“You don’t have the cash to hire a family lawyer for a contested divorce,” he said.

He leaned his lower back against the edge of the counter, two inches from where my binder sat next to the microwave.

“You couldn’t even afford the lease deposit on that interior design studio you kept talking about downtown,” Mark said.

“You depend on my monthly paycheck for every grocery bill and utility payment,” he said.

I reached down and twisted my grandmother’s silver ring around my thumb twice under the dark edge of the counter.

Vanessa walked into the kitchen and stopped at the island to inspect the stainless steel double sink fixtures.