Chapter 1 - The Code to the Safe
The sterile smell of the hospital corridor faded as I walked out into the cold night air.
My hands were shaking, but not from sorrow.
The adrenaline was finally kicking in.
I had just left my husband and my sister-in-law trapped on a surgical table.
They were paying the price for their disgusting betrayal.
But my mind was already moving past the affair.
The combination Kenneth had given me for his office safe was burning a hole in my memory.
I got into my car and drove straight back to our house in Cherry Hills Village.
The rain was pouring down in heavy sheets, matching the chaotic storm inside my head.
I pulled into the driveway and stared at the dark, silent house.
This was the home I thought I would raise my children in.
Now, it felt like a crime scene.
I unlocked the front door and walked directly to Kenneth’s home office on the second floor.
The room was perfectly organized, just like the fake life he had presented to me.
I moved the heavy oil painting away from the wall to reveal the hidden steel safe.
My fingers trembled as I punched in the numbers he had stammered out in the emergency room.
The heavy metal door clicked and swung open with a quiet creak.
Inside, there were stacks of cash and several thick manila envelopes.
I pulled the first envelope out and spilled its contents onto the mahogany desk.
There were offshore bank statements under shell company names I didn't recognize.
Kenneth had been draining Rollins Global Enterprises of millions of dollars for the past three years.
He was preparing to completely bankrupt my family's legacy.
I reached for the second envelope, which was marked with the logo of my private fertility clinic.
My heart stopped beating for a second.
For four years, Kenneth and I had been trying to have a baby without any success.
I opened the file and found a signed contract between my husband and my lead fertility specialist.
Kenneth had been paying the doctor thousands of dollars a month to secretly replace my hormone treatments with completely inactive placebos.
He had intentionally stolen my chance to become a mother.
I fell to my knees on the carpet, struggling to breathe through the overwhelming wave of betrayal.
Suddenly, I heard the distinct sound of glass shattering downstairs.
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Heavy footsteps began moving quickly up the wooden staircase.
Someone else was in the house, and they were coming straight to the office.
