I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 162

Calvin replied almost immediately. “Congratulations on finally making up your mind. I’m free anytime.”

We agreed to meet after work, so I headed back to the office.

But when the time came, Calvin stood me up, though he did call.

“Zephyra, something came up and I can’t get away. Just tell me, on what grounds are you planning to sue?”

“I want to sue him for infidelity. I have a photo, I’m sending it to you now,” I said, finding the picture of Steven and Verna in an intimate, misleading pose and sending it over. “Take a look and tell me if it can be used as evidence.”

Calvin looked at the picture and paused for a moment. “It’s definitely suggestive, but is this the only one? Do you have any other evidence, like text messages or hotel records? Something that more clearly points to an improper relationship?”

I bit my lip. Steven was too cautious. It seemed nothing had really sparked between him and Verna while he was abroad.

“No, that’s all I have for now. But it was taken at a hotel, and the woman in the picture was staying in Steven’s room. Does that count?”

Calvin asked, “Can you get the hotel registration records? Whose name was it under?”

“It was probably under his assistant’s name,” I admitted. “I don’t think I can get them.”

Calvin sounded troubled. “Zephyra, this isn’t enough evidence. Your chances of winning are extremely low. If you file on these grounds, the case will likely be dismissed.”

But this was the best I could do. I wasn't a private investigator, and Steven probably hadn't crossed any major lines yet anyway.

My heart sank. I gritted my teeth. “Okay, let’s try a different angle. What if I had evidence of *my* infidelity? That would have to be grounds for divorce, right?”

Calvin’s voice shot up, full of urgency. “Are you crazy? You can’t be that desperate to win! You’d be ruining your own reputation! Don’t do anything foolish. Besides, even if you did manage to get a divorce that way, you wouldn’t get a single cent!”

I hung my head and sighed. “Then what do you suggest I do?… I’m still a virgin in this marriage. What if I sue him for impotence?”

“What?!” Calvin’s voice was even more frantic. “You… he… oh, for God’s sake!”

He took a breath. “That won’t work. He would have to actually be impotent, and you’d need his medical records to prove it. Otherwise, you’ll still lose. There was a real case where a woman’s husband didn’t touch her for eleven years. She filed for divorce on the same grounds, and the court still rejected it.”

It was rejected? Was getting a divorce really this hard now?

After a long pause, Calvin admitted it, his voice strained. “Yes. It seems he found out I’m your friend. Zephyra, I really didn't want to betray you, but your husband… he offered me an insane amount of money. The retainer alone was a million dollars…”

A million dollars!

I let out a bitter laugh. That son of a bitch, Steven. I asked him for a million dollars as a divorce settlement and he dragged his feet, refusing to give it. But for a lawyer’s retainer? He coughed it up without a second thought.

He wasn’t stingy. He was just stingy with *me*.

I took a deep breath, my voice dripping with cold sarcasm. “Right. I get it. I won’t stand in the way of you making your money.”

Before I could hang up, Calvin’s voice came through the phone again, rushed and anxious.

“Zephyra, we underestimated him. You can’t win against your husband. A lawsuit is a dead end. He has no intention of divorcing you. You’re stuck…”

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