Chapter 4 - The Shopping Bags
The room changed instantly.
Eleanor’s hands moved toward her luxury bags.
I had watched her arrive carrying twelve of them.
Shoes.
Handbags.
Jewelry.
Designer clothes.
She’d walked into my home carrying nearly forty thousand dollars in purchases while lecturing me about wasting Julian’s money on groceries.
Thomas placed a transaction summary down.
Julian looked at the total.
“What the hell?”
Eleanor straightened.
“Those are personal expenses.”
“Paid from where?”
She didn’t answer.
I did.
“A supplementary household card.”
Julian looked at me.
“You gave her a credit card?”
“Three years ago.”
Eleanor smiled triumphantly.
“There. See?”
I continued.
“It had a monthly limit of three thousand dollars.”
Her smile disappeared.
Thomas pointed toward several transactions.
“The card was replaced eight months ago.”
I looked directly at Eleanor.
“I never requested a replacement.”
Julian turned toward his mother.
“Mom?”
“Don't be ridiculous.”
Then I placed photographs on the table.
Security images.
Eleanor entering our home office.
Opening Julian’s desk.
Photographing financial documents.
Taking mail.
Julian stared.
“You were going through my things?”
“I was protecting you!”
“From Claire?”
“Yes!”
I finally raised my voice.
“From the pregnant woman paying for the roof over your head?”
Eleanor snapped.
“You wouldn't have anything without my son!”
That sentence almost impressed me.
I looked around.
The furniture.
Artwork.
Windows overlooking Manhattan.
Then back at her.
“You still believe that?”
Julian stepped between us.
“Enough!”
He turned toward me.
“I want everything explained.”
“No.”
His face hardened.
“What?”
“You don’t get to throw dinner at your pregnant wife, order her out of her own home, and then demand access to her private finances.”
“I’m your husband.”
“For now.”
That silenced him.
Eleanor stared.
Julian’s face became rigid.
“You’re threatening divorce?”
“I’m not threatening anything.”
I looked toward Thomas.
He removed another envelope.
Julian suddenly understood.
“You already filed?”
I didn’t answer.
May you like
But Thomas did.
“Your wife retained counsel this morning.”
