Chapter 8 - The Mistress Turns
The fallout from the gala was apocalyptic for Marcus. The DA’s office, presented with Vance’s meticulously gathered evidence, opened a criminal investigation into the embezzlement.
But the final nail in the coffin came from an unexpected source: Chloe.
When Chloe realized that Marcus was completely broke and facing federal prison time, her "love" evaporated instantly. Desperate to avoid being charged as an accessory to fraud for accepting the stolen money, she contacted Vance.
I sat in a sterile conference room at Vance’s firm, looking across the table at the young, terrified Instagram model. She pushed a thick stack of printed text messages and audio recordings across the table.
"He told me he hated you," Chloe said, her voice shaking. "He said you were just a boring, quiet wife he kept around for appearances. He promised me he was going to divorce you and take half your money, and then we would move to Europe."
I looked at the texts. Marcus bragging about hiding assets. Marcus mocking his mother for being a gullible old bat. Marcus admitting that he knew I was the one funding Vanguard, and that he planned to drain my accounts before filing for divorce.
"He knew," I whispered. The betrayal hit me, but it didn't hurt. It just fueled the fire.
"I'll testify," Chloe promised, tears streaming down her face. "Just please don't let them take my car."
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"Vance," I said, standing up. "Take the car. Take the condo. Give the evidence to the DA. Leave him with absolutely nothing."
Meanwhile, Beatrice was officially evicted from their cramped apartment because Marcus’s accounts had been completely frozen by the federal government. With no friends willing to take her in after the public humiliation at the gala, she was forced to move into a budget motel on the outskirts of the city, working a shift at a local bakery just to afford groceries.
