Part 2: Doing the MathThe Daughter at the Door

Rosalind fixed her gaze at me, her eyes dark and unreadable.

I waited a few seconds. The atmosphere was getting stranger by the second, so I turned and left for my room upstairs.

I closed the bedroom door behind me with a soft click. I tipped my head back as I leaned against it and stared at the ceiling light.

After we got married, she was always traveling for the sake of work. The woman spent 20 days out of every month away from home.

I'd thought our marriage was as clean as a blank sheet of paper. Alas, I just had to find out that she'd had a true love all along and even had a daughter with him.

I looked down at my phone and opened my banking app. The transfer she'd made before our marriage was sitting right there in my transaction history.

10 million dollars.

Double that, and I'd get 20 million dollars.

She'd kept her 17-year-old daughter hidden until now. That had to count as fraud, right?

So… it wouldn't be all that unreasonable to ask for another 5 million dollars, would it?

…

I was still tossing and turning even though it was already 1:30 a.m.

I hesitated for a long while before clicking on my contacts and scrolling down to Daniel Reed, a lawyer.

I'd added him three years ago when we signed the prenup. His profile picture was a golden retriever, and he barely posted anything on social media.

I opened our chat, my fingers typing and deleting the message I'm drafting over and over again.

In the end, I sent him a text, saying, "Mr. Reed, can I ask you about something? If you're busy, feel free to pretend you didn't see this."

His reply was instantaneous. "Go ahead."

Wow, he was a pretty professional guy.

I carefully considered how to phrase my words.

I began, "Hypothetically speaking… purely hypothetically, I have a friend whose wife had a child before they got married, but she never told him."

"Hmm."

"That counts as concealing a major fact, right? Their agreement says that if her true love ever comes along, she'd have to pay double the alimony. Could that clause be applied here?" I finished.

"What exactly does the agreement with your friend's wife say?"

I stared at the screen.

I couldn't say it was me. I couldn't give away too many details.

I'd be utterly humiliated if my name made its rounds through the lawyers' circle in Kingsford.

I answered, "My friend never signed a prenup. His wife just promised verbally that she'd walk away with nothing if she ever cheated."

I sent it even though I found it wholly ridiculous.

The typing indicator appeared, staying there for a long time.

Finally, Daniel replied, "Your friend is awfully trusting."

I choked. "Mr. Reed, that's not the point. The point is, what can he get now?"

My finger hovered over the screen. 'Please say 20 million dollars… 25 million dollars would work just as well.'

Rosalind's face couldn't put food on the table, but money could.

"Alimony. Preferably double."

"Is there any evidence that the wife has acknowledged the child?"

I thought of Yvonne's face. Then, I remembered Rosalind saying, "Her name is Yvonne. I'll handle this."

She hadn't denied it. So, that counted as an admission, right?

I typed, "He says his wife didn't deny it. Does that count?"

"A verbal admission can count, but it's best to have a recording, text messages, or even a witness."

"A witness… Would I count?"

I dropped the phone face down on the bed.

The screen lit up again five seconds later.

Daniel replied, "Mr. Shaw, I can't take on anything involving the Young family, but I can recommend a colleague who specializes in family law."

I froze before laughing at my own stupidity.

…

Yvonne made another appearance while I was busy spending the next couple of days contacting lawyers and inquiring about getting a divorce.

I was at the dining table pouring red wine when I heard the sound of something rustling in the foyer.

Rosalind walked in first, with Yvonne following closely behind her.

Rosalind pulled out a chair. "Yvonne has transferred to a school here. She'll be staying with us until the paperwork is finished."

'Well, look at that,' I thought with glee.

She'd brought the daughter she'd kept hidden right into the house. How long before her true love came knocking and asking for his place?

I was absolutely getting a divorce.

I was already calculating how much alimony I could get, but that didn't stop me from giving the kitchen instructions. "Linda, add two more dishes for dinner tonight."

Dinner was soon on the table.

I couldn't help thinking about the 25 million dollars I could potentially get as I placed a barbecue rib on Yvonne's plate and spoke warmly.