Chapter 3 - The Foundation of Lies
For the next two weeks, I became a ghost. I moved out of the sprawling estate I had shared with Bennett. I rented a quiet, high-security apartment downtown. I ignored every call, every text, every email from him and his lawyers.
Silence is a weapon. Bennett was a man who thrived on control. He needed to know what I was thinking. By giving him nothing, I was driving him insane.
Meanwhile, the police investigation was moving forward. Margot had been formally charged with aggravated assault. Bennett had posted her bail, but the damage was done. The mugshot of her tear-stained, arrogant face was sitting on Evelyn’s desk.
But I wanted more than just a criminal charge for Margot. I wanted Bennett’s empire. Because I knew a secret.
Bennett’s charity, The Halloway-Finch Foundation, hosted an annual gala. It was the social event of the year. Millions of dollars were raised. And I knew exactly where some of that money had been going.
Before I left the house, I had copied his hard drive. I sat at my small kitchen table, my pregnant belly resting against the wood, staring at the spreadsheets. It had taken me nights of meticulous cross-referencing. But I found it.
Offshore accounts. Fake vendors. Exorbitant "consulting fees" paid to a company registered under Margot’s maiden name. Bennett hadn't just cheated on me. He was stealing from the very people my family’s charity was built to protect.
My phone buzzed. It was my father. Richard Halloway was a quiet, formidable man who had built our family's wealth from the ground up. He had never liked Bennett. "He smiles too much, Tessa," my father had warned me before my wedding. "Men who smile that much are hiding their teeth."
I answered the call. "Dad." "Tessa, bear," his rough voice softened instantly. "How is my granddaughter?" "She's kicking like a champion," I smiled.
"Good. Now, tell me why Bennett Finch just called my office asking for a loan to cover a 'temporary liquidity issue'." I froze. Bennett was panicking. The legal fees, Margot’s bail, and the impending divorce were draining him.
"Did you give it to him?" I asked. "I told him to go to hell," my father said calmly. "But Tessa... what is going on? I know you moved out. I know about the police report." I hadn't wanted to burden him until I had all the pieces. But it was time.
"Dad, Bennett has been embezzling from the foundation. He used charity funds to buy Margot a condo. And... Margot kicked me in the stomach at St. Jude's." There was a long, terrifying silence on the other end of the line. When my father finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of a hurricane.
"Does he know you know about the money?" "No." "What are you going to do?" I looked down at the spreadsheet. I looked at the date on the calendar. The Annual Charity Gala was exactly three days away.
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"I’m going to let him throw his party," I said. "I’m going to let him stand on stage and pretend to be a saint." "And then?" my father asked. "And then, Dad... I’m going to burn his world to the ground."
"Do you need me there?" "I want you in the front row."
