Chapter 6 - The Locks Are Changed
By 10:00 AM, I was standing in the lobby of our luxury high-rise apartment building in Tribeca. The doorman, Marcus, who had always been a kind and helpful presence, looked at me with a mixture of sympathy and concern.
"Ms. Chen," Marcus said softly, leaning over the desk. "Mr. Vance came by earlier. He tried to go up, but I told him his key fob had been deactivated per your instructions. He was very angry, ma'am. He made quite a scene before leaving."
"Thank you, Marcus," I said, slipping him a generous tip. "If he comes back, do not let him in the building. If he persists, call the police immediately. I have a restraining order being processed as we speak."
"Understood, Ms. Chen. We've got your back," Marcus said, nodding firmly.
I took the elevator up to the penthouse. The apartment was beautiful, decorated in minimalist white and gray, with panoramic views of the Hudson River. It had been my dream home, but now, it felt like a gilded cage where I had been blind to the rot festering right beside me.
The locksmith was already waiting at my door. Within thirty minutes, the heavy metal locks were replaced, and a new set of high-security keys was in my hand.
As I sat on the sofa, looking at the quiet space, my phone began to ring. It was Daniel.
I let it ring. He called three more times before sending a barrage of text messages.
Emily, please! You locked me out of the apartment? All my clothes, my computer, my files are in there! I have a client meeting in two hours!
This is illegal, Emily! You can't just lock a husband out of his marital home!
My mother is having a panic attack. Chloe is crying. You are destroying our family over a stupid misunderstanding! Let’s talk!
I didn't reply. Instead, I forwarded the messages directly to Arthur.
A few minutes later, another message came through, this one from an unknown number. It was Beatrice.
May you like
You selfish, cold-hearted b!tch. You think you’re so smart because you have money? You’re nothing but a low-class girl who got lucky. Daniel made you who you are. If you do this to my family, I will make sure everyone in your company knows what kind of monster you are. I will ruin your career.
I smiled cold. I took a screenshot of the message and added it to the folder. Beatrice didn't realize that in her panic, she was handing us the very weapons we would use to destroy her.
