"Yes. You are entitled to decide whether you want to participate in a new financial obligation."
Naya took a breath.
"Then I won't consider anything else until those records are reviewed."
Her husband surprised her by agreeing to the meeting.
He wasn't suddenly interested in transparency.
He had another reason.
A private lender had indicated that his business might qualify for a new line of credit if its obligations and available collateral were clarified.
The husband believed that once he completed the necessary documentation, he could persuade Naya to cooperate with a future financing request.
He also believed the marriage was already over.
The mistress had been demanding that he leave Naya for months.
Their daughter was born six weeks earlier, and the mistress wanted a stable home for the child.
The husband had promised her that he would soon take possession of the suburban house.
He described Naya as difficult, emotionally unstable, and financially dependent on him.
None of those descriptions was accurate.
But the mistress believed enough of them to imagine that moving into the house would be a simple matter.
Meanwhile, the husband wanted to settle certain business matters before announcing the divorce.
If the paperwork helped him obtain financing, he was willing to sign.
He didn't seem to consider that acknowledging Naya's ownership could weaken the claims he'd been making to the mistress.
His arrogance had created a contradiction he refused to examine.
He believed he could tell a lender one thing, his wife another, and his mistress a third.
And somehow each version would become true when he needed it.
The meeting took place the day before he brought the mistress into the house.
Naya arrived with her attorney.
Her husband attended with his own lawyer, a commercial practitioner who had previously represented his business in financing matters.
They reviewed the proposed agreements.
The property history was explained.
The documents identified the original purchase and existing title.
The husband's lawyer emphasized that he shouldn't sign anything he didn't understand.
Naya sat quietly.
She watched her husband glance through the pages.
At one point, his attorney pointed toward the provision addressing the residence.
"This confirms that the property was acquired before the marriage and remains titled to your wife. It also records your acknowledgment that you don't have authority to sell or encumber it."
Her husband nodded impatiently.
"I know."
The lawyer continued.
"The agreement also addresses certain potential claims and requires full financial disclosures."
"Fine."
Naya looked toward him.
For a moment, she wondered whether he actually understood what was happening.