“You’re married. Those documents belong to both of you until the court says otherwise. But Mrs. Gillian, once your husband realizes you’re taking an active role in protecting your interests, he may become less cooperative or more aggressive in his tactics.”

I drove home with my head spinning from legal terminology and strategic considerations I’d never imagined I’d need to understand. Forty-two years of marriage had ended with a phone call and a legal document, and I was supposed to transform myself from trusting wife to suspicious adversary overnight.

Emily was waiting for me in the kitchen, sitting at the table with homework spread around her like she was conducting important business from a very small office.

“Grandma Kathy, how was your meeting with the lawyer lady?”

“How did you know I met with a lawyer?”

“Because Mommy said you were getting help with Grandpa’s paperwork. And I know what divorce lawyers are because Mommy had to talk to lots of them.”

Eight years old, and Emily already had more experience with family legal crises than most adults. The thought made me sad for the innocence she’d lost through her parents’ divorce and angry at Robert for putting her through another family breakdown.

“Emily, the lawyer lady wants to know more about the things you heard Grandpa talking about with the yellow-haired woman. Can you remember anything else they said?”

Emily set down her pencil and gave me the serious attention she reserved for important conversations.

“They talked about houses. The lady asked Grandpa if there were any properties you didn’t know about, and Grandpa said yes, but that he’d been careful about keeping them separate. And they talked about money in other countries. The lady said something about offshore accounts and asked if you knew about them. Grandpa said, ‘You never paid attention to investment stuff, so it wouldn’t be a problem.’”

I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature in the kitchen. Robert had been hiding assets from me, possibly for years, while I trusted him completely to manage our financial future.

“Emily, did they say anything else about money?”

“The lady asked about your retirement account and whether Grandpa could use it for something. Grandpa said that was already being handled by someone named Marcus.”

“Marcus?”

I’d never heard Robert mention anyone named Marcus, but apparently this person had access to my retirement savings.

“Grandma Kathy, are you going to be okay if Grandpa takes all the money?”

The question revealed how much Emily understood about divorce dynamics despite her age. She’d watched her mother struggle financially during separation proceedings, and now she was worried about my financial security.

“I don’t know yet, sweetheart, but I’m learning how to protect myself, and I have help from people who understand these situations.”

“Grandma Kathy, I want to help you, too.”

“Emily, you’ve already helped me so much by telling me about the conversations you heard. But honey, this isn’t your job to fix.”

“But I can keep listening, right? If Grandpa comes back and talks to more people about taking your money?”

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