I closed my eyes.
Of course he had lied to her too.
“Did he tell you he could legally sign my name?”
Silence.
“He said married couples sign things for each other all the time.”
“We were divorced that morning.”
Another silence.
Then her voice grew smaller.
“There’s something else.”
My attorney immediately stopped taking notes.
“What?”
“He said if you approved even one charge after the divorce, his lawyer could use it to reopen financial claims.”
The room went still.
Suddenly everything made sense.
The dinner wasn’t the goal.
The luxury suite wasn’t the goal.
The necklace wasn’t the goal.
The entire evening had been a trap.
If I authorized a payment, he could argue that our finances were still intertwined.
He wasn’t trying to celebrate.
He was trying to create evidence.
“Do you have proof?” my attorney asked.
“Yes.”
Minutes later, screenshots arrived.
