Every time my brother-in-law drove me home, I would lose consciousness and wake up with unexplained aches and pains. My husband would only laugh and say, “You’re just out of shape, that’s all.” After the fourth ride, I secretly slipped a voice recorder into my purse and said nothing. That night, I listened to a phone conversation between the two of them that revealed my blackouts had never been accidental.

But it was longer than I expected, and each word belonged to something Julian had not managed to take away.

PART 18

The settlement discussions in our divorce exposed another layer of manipulation.

Julian had told friends that I was refusing to reconcile because I wanted his money.

In reality, separating our accounts required careful review of liabilities he had concealed.

Several business guarantees had been signed during the marriage, and some carried signatures that lawyers disputed.

I could not simply walk away from the paperwork because I wished it gone.

An independent financial specialist, retained for the civil proceedings, reviewed the relevant transactions.