I sold my mother’s jewelry to help make the down payment on our house.
I stopped making you feel important because I knew your fears and your flaws.
You never wanted love, Joshua.
You wanted an audience.”
Chapter 13 — Brutal Terms
Back in the room, the negotiation turned brutal.
Colette laid out the full audit — dates, contracts, transfers, internal emails — and revealed that Joshua had used corporate expense accounts to pay for trips with Cheyenne.
That detail didn’t just complicate the divorce; it guaranteed a corporate audit at his firm.
Wallace stopped defending him and shifted entirely into damage control.
“If this goes to a family court judge,” Colette said, “we’ll request asset protection, a full forensic audit, and immediate restitution of the minor child’s trust.”
The mediator looked at Joshua with plain disapproval.
“Hiding assets in a divorce is serious enough.