Chapter 5 - HE TRIED TO TAKE THE HOUSE
I thought rage would feel hot.
It didn’t.
Mine felt like ice.
Our house.
The house where Sofía took her first steps.
The house I helped pay for.
The house Diego’s mother claimed belonged to her son.
He had tried to transfer it to her.
My attorney, Rachel Kim, met me at her office thirty minutes later.
“The deed isn’t valid yet,” she said.
“Yet?”
“It was submitted. Not fully processed.”
“Can we stop it?”
“We already filed notice disputing the transfer.”
I exhaled.
“For once, give me good news.”
“That was the good news.”
I stared at her.
“What’s the bad?”
Rachel folded her hands.
“There are indications your husband has been planning for divorce.”
“For how long?”
“At least six months.”
She showed me a document.
A draft petition.
Prepared by an attorney but never filed.
Diego was asking for primary custody of Sofía.
My stomach turned.
“Why?”
“To gain leverage.”
“He watched his mother hit her.”
“We document that.”
“He committed fraud.”
“We document that too.”
“He cheated.”
“That matters emotionally more than legally, but yes, we document everything.”
I pressed my fingers against my temples.
“How did I live with someone and not know him?”
Rachel looked at me.
“Because people who deceive professionally don’t announce themselves.”
My phone rang.
School.
I answered.
“Mrs. Morales?”
“Yes?”
“This is Principal Harris from Sofía’s school.”
My chest tightened.
“She’s not there. She’s with me.”
“I know. That’s why I’m calling.”
I stood.
“What happened?”
“Mr. Morales came here about twenty minutes ago asking to pick up Sofía.”
My blood ran cold.
“She isn’t there.”
“We told him that.”
“What did he do?”
“He became upset and demanded her emergency contact information.”
“Did you give it to him?”
“No.”
I almost collapsed with relief.
“But Mrs. Morales, he had a woman with him.”
“What woman?”
“She identified herself as Sofía’s grandmother.”
Teresa.
Of course.
Rachel took the phone from me and spoke directly to the principal.
Within an hour, we filed an emergency custody request.
Then I received a voicemail.
Teresa.
Her voice was soft.
That made it worse.
“Verónica, this has gone far enough. Diego is willing to forgive your behavior. Bring Sofía home and stop embarrassing everyone.”
I replayed it.
Rachel’s eyebrows rose.
“She said he’ll forgive you?”
“Yes.”
“For his mother hitting your child?”
“Yes.”
Rachel leaned back.
“Save everything.”
My phone buzzed again.
A text from Diego.
A photograph.
My bedroom.
Our closet.
My clothes scattered across the floor.
Below it:
You wanted to leave? Fine. Your stuff is outside tomorrow.
I stared at the image.
Then another photo appeared.
My jewelry box.
Open.
Empty.
I called him.
He answered immediately.
“Finally.”
“Where is my jewelry?”
“Safe.”
“My grandmother’s necklace was in there.”
“You mean the necklace bought with marital money?”
“My grandmother died before I met you.”
He laughed.
“Then prove it.”
Rachel motioned for me to hang up.
But Diego continued.
“You froze my deal. You called the cops. You filed custody papers.”
“You forged my signature.”
“You’re going to regret making this ugly.”
“No, Diego.”
My voice was steady now.
“You made it ugly.”
Then he said something that changed everything.
“Ask Camila where she was last Tuesday.”
I stopped.
“What?”
He laughed softly.
May you like
“Your best friend isn’t as loyal as you think.”
Then he hung up.
