Beverly stumbled backward in horror. "Thaddeus, you bastard, you set me up!"
"You're the one who insisted on managing my money. Well, now there's no money left. Just debt." I stood and closed the distance between us. "What happened to 'for better or for worse'?"
"Divorce! Right now!"
Mrs. Fox grabbed Beverly by the arm and yanked her behind her. "My daughter was a pure, innocent girl when she married you! You couldn't even provide for her, and now you're borrowing from loan sharks? This marriage is over!"
Beverly was rattled, but she recovered fast.
"Fine, Thaddeus. You want a divorce? I'll give you one. But the house is mine, the car is mine, and I'm not touching a single penny of your company's debt. You walk away with nothing!"
"Deal." The word left my mouth before she even finished.
That same morning, we went to the courthouse and signed the papers.
When we walked out, my three so-called brothers happened to pull up right on cue.
Caspar spotted me first and let out an exaggerated holler. "Well, well! Thaddeus, my man, you actually went through with it?"
Humphrey didn't even bother with me. He walked straight to Beverly and slid his arm around her waist. "Babe, I always told you that broke loser didn't deserve you. Come on, the boys are taking you out to celebrate."
Beverly swatted his chest with a coy little pout. "Oh, stop it. What's the rush?"
"Thaddeus, for old times' sake, we're booking a table at the Grand Regency tonight. A little party to celebrate Beverly's fresh start. You should come have a drink." Joe pulled a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet and flicked it at my feet. "Here. Cab fare."
I looked down at that bill lying on the pavement, and something in me went so cold it came out the other side as a smile.
"Boy! Don't blow your top! Look at their foreheads, all four of them!" Great-Grandpa was cackling inside the ring. "Black as pitch! Death hanging over every last one! They're not headed to a celebration tonight. They're walking into a death trap!"
A low, quiet laugh escaped my throat.
"Sure. The Grand Regency, tonight. I'll be there."
I watched their taillights shrink into the distance, all swagger and noise, and rubbed my thumb slowly across the ring.
"Great-Grandpa, what's our next move?"