That evening, I changed the passwords to my personal email and other accounts that were mine alone. I arranged to receive copies of important statements directly, and I kept the lawyer’s contact details somewhere Tyler could not casually misplace them.
I also asked Susan about changing the locks.
She advised me to consider the legal and practical circumstances before taking action, especially while the living arrangements and property questions were being addressed.
I followed her guidance.
I was not trying to punish Tyler.
I was trying to make sure that fear and confusion no longer controlled my decisions.
Three days after Rachel’s visit, Tyler returned to the house.
This time, he came alone.
I opened the door but did not invite him to walk in automatically.
“What do you need, Tyler?”
He looked exhausted.
“I want to talk.”
“We’ve talked.”
“I know. But I haven’t been able to sleep.”
I waited.
