Chapter 5 - Maya’s Reality Check
Across town, in a cramped studio apartment, Maya was having a breakdown of her own.
She had just received her official termination email, complete with a notice that the firm was considering civil litigation to recover the stolen expense funds. She tried calling Marcus for the twentieth time, but it went straight to voicemail.
Maya had always believed Marcus’s promises. He had told her Elena was cold, obsessed with work, and that they were practically separated. He had promised Maya he was going to leave his wife and that they would move into the penthouse together.
Now, she was blacklisted in the financial district and facing potential legal ruin.
There was a knock on her door. Maya jumped up, hoping it was Marcus coming to save her. She threw open the door, but it wasn't Marcus.
It was a process server.
“Maya Jenkins?” the man asked, holding out a thick stack of legal documents.
“Yes?”
“You’ve been served.” He dropped the papers into her hands and walked away.
May you like
Maya looked down at the bold print. It wasn't from the firm. It was from Elena Vance’s legal team. Elena was suing Maya for "Alienation of Affection"—a rare but highly damaging civil tort still legal in a few jurisdictions—seeking massive damages for the money Marcus had spent on her using marital funds.
Maya dropped the papers on the floor and began to sob. The glamorous life she had tried to steal had just become a prison of debt and legal nightmares.
