Chapter 3 - The Ugly Truth Unveiled
The next morning, the house was eerily quiet.
Michael had slept on the couch.
I packed Olivia a bag and took her to my sister’s house.
I needed to focus, and I couldn't do it with him hovering.
David, my lawyer, called me at 9:00 AM sharp.
“Evelyn, we have a bigger problem.”
My stomach tightened.
“Worse than the $120,000?”
“Much worse,” David said grimly.
“I hired a forensic accountant last night after you left.”
“Michael didn't just drain the trust fund.”
“He took out a second mortgage on your summer home in Aspen.”
“And he co-signed a massive business loan for his brother, Mark.”
Mark. Tyler’s father.
The pieces began to click into place.
It wasn't just Sarah who was living off my money.
The entire family was bleeding me dry behind my back.
“How much, David?”
“The Aspen house has $400,000 borrowed against it.”
“The business loan is for $250,000.”
“And Mark's business is currently failing.”
“If he defaults, the bank comes after you.”
I gripped the steering wheel of my car so hard my knuckles turned white.
They had systematically planned this.
They looked at me not as a family member, but as a bank.
A stupid, rich girl they could manipulate through Michael.
“And Michael signed my name on all of this?”
“Yes,” David confirmed.
“The forgery is quite sophisticated, actually.”
“He must have been practicing for months.”
“Evelyn, this is no longer just a civil divorce matter.”
“This is organized criminal fraud.”
“We need to involve the police.”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart.
“Not yet, David.”
“If we spook them now, they might try to hide whatever cash they have left.”
“I want to blindside them.”
“I want them to feel exactly what it’s like to lose everything.”
“Just like they tried to do to my daughter.”
David sighed on the other end of the line.
“I advise against playing games, Evelyn.”
“I’m not playing games, David.”
“I’m preparing a slaughter.”
“Get all the evidence airtight.”
“Draft the police reports. Draft the lawsuit against the bank for approving forged documents.”
“I’ll let you know when to pull the trigger.”
I hung up the phone and looked at myself in the rearview mirror.
The woman staring back wasn't the sweet, accommodating wife anymore.
May you like
She was a mother protecting her cub.
And heaven help anyone who stood in her way.
