PART4: My Husband Called Me “The Biggest Mistake of His Life”
PART 4
I closed the laptop.
My phone rang again.
This time it was Nina.
I answered.
“Tell me.”
Her voice was calm.
“Claire, I want you to listen carefully. We have enough evidence to freeze the unauthorized transfers.”
“How much has he moved?”
“Directly from the company?”
“Yes.”
“About four hundred and twenty thousand over the last seven months.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“And the latest?”
“One hundred eighty thousand this morning.”
“To Melissa?”
“Seventy-five thousand.”
“What about the rest?”
There was a pause.
“Personal investment account.”
I closed my eyes.
“His?”
“Yes.”
I looked out through the window.
The lake was completely still.
“Can he access the operating accounts?”
“Not once the emergency measures are in place.”
“Do it.”
“Nina…”
“Yes?”
“Don’t just freeze the accounts.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Audit everything.”
Her voice became even quieter.
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
I swallowed.
“Every dollar.”
“Every dollar.”
“And Nina?”
“Yes?”
“If you find anything that involves my family personally, don’t warn me.”
She paused.
“What do you mean?”
“I want the truth.”
No matter how ugly it is.
She understood.
“Then you’re going to get it.”
We ended the call.
I thought that would bring me peace.
It didn’t.
Because I knew there was still one thing I had to do.
I had to go home.
Not because I wanted to.
Because Daniel still believed I was leaving with nothing.
And I wanted him to keep believing that.
For now.
I arrived at the townhouse at 11:47 p.m.
The lights were on.
I walked inside.
Daniel was sitting in the living room.
His tie was loosened.
His jacket was on the floor.
He looked exhausted.
The moment he saw me, he stood.
“Where the hell have you been?”
I put my purse on the table.
“Out.”
“Out where?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, Claire. It matters.”
He walked toward me.
“You embarrassed me tonight.”
I stared at him.
I almost couldn’t believe what I’d heard.
“I embarrassed you?”
“You walked out in front of my parents.”
“You called me a freeloader in front of your entire family.”
“It was a joke.”
“It wasn’t funny.”
“You’ve become so sensitive.”
I looked at him for several seconds.
Then I asked, “Why did you transfer $180,000 this morning?”
His face changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
“What?”
“To your personal investment account.”
He froze.
Then recovered.
“That’s a business matter.”
“You’re right.”
I nodded.
“Then why did Melissa receive $75,000?”
His mouth opened.
Closed.
“She needed help.”
“From the company?”
“It’s my money.”
“No.”
His expression hardened.
“It is.”
“Not entirely.”
He stepped closer.
“You don’t understand business.”
I almost smiled.
“I built your financial model.”
“You worked on paperwork.”
“I secured the first bank loan.”
“Together.”
“I contributed six hundred and forty thousand dollars.”
“That was years ago.”
“Which is why I know exactly what I own.”
His face went pale.
For the first time that night, Daniel looked afraid.
“You don’t own anything.”
I said nothing.
He continued.
“You’re my wife.”
“And?”
“That means this company is ours.”
“Exactly.”
He frowned.
Then I smiled.
“Both of ours.”
He stared at me.
“You’ve been planning something.”
“No.”
I picked up my purse.
“I’ve been protecting something.”
“Claire.”
I stopped.
He lowered his voice.
“Don’t make this ugly.”
I looked back at him.
“You made it ugly when you called me a freeloader.”
Then I walked upstairs.
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