Chapter 4 - The Golden Cage Cracks
Two days later, Sarah was discharged from the hospital. She chose not to return to the mansion. Instead, Arthur took her and Emma to his estate—a heavily guarded, beautiful property surrounded by ancient oaks, far away from the toxic influence of the house she had shared with David.
For David, the reality of his situation was beginning to set in.
He stood in the living room of his empty mansion, a half-empty bottle of scotch in his hand. The silence of the house was deafening. No Emma laughing, no Sarah quietly moving about, trying to keep the peace.
His phone rang. It was Margaret.
"David," she hissed, her voice sharp with panic. "The bank just frozen my personal accounts. They say there's an active investigation into 'fraudulent transfers' linked to my name."
"What?" David stammered. "How? They can't do that. That was Sarah's money, it was already moved into the offshore shell company!"
"Arthur Vance happened," Margaret spat. "He’s filed a civil suit against us, David. Not just you—us. He’s accusing me of being an accessory to grand larceny and elder abuse. He’s digging into my late husband’s estate. If he finds out about the tax shelters we used..."
"He won't find anything," David said, trying to convince himself. "The lawyers said the paperwork was airtight."
"You idiot!" Margaret screamed. "Your 'airtight' paperwork relied on Sarah being too timid to fight back! You broke her leg, David! You handed her the ultimate weapon! The police have the medical reports, they have the statement from the EMTs, and they have that digital recording of the phone call!"
May you like
David slammed his glass onto the marble table. "I'll handle it. I'll get her back. She’s weak, Mother. She’s always been weak. I just need to get to her, remind her of what happens when she disobeys me."
"You can't get near her," Margaret said, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper. "Arthur has guards everywhere. We are in serious trouble, David. If we lose this money, we lose everything."
