Chapter 5 - The Counterattack
I stared at the expensive business card, a tiny spark of hope finally igniting in my chest.
Zachary drove us to a stunning, modern penthouse overlooking the downtown skyline.
"You can stay in the guest wing for as long as you need," he offered, carrying my bags inside.
"Tomorrow morning, we are going to war."
I barely slept that night, but when the sun came up, I felt a new, dangerous kind of energy flowing through my veins.
I met Zachary in his massive home office, where three of his top attorneys were already sitting around a glass conference table.
"We pulled the financial records from your bank," a sharp-suited lawyer named Marcus explained.
"Andrew transferred the funds to a shell corporation registered under Brenda's name."
"But because they used electronic wire transfers across state lines, they just committed federal wire fraud."
I smiled for the first time in twenty-four hours.
"What about my medical license?" I asked, looking at Zachary.
"I already handled it," Zachary said, sliding a thick manila folder across the table.
"I had an independent lab run a full toxicology panel on your hair and blood at five this morning."
"You are completely clean, and I filed a defamation lawsuit against Gemma for submitting a fraudulent medical report."
We spent the next six hours building an airtight case that would bury all three of them.
Just as we were finalizing the injunction to freeze Brenda's bank accounts, my phone vibrated.
It was a text message from a blocked number.
It was a video file, and when I pressed play, my stomach completely dropped.
The video showed Gemma sitting on a hospital bed, crying hysterically while holding up a positive pregnancy test.
"Andrew didn't leave you because of me," Gemma said to the camera, her fake tears rolling down her cheeks.
"He left you because you are barren, Samantha, and he finally wanted a real family."
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Before the video ended, the camera panned to show Andrew standing next to her, looking directly into the lens.
"Drop the lawsuits, Samantha, or I will leak this video to every news outlet in the state and ruin whatever is left of your miserable life."
