The envelope.
By sunrise, I'd filled seven pages.
And for the first time in years, I felt as though my own words belonged to me.
The following week was not triumphant.
It was exhausting.
I contacted a lawyer named Isabel Ortega, who specialized in family and financial disputes.
We reviewed my accounts, business records, property documents, and the proposed ownership agreement.
The more we examined, the worse the picture became.
There were payments Javier had described as household expenses that appeared connected to Mercedes's company.
There were invoices for services my business had never received.
And there were messages in which Javier discussed accessing my financial records without my knowledge.
Isabel was careful.
"Suspicions aren't findings," she reminded me. "We need evidence, proper documentation, and patience."
So we gathered evidence.
I notified my bank about the disputed transfer. The pending payment was stopped while the bank reviewed the authorization. I secured my business accounts, changed passwords, and arranged for an independent accountant to examine the records.
