She laid my cashier’s check for five thousand dollars flat on her desk beside a single printed retainer agreement.

“That check wipes out my personal savings,” I said.

“It’s every cent I kept separate from Julian.”

Chloe tapped her fountain pen three times against a legal pad.

She didn’t pull the check toward her drawer or put the pen in my hand.

“Five thousand dollars covers my filing costs and document verification,” Chloe said.

“I’m taking the rest of this case on contingency, Vivian.”

She took the mirrored ledger copies out of my navy manila accordion folder and spread them across the polished oak table.