She nodded.
“That is fair.”
“What isn’t fair?”
She gave a broken laugh.
“Not much for me today.”
Adrian almost smiled.
He didn’t.
“What did Randall know?”
“Only that we wanted financing.”
“Did you tell him I agreed?”
“I said you would.”
“That is not the same.”
“I know.”
“Did you ever plan to copy my signature?”
Simone stared directly at him.
“No.”
Adrian searched her face.
He wanted certainty.
Could not get it.
“Why send the signature sample?”
“I thought they needed to verify the tax forms.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know now.”
“Did Malik ask for it?”
“I thought he did.”
“He says he didn’t.”
“I know.”
“Then who?”
“Randall asked for ‘existing signed loan documentation.’”
Adrian frowned.
“That is different.”
“Yes.”
She wiped her eyes.
“I sent too much.”
Adrian nodded.
“Very much.”
The prequalification record later supported most of that.
Randall Pierce had asked for prior mortgage documents to estimate terms.
Simone sent an entire old refinancing PDF containing Adrian’s signature.
Randall extracted financial information and printed the signature page with his internal file.
No evidence showed Simone or Malik planned to paste it onto new paperwork.
That removed one of Adrian’s worst fears.
It did not repair the marriage.
But truth mattered even when less dramatic.
By eight the next morning, Adrian’s mother picked up the children from Simone’s mother and kept them another night.
Neither parent told Maya or Jordan anything yet.
Adrian and Simone met with separate attorneys.
The joint investment account was temporarily restricted by agreement.
No new transfers.
Business equipment purchases stopped.
The home-equity application was withdrawn.
Randall returned and deleted every identity document after Dana confirmed receipt and preservation.
No criminal complaint was filed because no forged loan had actually been submitted.
The remaining issue was marital.
Money.
Deception.
Infidelity.
Trust.
Harder than police.
Adrian wanted Malik fired from landscaping immediately.
Then realized “fired” sounded absurd.
He terminated the contract.
Paid the final invoice through the date services were performed.
Dana laughed when he told her.
“You paid him?”
“He cut the grass.”
“Adrian.”
“What?”
“You are the strangest angry husband I’ve represented.”
“He performed work.”
She stared.
“He slept with your wife.”
“That wasn’t on the invoice.”
Dana laughed despite herself.
For five seconds Adrian did too.
Humor did not mean healing.
It meant humans could not remain at maximum pain continuously without breaking.
That evening Simone packed a suitcase.
Adrian watched from the bedroom doorway.
“Where?”
“My mother’s.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know.”
He almost reacted.
She saw.
“Actually.”
She corrected herself.
“One week first.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded.
This was how damaged communication began rebuilding, strangely enough.
Specific answers.
Maya and Jordan came home Sunday.
Adrian and Simone told them together.
No Malik.
No affair details.
Not yet.
“We are having serious marriage problems,” Adrian said.
Maya immediately asked:
“Are you getting divorced?”
She was ten, not stupid.
Simone looked at Adrian.
“We don’t know yet.”
For once, true.
Jordan frowned.
“Where’s Mom sleeping?”
“Grandma Renee’s.”
“Why?”
Simone answered:
“Because Dad and I need some space.”
Maya stared.
“Who did something?”
Adrian’s heart tightened.