Chapter 5 - The Legal Counter-Strike
Dustin and I spent the rest of the weekend cleaning the house from top to bottom, scrubbing away every trace of Alana and Ellie’s toxic presence. We baked chocolate chip cookies, watched his favorite cartoons in the living room, and laughed without looking over our shoulders. For the first time in months, our home actually felt like a home.
True to Parker’s threat, my phone started ringing bright and early Monday morning.
It wasn't Parker. It was a high-powered divorce attorney named Marcus Vance—partner at Vance & Associates, and widely known as one of the most ruthless litigation sharks in the city.
“Mrs. Parker Chen?” a deep, gravelly voice echoed through the speaker. “I am calling on behalf of your husband, Parker Chen. We are in receipt of your illegal eviction of his family, as well as your defamatory distribution of audio files to his associates. We intend to file for an immediate emergency asset freeze, full custody contest regarding your minor dependent, and a division of all marital properties—”
I didn't interrupt him. I let him finish his little speech, listening to the rehearsed corporate intimidation tactics designed to make ordinary spouses panic and fold.
When he finally paused for breath, I spoke.
“Mr. Vance, before you file anything in court, I strongly suggest you do two things,” I said, my voice ice-cold and steady.
“And what would that be, Mrs. Chen? Another empty threat?” Vance scoffed.
“First, ask your client, Parker, if he told you about the audio file I sent him on Friday—the one where his mother and sister explicitly conspire to commit financial fraud, forge property deeds, and fraudulently manipulate him into stripping my pre-marital assets.”
A brief silence hung on the other end of the line.
“Second,” I continued smoothly, “ask him if he mentioned that the country house was purchased under my sole name five full years before we were legally married, backed by an ironclad prenuptial agreement that I had him sign on the condition of absolute financial separation regarding legacy properties.”
Vance cleared his throat. The smugness in his tone had vanished entirely. “Mrs. Chen, I was not informed of—”
“I know your clients never tell you the whole truth, Mr. Vance,” I cut in. “Here is my counter-offer: Tell Parker that if he files a single paper in court, I will personally hand over the full audio recording to the federal prosecutor handling the ongoing corporate audit at his firm—an audit involving several financial irregularities connected to his mother’s estate holdings. Tell him to sign a clean, uncontested mutual divorce waiver by noon today, or he walks away with nothing, no alimony, and no job.”
I didn't wait for his reply. I tapped the red button and ended the call.
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Four hours later, my phone pinged with an email notification. It was a digital PDF file containing a signed, notarized, uncontested divorce settlement—surrendering all claims to my property, my accounts, and my life.
Parker had folded in record time.
