Lena agreed to meet both of us the next morning, though she reminded me that Mariana was her client and that some conversations would remain private.

I respected the distinction.

That afternoon I went through our household statements, not to hunt for evidence against my wife, but to understand how easily I’d confused making deposits with checking whether they were used properly.

The operating account showed charges that made no sense: luxury hotel spa visits, expensive restaurant bills, online designer purchases, and repeated transfers to a payment account unfamiliar to me.

I recognized two of the restaurants because Chloe had posted photographs from them on social media.