Chapter 4

I ripped my hand out of his grip and stared at the man I had loved for half a decade. He looked completely unrecognizable.

"Brandon, this isn't 'just a favor.'"

"This isn't about real estate. This is about my boundaries. My dignity."

"If I roll over and hand over a house today for your ego, will you ask me to walk away with nothing tomorrow just to prove my loyalty to your parents?"

My tone wasn't loud, but every syllable hit like lead.

A flash of raw humiliation and rage washed across Brandon's face.

"Serena! Watch your mouth!"

"You're completely out of your mind!"

He slammed the door behind him and stormed out.

Silence settled over the living room. Just me, Chloe, Richard, and Eleanor.

A smug smirk played on Chloe's lips.

His parents exhaled in visible relief.

They thought Brandon storming out meant I was left defenseless.

They thought without his support, I would crumble and surrender.

What they didn't realize was that the moment that door slammed shut, whatever was left of our marriage had collapsed to ashes.

I walked into our bedroom and locked the door behind me.

No tears. No shouting.

I calmly opened the hidden compartment inside the nightstand and pulled out an accordion folder.

Inside were all the original bank receipts, the purchase agreements, and a postnuptial property schedule I had drawn up long ago.

I photographed every single document, uploaded them to a secure cloud drive, and locked them behind two-factor authentication.

Then, I texted my attorney friend:

Are you free for a call? I need to file an action on a nominee title dispute.

The next morning, aggressive knocking woke me up.

I opened the front door. Brandon was standing in the hall, dark circles under bloodshot eyes, smelling heavily of bourbon.

He probably expected me to rush forward, take off his coat, and make him a hangover cure like I always did.

Instead, I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms.

"Can I help you?"

My cold tone threw him off.

He hesitated, then plastered on an exhausted, appeasing smile.

"Babe... I'm sorry."

"I was out of line yesterday. I shouldn't have lost my temper."

"Please, don't be mad. Can we just talk this through?"

I didn't step aside to let him in.

"Talk about what?"

"The house."

Brandon rubbed his hands together, cautiously reading my expression.

"Look, I know you feel wronged. But Chloe was just stressed out. I already tore into her for it."

"How about this? We transfer the deed to Chloe's son just until he finishes elementary school. The second he graduates, we transfer it right back to you."

"To protect you, we can sign a private contract. Mom, Dad, Chloe—everyone signs it."

He sounded so sincere, as if he were truly trying to look out for me.

Twenty-four hours ago, I might have softened.

Now? It was pathetic.

Exchanging a legally enforceable property deed for a piece of paper that wouldn't hold up in court?

Did he really think I had no brain?

"No," I replied flatly.

"The house is mine. I'm not handing it over to anyone."

"Serena!"

Brandon's fake patience shattered.

"Why are you being so impossible?!"

"We're a family! Are you seriously going to throw our entire marriage away over a piece of property?!"

"Our marriage?"

I let out a dry, bitter laugh.

"When your whole family ganged up to scheme against me, did you think about our marriage?"

"When you ran your mouth to Chloe about my parents' money, giving her the confidence to extort me, did you care about our marriage then?"

"Look me in the eye, Brandon. Did you ever actually love me? Or did you just love everything I could provide for you and your family?"