Chapter 1
"My Husband Slapped Me at Christmas Dinner Because I Sent Money to My Sick Mother—So I Took Off My Ring and Called My Lawyer.
My husband slapped me in front of his entire family on Christmas Eve because he discovered I had sent money to my sick mother.
For a few seconds, nobody at the dinner table moved.
My cheek burned as I stared at Michael.
“You took $4,000 from our account without asking me?” he shouted.
“My mother needs surgery.”
“That is not my problem.”
Across the table, my mother-in-law, Patricia, leaned back in her chair with a cold smile.
“I warned you, Michael,” she said. “Her family would always be looking for handouts.”
I felt my hands start shaking.
“My mother worked two jobs to raise me.”
Patricia laughed.
“And now she expects my son to pay her bills?”
“The money came from my salary.”
Michael slammed his glass onto the table.
“We’re married. There is no ‘your money.’”
His sister looked down at her plate while everyone else stayed silent.
I touched my cheek and asked him one question.
“Did you really just hit me because I helped my mother stay alive?”
Michael pointed toward the hallway.
“Stop embarrassing me in front of my family.”
That was when something inside me became strangely calm.
I slowly removed my wedding ring.
Patricia’s smile disappeared.
“What are you doing?”
I placed the ring beside Michael’s dinner plate.
Then I took out my phone.
Michael laughed nervously.
“Who are you calling?”
“My attorney.”
The room went completely quiet.
Patricia suddenly stood up.
“You have an attorney?”
I ignored her and called Laura Bennett, the lawyer who had handled my late father’s estate.
She answered almost immediately.
“Merry Christmas, Emily.”
“Laura, remember the documents we discussed last month?”
Michael’s face changed.
“What documents?”
I kept my eyes on him.
“I’m ready.”
Laura paused.
Then she asked, “Do you want me to file first thing tomorrow morning?”
Patricia rushed toward me.
“File what?”
Before I could answer, Laura added something through the speaker that made Michael turn completely pale.
“Emily, there’s one more thing you should know before you confront him.”
I tightened my grip on the phone.
May you like
“What?”
She said, “Michael tried to transfer $230,000 out of the account your father left you yesterday—and the destination account belongs to Patricia.”
