Chapter 4 - The Mistress’s Reality Check
While Julian’s corporate world was imploding, Vanessa was having a very different kind of terrible day.
She had grown accustomed to the Platinum Amex card Julian had given her—the one tied to his now-frozen business accounts. According to the private investigator Arthur had tailing her, Vanessa had walked into a high-end baby boutique downtown to register for her own nursery.
I received the security footage directly to my phone.
Vanessa was standing at the register, a pile of cashmere blankets and imported Italian strollers waiting to be rung up. The cashier swiped the Platinum card.
Declined.
Vanessa scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Try it again. The machine must be broken.”
The cashier swiped it again. Declined. Account Frozen.
“Ma'am, the card is not working,” the cashier said politely.
Vanessa’s face turned bright red as the wealthy patrons in line behind her began to whisper. She frantically pulled out her own personal credit card—a card maxed out months ago. Declined.
May you like
She stormed out of the boutique empty-handed, dialing Julian’s number furiously. I watched her pace the sidewalk on the footage, her face contorted in rage when it went straight to voicemail.
Vanessa had attached herself to Julian because she thought he was a rising star in the tech world. She thought she had stolen a wealthy man from a naive, plain wife. She was quickly realizing that she hadn't stolen a prize; she had inherited a sinking ship. And the rats were about to flee.
