Diane’s dining room was arranged like a stage when we arrived. Fine china covered the table, every family member had been invited, and at my place sat a leather folder instead of a plate. Diane smiled warmly. “Elena, sweetheart, sit. We have wonderful news, and just a little paperwork before the baby comes.” Nathan pulled out my chair, pretending to be the loving husband he had stopped being months ago. I immediately understood. Corinne had warned me they would try something together, and the audience around that table was meant to make refusing impossible. Diane pushed the folder toward me. “It transfers the apartment into a family trust,” she explained. “Nathan manages it, you’re protected, and the baby’s future is secure.”

I opened the folder and read every page. The apartment, legally mine and purchased with my father’s inheritance, would become controlled by Nathan and Diane. My name would disappear. Everyone watched as I picked up the pen. Diane smiled. Nathan leaned closer. I placed the pen down. “Before I sign anything,” I said softly, “I brought some paperwork of my own.”