Chapter 10 - Chloe's Confession
The morning after the country club confrontation, I was sitting on the balcony of my apartment, sipping tea and watching the sunrise over the Potomac River, when my intercom buzzed again. This time, it wasn't my parents. It was Chloe, and she was alone.
When my security detail allowed her up, she didn't look like a spoiled socialite anymore. Her hair was unkempt, she wore simple jeans and a sweater, and her eyes were hollow from sleep deprivation. She walked out onto the balcony and sat down in the chair opposite mine without saying a word.
For five minutes, neither of us spoke. We just listened to the morning traffic humming in the distance.
"Julian’s lawyers sent over the annulment papers yesterday afternoon," Chloe said quietly, her voice devoid of its usual theatrical drama. "They cited fraudulent inducement. His father called me a gold-digger to my face before he kicked me out of their townhome."
"I warned you to build your own identity, Chloe," I said gently, looking at the city skyline. "I told you for years that living on Father’s credit cards and Mother’s social approval would leave you empty."
"I didn't know about the loans, Elena," she whispered, looking down at her hands. "I swear to God, I didn't know Dad was stealing your identity. But... I did know about the settlement."
I turned my head toward her, waiting.
"The night of the wedding," Chloe confessed, tears finally spilling down her cheeks, simple and genuine. "When your base liaison called Dad’s phone, we were in the anteroom waiting to be announced. Dad answered. I heard him say, 'Is she dead?' When the officer said you were in surgery and the survival odds were fifty-fifty, Dad hung up."
My heart clenched, a cold ache spreading through my chest that had nothing to do with my broken ribs. "He asked if I was dead?"
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Chloe nodded slowly, her chin trembling. "He turned to Mom and me and said, 'If she dies, the military life insurance and the contractor liability payout will clear twelve million dollars. That saves the company.' Mom told him to put the phone on silent so we wouldn't ruin the photographs. And I... I just stood there. I let them do it because I wanted my perfect wedding."
"Thank you for telling me the truth, Chloe," I said softly. "Now go to the U.S. Attorney’s office and put it in a sworn deposition."
