The law office of Patterson and Associates sat on the 15th floor of a downtown building with floor toseeiling windows overlooking the city.
Simone had done her research carefully before choosing this firm.
They had a reputation for being aggressive, thorough, and expensive.
They won cases.
They protected their clients, and they didn’t mess around.
Simone told Derek she had a client meeting that would take most of the day.
It wasn’t technically a lie.
She was meeting with someone who would help her business interest.
Her business interest just happened to be divorcing her cheating husband and taking everything she could legally claim.
The receptionist led her to a conference room where a woman in her 50s with short silver hair and sharp eyes was waiting.
Mrs.
Simone Turner.
I’m Patricia Patterson.
Please have a seat.
They shook hands and Simone sat down, placing the external hard drive on the table between them.
Thank you for seeing me on short notice.
Your email mentioned you needed a divorce attorney and that you had documentation of adultery.
Patricia opened a leather portfolio and clicked her pen.
Why don’t you start from the beginning?
Simone told her everything about discovering the nanny cam footage, about the emails and text messages, about Amber, about the months of lies.
Patricia listened without interrupting, taking notes occasionally.
When Simone finished, Patricia looked up.
Do you want to reconcile with your husband?
Absolutely not, Simone said firmly.
I want a divorce.
I want it to be final and clean, and I want him to get as little as possible.
Patricia smiled slightly.
Good.
Clients who are certain make my job easier.
Now, let’s talk about assets.
You mentioned the house is in your name only.
Yes.
I bought it 3 years before we got married.
I’ve paid the mortgage the entire time.
Derek’s never contributed to it.
Excellent.
In this state, property owned before the marriage typically remains separate property.
What about vehicles?
My car is paid off and in my name.
His car is also paid off in his name.
We each have our own vehicles.
savings, investments, retirement accounts.
Simone pulled out a folder with printed bank statements.
We have a joint savings account with about $40,000 in it.
Most of that came from my inheritance.
I have documentation showing the deposits.
I also have a retirement account from work that’s in my name only worth about $70,000.
Derek has a small 401k from his job, maybe 15,000.
Patricia reviewed the statements with proof that the savings came from your inheritance.
We can argue that it’s separate property.
At minimum, you’d get the majority of it.
The retirement accounts will each remain separate since they’re individual accounts.
What does your husband do for work?
He’s a sales associate at an electronic store.
He makes about 40,000 a year.
I’m a commercial real estate agent and I make around 90,000 plus commissions.
So, you’ve been the primary earnner throughout the marriage.
Yes.
and the affair has been going on for at least 6 months based on your evidence.
At least, maybe longer.
Patricia set down her pen and looked directly at Simone.
Here’s my assessment.
You’re in a very strong position.
The house is yours.
The bulk of the savings is yours.
You outear him significantly, and you have extensive proof of his adultery, which in this state can impact the division of assets and alimony considerations.
What that means is that not only will you keep what’s rightfully yours, but Dererick will have no grounds to claim alimony or support from you.
In fact, he’ll be lucky to walk away with his car and his 401k.
What about the joint savings account?
Can he clean it out before I file?
He could try, which is why I recommend we move quickly.
Today, I want you to go withdraw half of that joint account and put it in a separate account in only your name.
It’s not illegal.
It’s protecting your interest.
If he questions it, tell him you’re moving money into a higher yield savings account.
Then we’ll file the divorce papers within the next 2 weeks.
2 weeks.
Simone felt a flutter of panic.
That’s so fast.
It needs to be.
The longer you wait, the more opportunity he has to hide assets, drain accounts, or create problems.
You’ve done your homework.
You have your evidence.
Now we need to act on it.
Patricia leaned forward.
I also recommend changing your direct deposit for your paycheck.
You said you have a new account already.
Yes, at a different bank.
Good.
Change your direct deposit to that account today.
Don’t tell Derek.
Any money you earn from this point forward is yours.
If he asks about a missing paycheck, tell him there was a delay at work.
By the time he figures out something’s wrong, the divorce papers will be filed.
Simone nodded, her mind spinning.
This was really happening.
She was really doing this.
One more thing, Patricia said.
You mentioned the other woman’s name is Amber.
Do you know her last name where she works?
Her last name is Collins.
She works at I think it’s Family First Insurance.
It’s one of those companies that’s big on family values and Christian principles.
I saw it in her email signature.
Patricia made a note.
Perfect.
Companies like that tend to have morality clauses in their employment contracts.
If they found out an employee was knowingly involved with a married man, especially if there’s proof, they might terminate her employment.
You want me to tell her employer?
I’m not telling you to do anything.
I’m simply informing you that it’s an option.
Some clients find it therapeutic.
Others don’t care.
It’s entirely up to you.
Patricia closed her portfolio.
