The Love We Missed Chapter 08

The Love We Missed Chapter 08

My chest tightened. 

“Child support? We already agreed on monthly 

payments.” 

Claire lounged back, completely unfazed. 

“Monthly payments require trust, Julian. The 

second you start a new family, you’ll fight me over every single dollar.” 

Vivian froze next to me. The realization hit like a 

gut punch: Claire had played me from day one. 

“No way in hell!” Vivian shot up from her chair. “Julian, you just handed her three hundred grand, and now you want to bleed another two hundred thousand? What about our mortgage?” 

She grabbed her bag and stormed out. The glass 

door rattled shut behind her. 

Claire crossed her arms with a faint smirk. “Funny 

how fast romance dies when money is on the 

table.” 

I choked on my anger. Turning around, I bolted 

after Vivian. 

The clock was ticking. If the divorce didn’t close in 

time, I was finished. 

Vivian owned the deed, and Claire held the cash. 

My accounts were frozen until the ink dried. One 

wrong move and Claire would sue me for every 

penny. 

I caught Vivian outside. An hour later, we were in Logan Cross’s office. 

Behind closed doors, I laid out the timeline. Logan 

leaned back and slowly clapped his hands. 

“Brilliant,” Logan said, shaking his head. “Claire 

shifted all your marital debt onto Vivian’s 

shoulders. Legally, cleanly, and completely.” 

Vivian flinched, her knuckles turning white. 

“I’m paying you to fix this, Logan,” I snapped. “Not 

to praise my ex–wife.” 

Logan took a sip of black coffee. “Claire didn’t 

break a single law. You stepped out on the 

marriage, and the second you filed, she set the 

trap. You’re dirty; she’s spotless.” 

Vivian cut in, her voice sharp. “Can’t we sue her for fraud?” 

“Not a chance,” Logan smirked. “In divorce court, this is just aggressive negotiation.” 

I rubbed my temples. “If I pay the two hundred grand, does this end?” 

“Legally, yes,” Logan said. “A lump–sum buyout cuts her off from your future earnings forever. I’ll draft an ironclad addendum for her to sign before you wire the funds.” 

I took the folder and walked out. 

Vivian stayed ten paces ahead of me. When I reached for her wrist at the curb, she jerked away and got in the car. 

Miles of silence went by. 

Vivian stared out the window, her voice hollow. 

“When she sold that house, Julian… was she ever 

letting us go, or was I the target all along?”