Chapter 3 - The Investigator's Report
My heart pounded against my ribs as I scrolled through the chilling document.
Carol had hired a private investigator to spy on Marianne for the entire eight years of our marriage.
The file contained hundreds of photographs of my wife walking into grocery stores, parks, and medical clinics.
I called Marianne into the office and turned the laptop screen toward her.
She covered her mouth in horror, staring at a photo of herself taken just last week.
I asked her why she was visiting a specialized genetic testing clinic downtown without telling me.
Marianne broke down in tears, her hands trembling as she confessed her secret.
She had recently discovered a severe, hereditary heart condition in Ethan’s biological family tree.
She didn't want to terrify me until she had concrete answers from the medical specialists.
Carol had somehow found out about the expensive medical tests.
She planned to use those medical bills to prove to the trust board that Marianne’s children were a financial liability.
I felt a surge of pure, blinding rage toward the woman who called herself my aunt.
She was willing to let a child suffer just to protect her precious profit margins.
Suddenly, a loud, aggressive pounding echoed from our front door.
I looked at the security camera feed on my phone and saw Carol standing on my porch in the pouring rain.
She was flanked by two massive men in dark suits.
She was holding a bright yellow legal document in her manicured hand.
I told Marianne to take the kids upstairs and lock the bedroom door.
I walked to the entryway and yanked the front door open.
May you like
Carol shoved the wet piece of paper hard against my chest.
She smiled wickedly and told me it was a formal, twenty-four-hour eviction notice.
