Then Walter made the mistake that broke whatever cover remained. In open court, he interrupted and said, “That house was mine. I built it. I paid for it. It was mine.”
The judge heard him.
A few weeks later, the written ruling arrived. The court found clear and convincing evidence that Walter had fraudulently transferred marital property to deprive me of my fair share.
The original settlement was vacated. The house and the LLC assets were returned to the marital estate.
I was awarded sixty percent of the total estate—about $3.1 million, including the value of the house. Walter’s attorney was referred for disciplinary review. Denise was identified as a knowing participant.
I sat at June’s kitchen table and listened to Anna read the ruling over the phone, every word landing like light after a long winter.
Three days later, an unfamiliar number from Connecticut called me. A doctor from Stamford Hospital. Walter had been found at the house after suffering a massive heart attack. He died the morning after his attorneys received the ruling.
What do you feel when the man who betrayed you dies?
Not one thing. Never one thing.