"Maya just graduated. She barely knows anyone."

"She came to you because she sees you as real family. How could you turn her down?"

I glanced up at him, then lowered my eyes back to the magazine in my hands.

"I didn't turn her down."

"I just asked her to sign an IOU."

"Is that really necessary?" Joel looked genuinely confused.

"If it's not necessary, then forget the whole thing."

Joel's mouth opened and closed. Nothing came out.

When he realized I wasn't budging, he raked a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I'm taking a shower," he muttered, and walked off.

He disappeared into the bathroom.

The next morning, at the breakfast table.

Maya's eyes were red and swollen. She'd obviously been crying all night.

Laurel held her bowl and looked at me like I was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

Drew Henson, on the other hand, was the same as always.

As if the tension in the room didn't exist. Eating, drinking, minding his own business.

Joel peeled a boiled egg for Maya like he was trying to make up for something.

"Maya, don't worry about the money. I talked it over with your sister-in-law last night."

"She has a small apartment downtown. You can move in there for now."

I slammed my chopsticks down. My head whipped toward Joel.

"When exactly did you 'talk it over' with me?"

"That apartment is already rented out!"

Laurel jumped in immediately, her voice dripping with sarcasm:

"So you'd rather let a stranger live there than your own sister-in-law? Is that it?"

Joel stared at me too, something odd in his expression:

"Do you have some kind of problem with Maya?"

In my past life, if he'd asked me that, I would have said no without hesitation.

But now I took a deep breath and held my temper with everything I had.

"I don't have a problem with her. I have a problem with you."

Joel blinked. "What did I do?"

"You made decisions about my property without my consent."

"That's it? We're married..."

"Married people still discuss things, don't they?"

"I..."

Joel had nothing.

I didn't finish breakfast. I grabbed my bag and went straight to the office.

During the lunch break, I met up with my best friend.

She was a lawyer. Her time was measured in billable seconds.

I got right to the point. "I want to divorce Joel. Can you help me sort out my premarital assets?"

She froze. "You've only been married a month. Did he cheat?"

I shook my head. "No. Just family issues."

She winced.