I walked out of her office carrying a folder of notes.
For the first time since Rachel had appeared on my doorstep, I felt something stronger than anger.
I felt prepared.
That afternoon, I began reviewing the household records with Margaret.
We listed the accounts, the recurring bills, the insurance policies, and the debts we knew about. We made copies of the statements and noted the transactions that required clarification.
We did not move money recklessly or make assumptions about what we could do.
We simply made sure I understood my own financial position.
It was astonishing how much I had allowed Tyler to handle without asking questions.
For years, I had treated our finances as a shared responsibility while letting him take the lead on the details.
I had trusted that if something important needed my attention, he would tell me.
Now I was determined to understand every part of the life I had helped build.
