“Yes,” I said. “He let his mother take food from their plates in front of a hundred people.”
My father was silent for three seconds.
Then he said, “Understood.”
The second call was to Rowan Vale, my attorney.
He did not sound surprised. Attorneys like Rowan rarely did. “Mrs. Caldwell.”
“Colonel Hale,” I corrected.
That was the first time in eleven years I had used that name in connection with my marriage.
On the other end, Rowan became very still.
“All right,” he said. “Then we are done pretending.”
“Yes.”
“I can have the notices served within the hour. The event license. The misrepresentation clause. The personal guarantee. The sworn asset statement. All of it.”
“Do it.”
“And the house?”
“I’ll be there tonight.”
“I’ll arrange a deputy to accompany the process server. Not because you need protection,” he added, “but because men like Warren behave better in front of witnesses.”
