Chapter 5 - The Legal Battlefield
The next month was a blur of depositions, court appearances, and endless paperwork. Ethan’s attorney was a frantic, underpaid man who looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. Marcus, on the other hand, was sharp, prepared, and terrifyingly efficient.
During the depositions, Ethan tried to play the victim. He claimed I was a "controlling, obsessive wife" who had "sabotaged his career."
I sat in the chair, dressed in a sharp blazer, listening to his pathetic lies. When it was my turn to speak, I didn't get angry. I simply presented the data.
"I managed our finances because Mr. Vance was incapable of doing so," I said, my voice clear and measured. "I researched the investments because he was gambling away our savings. I project-managed his career because he was months behind on every single deadline. And as for his allegations of sabotage, I simply provided his firm with the documents they requested regarding the 'consulting' entity he set up with his mistress."
The room went silent. Ethan looked like he wanted to jump across the table and strangle me.
"Are you saying you provided the firm with internal records?" his attorney asked, his voice shaking.
"I provided the firm with evidence of corporate fraud occurring within their own office," I corrected. "I believe that is what any honest citizen would do."
By the end of the day, Ethan’s lawyer looked at him with an expression of pure, unadulterated contempt. He knew he was representing a sinking ship.
Outside the courtroom, reporters were already starting to catch wind of the scandal. "Vance Financial Fraud" was becoming a headline in the local business news.
May you like
Ethan approached me in the hallway. "You’re destroying me. Why? Was the text not enough?"
"The text was just the beginning, Ethan," I said, not even looking at him as I walked toward the exit. "You tried to burn my house down, so I’m making sure you have nowhere to sleep."
