MARRYING HIM WAS A MISTAKE

home. I did

where nobody knew my face or my last name or at least didn't really care. I

rchid.

5 hours

ing home, picking up Jaden and pretending I hadn't ju

er the screen, and I could

nding was kill

at charity galas, kept my mouth shut at dinner parties, ignored the lipst

that if I just stayed quiet enough, small en

s never co

er really been mi

rang. Ma

ime, I

ou?" he asked

Ou

ndra

My voice cracked. "Wit

silence f

y," he sai

u've been trying to tell me for mon

e you goi

ques

f my coffee cup. "Someone sent me photo

ice sharpened. "Don't

d even though he couldn't see it

ty. Your so

cut him off. "Tha

, listen

od, grabbing my purse.

don't do an

briefly an

But he didn't unde

e, choice by choice, until there was nothing left of S

ing, anything at all,

to disappear

hem in the kitchen, Jaden was at the counter doing his homework,

raightened. "I didn't e

d my purse on the counter. "

Will you need me for

aid no. The

eeding you tonight. Eight o'

rose slightly.

there a

e to the countryside. Would you like me

said firmly. "S

ression, maybe concern or just

eady," he s

rough math problems. He had Jimmy's focus. That same inten

school?"

t look up. "We ha

ly, what

agdalen says I ne

, smoothing his hair. "You're br

lly looked up.

aught me off gu

do you

ged. "You

fine, baby. Mummy has

because

ened. "What mak

on't talk." Jaden's eyes, too perceptive for an eight

ng in the ai

id honestly. "Mummy and daddy ju

Daddy l

the little boy on he

our dad loves

esn't love

n't a q

are complicated, sweetheart. But no matter what happens betw

against m

pizza for dinn

Yeah. We can have pizza." No

y closet staring at ro

r to meet an anon

acks, silk blouse, low heels. Nothing flashy or

most normal, close enough t

e buzzed

late. Don

ld've called him. Asked when he'd be home.

ust deleted the message

aden to bed. I kissed his forehe

u going?" he a

a quick

e you

you too

the driveway. He opened the door

away in the arts district, all exposed brick and low lighting. The

o come inside?" James

I'm not out in an

ghtened. "M

oped I sounded more

A few couples at corner tables. A bartender polish

e room, my pu

bar caught my

The principal fr

omach

avy dress, and gestured to

e said warmly. "I

t sit. C

me out strangled. "

ed again, more insistent t

n't th

quietly, matter-of-fact. "And if you don't sit d

g no care to take

e without asking what I wanted. When

look like y

he glass. "Why ar

, studying me over the rim. "You've been sleepwalking thr

now anything

ny. Your career. Your identity. And what did you get in return? A house you don

like a knife gu

you care?

ftened slightly. "Different man. Same story. I know w

n't explain

ame to me six months ago. Asked for a meeting.

ind of s

, falsified documents, offshore accounts, the kind of thing

h went d

e been bleeding him dry. Hundreds of thousan

you tellin

er money anymore." Dr. Chen's eyes

room

Wh

to transfer Banks Enterprises back to you. Every sha

breathe. "Th

ruth comes out that Jimmy built his empire on fraud and your family's money, the court

y? Who w

er purse and pulled out a flash drive. "Everything I know is on here. Fi

drive. "Why would

"Whatever you think of me, Sandra, I'm not the enemy here. Your husband is

you get ou

And maybe the satisfaction of watching a

s shaking. "I

is Isabelle Laurent. She works for Mercier Consulting, a firm that specializes

xer fo

ing my wrist, "is the que

en I stumbled back to the car.

lash drive in my

Fraud. Offsh

t cheating. He wa

I was caught

voice broke through m

at a stoplight, the ci

apartment

ure? It's a

m su

lp me make sense of this ni

I couldn't go

ew exactly who

, all exposed beams and steel fixtures. The kind

n sweatpants and a T-

nked, surprised.

hed past him into the apar

door slowly.

sh drive. "Jimmy's

y still. "How do

of." I sank into his couch. "Financial

through his hair. "Does

No

a, you

to help me figure out what's on this drive. And

Wh

voice shook. "You've known h

lence was an

you tell me?"

rs sagging. "You were so in love with him. So convinced

tched me destroy

tried to warn you. To get you to

ht. I hadn'

mistake. Admitting I'd thrown away everything

g I'd bee

ly. "Please. I need to k

a long moment. Then he st

s find

table, the laptop scr

tements. Email threads. Scanned documents. Year

ened the f

r seen. Millions of dollars moving in

dering," Marcus said

ls between Jimmy and s

le, The

d one at

ed deeper. If the SEC looks too closely, they'll s

cold. "Morriso

cked open a

equent restructuring was not. If challenged, the courts could invalidate the entire tra

ldn't

ed. "He didn't just take

llingly. But the way he restructured afterward, hiding assets

ld get

the blackmai

the screen, m

thought I'd give

t given it.

cus said grimly. He

Dozens

e. At restaurants.

transactional. She was handing him som

ess," I said slowly.

e it." Marc

urther. At this point, even Marcus couldn't say anythi

oever's blackmailing him has

aned forward. "W

d. Then he opene

document.

TING AG

s III and Oliver Che

art st

ered. "Dr. Chen.

er Chen. And according to this contract, Jimmy hired him

turn on

ale. "Sandra... Olive

room

Wh

d. "The one who was in the car with me when I got the DUI. W

r boyfriend is blac

to God, Sandra, I didn't know. He told me he work

e know w

stoppe

know we're

..Y

was planned. All of it. He g

and

ave you been

ht mo

t around the time t

I said. "Right now. Tel

andra, if he'

"He's smart. And he knows exactly what he's

s is

, Marcus.

me. Then, slowly, he

e before some

mooth male voi

Marcus said. "Toni

"Is Sandra

ood ra

did yo

ere in twenty minutes

I looked a

I done?" h

dn't

was about t