And I understood something key:
if I confronted him, he would manipulate me. If he knew I knew, he would try to control the only thing I had protected.
So I did what my grandmother taught me: protect myself, in silence.
The master move: protect what is mine and turn its “victory” into a trap
I had two things that were legally mine:
A retirement fund that grew over the years.
An inheritance from my grandmother, kept unmixed, intact.
With the help of my accounting uncle, I created an irrevocable trust in Tom’s name.
That’s where everything I was supposed to protect went.
Then I documented every debt, every loan, every hidden account.
Physical copies. Saved copies. Secure copies.
And I waited.
Because men like Victor… sooner or later they leave.
The performance: looking defeated so that he lowers his guard
When I hired my lawyer, Nina Castellanos, she wanted to fight for half of everything.
I said,
“No. I want him to keep everything.”
Nina thought I was sunk.
