Naomi Henson was Darrell's college sweetheart. She and I had been classmates. After graduation, she'd gone abroad to build her career.
She'd returned six months ago, and my best friend Sophie Whitney was the first to tell me.
I hadn't given it a second thought. That was ancient history. Darrell and I had been married for five years. I trusted that he wasn't the kind of man to throw away a stable life just to chase an old flame.
But I didn't know Darrell as well as I thought. He hadn't just rekindled things with Naomi. He was plotting against me.
What they seemed to have forgotten, though, was that I was no pushover.
On the drive home, I steadied myself and started digging into our marital assets: real estate, savings, and the company's books.
Since we'd never had children, I'd spent all these years working at the company. Pulling up the financial records was child's play.
Then I reached out to Hudson Dickerson, the company's legal counsel. He was Sophie's husband, and I figured he'd be on my side.
I explained the situation. Hudson cleared his throat and asked to meet in person.
I skipped going home and headed straight to a coffee shop to meet him.
The moment I sat down, he slid a manila envelope across the table.
"Actually, I've had these ready for a while. I was planning to bring them to you myself."
Hudson studied my face. People always said lawyers could read anyone like an open book. He was living proof.
I allowed myself a small smile and flipped through the documents. They were exactly what I needed: a complete record of the company's finances.
"Darrell actually already let me go. These are the records I compiled before I left."
"Darrell plays dumb, but he's sharper than he looks. After working with him for years, I've learned to read him. He'll probably come after you next. Be careful."
Hudson Dickerson's words caught me off guard, though the more I thought about it, the less surprising it was. Sophie Whitney was my best friend. If my marriage stayed intact, keeping Hudson on as company counsel made perfect sense. But if Darrell and I divorced, there was no way Naomi would let him stay.
"I'll make up for what you lost. From now on, you're handling my divorce case."
Hudson smiled. "The case, absolutely. But don't worry about compensating me. Sophie doesn't know I was fired yet. Don't tell her. I'm afraid she'll tear Darrell apart."