Now, let’s talk about my fees and the next steps.
They spent another hour going over paperwork, timelines, and strategy.
Patricia’s retainer was $5,000, but Simone had been saving money in her personal account for weeks now, anticipating this cost.
She wrote the check without hesitation.
As she left the office, Simone felt different, lighter somehow.
For weeks, she’d been carrying the weight of Dererick’s betrayal alone, pretending everything was fine.
But now, she had an ally.
She had a plan.
She had a way forward.
This wasn’t just about revenge anymore.
It was about justice.
It was about taking back control of her life.
She went straight to the bank and withdrew $20,000 from the joint account, depositing it into her new account.
Then she went to her office and changed her direct deposit information in the company’s HR portal.
Her next paycheck due in 5 days would go to her new account.
Dererick would never see it.
That evening, Dererick was in a good mood.
He’d sold a big ticket item at work and earned a commission.
He suggested they go out to dinner to celebrate.
Simone agreed, even though the thought of sitting across from him at a restaurant made her feel sick, but she smiled and got dressed and went to dinner and pretended to be happy for him.
At the restaurant, Dererick held her hand across the table.
“You know, I’m really lucky to have you,” he said.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Simone looked at him.
This man she’d loved for 7 years.
This man who’d betrayed her in the worst way possible, and she felt nothing.
No love, no anger, just emptiness.
“I’m glad you think so,” she said.
He didn’t notice the coldness in her voice.
He never noticed anything about her anymore.
When they got home, Dererick wanted to be intimate.
Simone made an excuse about being tired about not feeling well.
He looked disappointed but didn’t push.
She went to bed and turned away from him, staring at the wall until she heard his breathing slow into sleep.
Soon she thought soon this would all be over.
Soon she’d be free of him.
Soon she’d have her life back.
The next morning, while Dererick was in the shower, his phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Simone glanced at it and saw a text from Amber.
We need to talk.
Call me.
So, Amber hadn’t ended it after all, despite what she’d said in Simone’s office.
Or maybe Dererick had convinced her to stay.
It didn’t matter.
Simone screenshot the message and sent it to herself, then deleted the evidence from Dererick’s phone.
Just more ammunition for her lawyer.
Over the next 2 weeks, Simone continued her careful preparations.
She transferred more of her personal items out of the house.
She made copies of all their important documents, tax returns, bank statements, everything.
She reviewed every piece of evidence she’d collected, making sure it was organized and ready for Patricia.
She also made a decision about Amber’s employer.
She drafted an anonymous email with the subject line, employee conduct concern, and attached selected screenshots of emails where Amber clearly acknowledged Derrick’s marriage, and expressed excitement about the affair.
She included timestamps from the nanny cam footage showing Amber entering Simone’s home during work hours.
She didn’t send it yet.
that would come later at the right time.
Dererick remained oblivious.
He came home everyday, kissed Simone, hello, ate the dinner she made, watched TV, and went to bed.
He kept up his routine with Amber every Tuesday and Thursday like clockwork.
He kept lying to Simone’s face, telling her he loved her, making plans for their future.
He was so confident he’d never get caught.
That confidence was about to be shattered.
Simone had one more meeting with Patricia scheduled for the following Monday.
They would finalize everything and prepare to serve Dererick with the divorce papers.
It was almost time.
On the Sunday before that final meeting, Simone stood in her kitchen making coffee and looked around at the house she’d bought with her own money.
This was her home.
Dererick had never appreciated it.
He’d never appreciated her.
But that was okay because soon he’d be gone and she’d have her sanctuary back.
She’d have her peace back.
She’d have herself back.
She heard Derek coming down the stairs and pasted on a smile.
Good morning.
Want some coffee?
Yeah, thanks, babe, he said, kissing her cheek.
What do you want to do today?
I was thinking we could just relax at home, Simone said.
Maybe watch some movies.
Order take out.
Sounds perfect.
Dererick settled on the couch with his coffee, already reaching for the TV remote.
Simone looked at him, knowing these were some of the last normal moments they’d have together.
By this time next week, everything would be different.
He’d know that she knew.
he’d know that he’d lost and she couldn’t wait.
Monday morning came bright and clear.
Simone woke up before Derek as she always did and went through her morning routine.
She showered, dressed in her favorite navy blue suit, and made herself breakfast.
By the time Dererick stumbled into the kitchen, she was ready for the day.
“You look nice,” he said, pouring himself coffee.
“Big meeting today?
Just the usual client stuff?”
She lied smoothly.
“What about you?
Anything special at work?”
Nah, probably just a slow Monday.
He scrolled through his phone while eating cereal.
Probably texting Amber, Simone thought.
She didn’t care anymore.
She kissed him goodbye at 8:30 and drove to Patricia’s office.
This time, she brought three copies of everything.
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