Maybe she'd look for a lawyer after he left. If she could stall him from demanding she sign. She leafed through the pages, and her eyes stopped on a paragraph she'd missed in her numerous perusals before. "What's this?" The shock in her mind took several minutes to register on her face, but when it did she saw Steve's features grow concerned. He leaned over the table and glanced at the page. "My house?" Marie swallowed a large lump of not on your life buddy that quelled in her throat and threatened to spurt out. "You have to be kidding."

"Well, okay. You don't have to sign the house over. Get a lawyer and let him dig around. Let him call Richard. Tip him off that this is happening. You can bet your butt it won't happen then. May as well just do that anyway. If you leave the house out in the open, a judge will just assign it to marital assets and make you sell it."

He had her, and ever ounce of testosterone in his body sprung forward to emit a glow of strength as he let her know he did. "I'll call Silvia and have her start the listing process. No need to wait," he added, with a hint of disgust that only added to his show. Steve looked around the marvelous kitchen. "Shouldn't take too long to unload this place once the courts demand it. Oh, by the way, I'm sure the judge will be curious as to how you have the money for this house," "Stop! I get it. I still don't see the point. The court will still want to know what happened that I had the money before, and don't now." Frustration beat her into submission more than his arrogant man act ever could.