That wasn’t unusual.
What was unusual was the allegation buried in the paperwork: Michael claimed Karen had been diverting money from their joint accounts to finance a secret relationship.
The accusation was completely false.
Karen had used a small amount of her own savings to pay the bookstore’s initial expenses, and every transaction was documented.
But Michael had done something clever.
He had taken legitimate transfers between their joint accounts and presented them without the surrounding records, making ordinary financial activity look suspicious.
Karen’s attorney was furious.
“This is a pressure tactic,” she told Karen. “He wants you frightened enough to accept an unfavorable settlement.”
Karen sat in the office with her hands clasped.
“What happens if he keeps doing this?”
“We answer with the records. We request the complete financial disclosures. We document every allegation.”
“And if he tells Daniel?”
Her attorney paused.
“Your son is an adult. He deserves the truth, but we should not allow your husband to turn him into a messenger.”
Unfortunately, Michael had already begun.
Daniel called me that evening.
“Did you know Mom was moving money?”
I frowned.
“What?”
“Dad says she’s hiding assets.”
“She’s opening a bookstore. She’s paid some expenses from her savings.”
“He says there’s more.”
“Then ask him for evidence.”
“I did. He said it’s complicated.”
I let out a breath.
“Daniel, your father is making accusations during a divorce. That doesn’t make them true.”
He was quiet.
Then he asked the question I had been dreading.
“Are you involved in this?”
I hesitated.
Not because I had anything to hide financially.
Because I knew he meant something else.
“Karen and I are friends.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
I stared at the wall.
“Daniel, I care about your mother.”
He went silent.
Then he said, “Oh, God.”
“Nothing has happened.”
“But you want it to.”
I couldn’t answer.
He gave a bitter laugh.
“Unbelievable.”
“Daniel—”
“No. I need to go.”
He hung up.
I called Karen immediately.
She answered on the second ring.
“He knows,” I said.
“Knows what?”
“That there are feelings between us.”
She was quiet.
“Michael must have told him.”
“What do we do?”
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Karen said, “We tell him the truth.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me.
“Okay.”
“And we don’t let Michael decide what that truth means.”
I smiled faintly.
“There she is.”
But the conversation with Daniel did not go as we hoped.
He arrived at my apartment the next morning and demanded answers.
“Tell me you haven’t been sneaking around with my mother.”
“We haven’t.”
“Have you kissed her?”
“No.”
“Have you slept with her?”
“No.”
“Then why is Dad telling me you’re planning a future together?”
I took a breath.
“Because he wants you angry with her.”
Daniel stared at me.
“Don’t tell me what my father wants.”
“Then look at what he’s doing. He’s accusing her of hiding money without producing the full records. He’s telling you things about her marriage that she has no chance to explain. Now he’s bringing me into it.”
