The lawyer asked whether Naya knew the extent of her husband's business debts.
She shook her head.
"He tells me everything is fine."
"Do you have access to the business accounts?"
"No."
"Have you signed any guarantees?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
The attorney looked toward her.
"Then we need to establish what obligations actually exist and whether any documents purport to involve you or your property."
Naya nodded.
She brought out the loan proposal her husband had shown her months earlier.
The attorney examined it.
Then pointed toward a section requesting information about additional collateral.
"Did you agree to this?"
"No."
"Did you sign anything connected to it?"
"No."
The attorney nodded.
"Good. Keep copies of everything you have, and don't sign any financial document without independent advice."
Naya took a breath.
Then asked the question she'd been afraid to say aloud.
"What happens if he tries to take my house?"
The attorney studied her.
"Let's find out what the documents support before assuming he can."
For a moment, Naya's eyes filled.
She nodded.
Then whispered.
"Okay."
The investigation into the finances began with records Naya could lawfully access.
She reviewed joint account statements.
Household credit cards.
Mortgage documents.
And expenses paid from funds that were supposed to cover pregnancy-related costs and ordinary family needs.
Her attorney helped her identify which information needed to be obtained through formal legal procedures rather than through access she didn't have.
Naya also opened an individual account for her income and arranged for future paychecks to be deposited there.
She didn't empty joint accounts.
She didn't attempt to hide marital assets.
And she didn't sabotage her husband's business.
She simply stopped assuming that every financial decision he made was intended to protect their family.
Over several weeks, she identified transfers that didn't match their household budget.
There were payments to an apartment management company.
Purchases from baby stores.
And repeated expenses at restaurants she'd never visited.
At first, the total seemed manageable.
Then she reviewed a longer period.
The amounts grew.
Some transfers were labeled as business expenses.
Others came from an account where both spouses had placed money for medical costs, baby supplies, and household emergencies.
Naya stared at the figures.
More than thirty thousand dollars had been moved or spent in ways she couldn't explain from their agreed family budget.
Not every transaction was necessarily improper.
Some might have legitimate business explanations.
But the pattern suggested that her husband had been financing another household while telling Naya their money was tight.