That investment had kept several projects alive.
Including his.
Daniel sat across from me and opened a folder.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“The house sold.”
He began listing demands.
“Half the equity. Half your retirement savings. Temporary support while I establish myself here again.”
Vanessa looked pleased.
Daniel continued.
“My overseas research income remains mine, obviously.”
I flipped through the papers.
“You planned this carefully.”
“I’ve had plenty of time.”
Apparently three years.
I closed the folder.
“So have I.”
My attorney filed for divorce that evening.
Two days later, my accountant found something Daniel apparently hadn’t included in his careful plans.
He had used our joint home-equity credit line to finance his new family.
More than $186,000.
An apartment for Vanessa.
Vacations.
Jewelry.
Private preschool tuition.
Living expenses.
Money pulled against the home I had spent three years maintaining alone.
Then Marcus called.
“Emily, come to the office.”
“What happened?”
“You’re going to want to see this in person.”
A routine compliance review at Northstar had flagged reimbursement requests from Daniel’s Swiss laboratory.
Equipment.
Consultants.
Travel.
Specialized research expenses.
Some of the vendors didn’t exist.
One company did.
And it belonged to Vanessa.
I looked up from the documents.
“How much are we talking about?”
Marcus hesitated.
“About $640,000.”
I stared at him.
“Has the institute been informed?”
“Not yet.”
I leaned back slowly.
Daniel had not only betrayed the wrong wife.
He had apparently defrauded the wrong investor.
Meanwhile, he continued acting as though I were the problem.
Mutual friends started hearing that I had been “cold” and “emotionally unavailable.”
Daniel posted photographs with Vanessa and the twins.
Fresh start.
New chapter.
New beginnings.
Then he called me.
“My lawyer says you’re challenging the house settlement.”
“I’m challenging your calculations.”
“Emily, this bitterness isn’t helping.”
“I’m not bitter.”
“You’ve always wanted control.”
I glanced around my desk.
Fake invoices.
Bank statements.
Corporate records.
Emails.
Photographs.
