Chapter 8: The Divorce I Never Requested
The police always tell people not to touch evidence.
Don’t move it.
Don’t alter it.
Don’t contaminate it.
But nobody tells you what to do when the evidence is your own life.
I sat at the kitchen table for almost an hour staring at the divorce documents Vanessa placed in front of me.
My name.
My address.
My marriage information.
Everything looked official.
Everything looked real.
Except one thing.
I never filed.
“I don’t understand.””
My voice sounded distant.
Vanessa sat across from me.
For the first time since she arrived, she looked genuinely uncomfortable.
“The filing came through an online service.””
I looked at her.
“Using my information.””
“Yes.””
“Can that happen?””
She hesitated.
“It can.””
I laughed quietly.
“So anyone can just end someone else’s marriage?””
“Not legally.””
“Then why is it here?””
No answer.
Julian sat beside the counter, silent.
I looked at him.
“Did you know?””
His head lifted.
“No.””
“Did you want a divorce?””
He swallowed.
“I thought about leaving.””
“That wasn’t my question.””
His eyes lowered.
“Yes.””
I nodded.
“At least that’s honest.””
Brielle sat on the sofa, crying quietly.
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Then I remembered how many times she hugged me while carrying my husband’s child.
How many times she smiled at me while knowing something I didn’t.
I pushed the thought away.
Because anger was exhausting.
And I had spent enough energy on people who didn’t deserve it.
Vanessa opened her laptop.
“I need to find out who submitted this.””
She typed quickly.
The room stayed silent except for the clicking keys.
Then she stopped.
“What?””
I leaned forward.
Her face had changed.
“What?””
She turned the screen slightly.
“I recognize the account.””
Julian stood.
“Whose?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
She looked at me.
“It was created using a company email.””
“Whose company?””
Her voice became quieter.
“Yours.””
I frowned.
“My company?””
I owned a small interior design business.
Nothing huge.
But it was mine.
I built it from nothing.
“What do you mean?””
“The account was registered under your business domain.””
I stared.
“That’s impossible.””
Vanessa looked at Julian.
“Who has access?””
Nobody answered.
Then I remembered.
Six months ago, when my laptop crashed, Julian had helped me set up my accounts again.
He had helped organize passwords.
He had helped with security.
Because he was my husband.
Because I trusted him.
I looked at him.
“No.””
His face changed.
“Tiana…”
“You had access.””
He didn’t deny it.
My stomach dropped.
“You had access to everything.””
“I was helping you.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You were preparing.””
Julian looked hurt.
“I would never do that.””
“But someone did.””
The words hung between us.
Someone.
Someone who knew my information.
Someone who knew my passwords.
Someone who knew my signature.
Someone close enough to destroy my life.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Again.
I looked at the screen.
A message.
*You’re finally asking the right questions.*
My blood ran cold.
I showed Vanessa.
Her expression changed.
“Don’t respond.””
“Why?””
“Because whoever sent this wants you to react.””
Another message appeared.
*Ask Julian about the night he came home with the missing folder.*
I looked at Julian.
His face went pale.
“What folder?””
He didn’t answer.
“Julian.””
He stood.
“Tiana, it’s not what you think.””
I closed my eyes.
Those words again.
Always those words.
“What folder?””
He looked away.
“Six months ago, some documents disappeared.””
“From where?””
“Your office.””
My heart sank.
“My office?””
“Yes.””
“And you knew?””
“I thought I lost them.””
“What documents?””
He didn’t speak.
I stood.
“What documents?””
His voice dropped.
“Your business ownership papers.””
Everything stopped.
My business.
My house.
My marriage.
Every piece of my life.
Someone had been targeting all of it.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Did you know?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
I looked at Brielle.
She was crying.
“I swear I didn’t.””
I believed her.
But that didn’t make me feel better.
Because the person behind this wasn’t a stranger.
It was someone close.
Someone who knew my routines.
Someone who knew my trust.
Julian moved toward me.
“I need to tell you something.””
I stared.
“What?””
“The night the folder disappeared…”
He paused.
“I wasn’t alone.””
The room went silent.
“Who was with you?””
He looked toward the hallway.
Then back at me.
“I thought it was someone helping me.””
My heart raced.
“Who?””
He whispered the name.
And the person he named made me understand why everything had been so carefully planned.
May you like
Because this wasn’t just about destroying my marriage.
It was about taking everything I had built.