottom.
Daniel looked at me first.
“How much did you hear last night?”
“I heard enough.”
Norma straightened.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”
That word almost made me laugh.
Misunderstanding is what people say when they are caught doing something they refuse to admit.
“What am I misunderstanding?” I asked.
“This family supports each other,” she said.
“Support usually goes both ways.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Elena, can we talk privately?”
“No.”
Norma crossed her arms.
“You’re being dramatic.”
I looked at her.
“Who owns this house?”
Neither of them answered.
So I said, “You want me to pay for a property I don’t own.”
“You’re Daniel’s wife,” Norma said.
“And?”
“That means contributing.”
I nodded.
“I’ll contribute to my own house.”
PART 3
For one second, hope crossed Daniel’s face.
