My Pilot Husband Chose Her Mother So I Ruined Him Chapter 04
You’re Not an Outsider
“What are you doing in the safe?” Ethan says.
That’s his first question.
Not Let me explain.
Not I can give it back.
He wants to know why I’m looking through my own things.
I hold up the paper.
“Where is everything?”
He walks into the bedroom and closes the door behind him.
“I moved some of it.”
“Moved it where?”
“I needed the money temporarily.”
My voice rises.
“Those were my savings. My grandmother’s jewelry. Money I had before we were married.”
“I know what was in there.”
“Then where is it?”
Before he can answer, I hear the front door open again.
A woman’s voice floats down the hall.
“Ethan?”
A second later, Sophie Reed appears in the doorway.
She’s wearing a pale dress, her eyes already red around the edges.
Of course.
My mother is recovering from heart surgery, and Sophie is standing in my bedroom.
She looks from me to Ethan, then to the paper in my hand.
“Claire, I can explain.”
I turn to her.
“Can you?”
She presses her lips together.
“The money went into my project, but I didn’t know it was yours.”
There it is.
I look at Ethan.
“You gave her my money.”
“It was an investment.”
“You emptied my safe and forged my signature.”
“I didn’t empty it.”
I stare at him.
Apparently that’s his defense.
Sophie steps closer.
“Please don’t blame Ethan. My project hit a temporary funding problem. He was only trying to help.”
“With my money.”
“I told you, I didn’t know.”
Her eyes fill.
“If I’d known, I never would’ve accepted it. I can return everything. Even if I have to take the loss myself.”
She sounds so wounded that someone walking in halfway through the conversation might think I’d stolen from her.
Ethan moves in front of her.
“Stop attacking Sophie. I made the decision.”
“Then tell me why my signature is on this.”
His eyes flick toward the document.
“It’s an authorization form.”
“I know what it is.”
“You weren’t available.”
“I was on a business trip, not in a coma.”
“I knew you’d say no.”
For a moment, I can’t speak.
Then I nod.
“Exactly.”
He frowns.
“You knew I would say no, so you signed my name anyway.”
“Don’t twist this into something it’s not.”
“What would you call it?”
“We’re married, Claire. I was moving money around, not robbing a stranger.”
Sophie touches his sleeve.
“Ethan, stop. This is my fault.”
Then she looks at me.
“I should leave. I’m only making things worse.”
She doesn’t move.
Ethan immediately turns to her.
“You don’t have to go.”
“Ethan—”
“You’re not an outsider.”
The words come out without hesitation.
The room goes silent.
Ethan seems to realize what he said, but it’s too late.
I look at the man I’ve been married to for seven years.
When my mother needed help, Sophie wasn’t an outsider.
When Sophie needed money, I apparently was.
Something inside me settles.
I open my bag and pull out the divorce agreement.
I place it on the dresser.
“Sign it.”
Ethan stares at the papers.
Then at me.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
“You’re ending a seven-year marriage over this?”
I almost admire the question.
“My mother collapsed on your flight, and you told us to wait.”
“You drained the account while she was in intensive care.”
“Because you weren’t thinking clearly.”
“You tried to talk me out of her surgery because it cost too much.”
“I asked a question.”
“You left the hospital to stay with Sophie.”
“Diane wasn’t well.”
“You took my property, moved my money into Sophie’s project, and forged my signature.”
His face hardens.
“You’re listing everything in the worst possible way.”
“I’m listing what happened.”
He lets out a humorless laugh.
“You have no idea what divorce will do to your life.”
“I’ll find out.”
“You think you’re going to walk away and keep everything?”
“I don’t care.”
“You will.”
He steps closer.
“Once the anger wears off, you’re going to realize how much of your life depends on this marriage.”
I slide a pen across the dresser.
“Sign.”
He doesn’t touch it.
For years, this is where I would’ve stopped.
I would’ve cried.
He would’ve gone quiet.
Eventually, I would’ve apologized for being too harsh.
Maybe he’s waiting for that version of me.
Sophie sniffles behind him.
“Ethan, don’t sign because of me. Claire’s angry right now. You two are married. I’m the one who shouldn’t be here.”
Ethan grabs the pen.
“Fine.”
He signs his name with several hard strokes.
Then throws the pen down.
“There.”
He shoves the papers toward me.
“You want a divorce? You got one.”
I pick them up.
Ethan laughs bitterly.
“Don’t come crying to me when you regret it.”
His phone rings.
He yanks it from his pocket.
“Hello?”
The anger disappears from his face.
“What do you mean, removed from flight duty?”
Sophie looks up.
I say nothing.
Ethan turns away from us.
“There has to be some mistake. I followed procedure.”
“Today?”
“Yes. I understand.”
The call ends.
For several seconds, he doesn’t move.
Then he turns toward me.
“What did you do?”
I put the signed divorce agreement into my bag.
“What you should’ve known I’d do.”
His eyes narrow.
“Claire.”
“I reported you.”