Chapter 5 - The Snake Pit
While I was fortifying my kingdom, Marcus and Chloe’s toxic little alliance was rapidly tearing itself apart.
With Wyatt having thrown Chloe out, she was homeless, pregnant, and cut off from her sister’s wealth. Marcus, equally broke, had nowhere to turn. They ended up crammed into a cheap motel off the interstate, a far cry from the luxurious life they had planned to steal from me.
I heard about their downfall in real-time. My mother, who had officially disowned Chloe after the baby shower stunt, called me on Sunday evening.
"You won't believe the voicemail your sister left me," Mom said, her voice a mix of exhaustion and vindication. "She's begging for a loan. She said Marcus is having a mental breakdown. He's blaming her for the frozen accounts, saying she was the one who suggested they siphon the money."
"There is no honor among thieves," I replied, typing up an email to Sarah.
"She said he threw a lamp at the wall yesterday and left. She doesn't even know where he is," Mom continued. "I told her that her bed was made, and she could lie in it. I blocked her number right after."
I felt a twinge of sadness—not for the woman Chloe had become, but for the sister I used to have. But that grief was quickly overshadowed by necessity. Marcus was getting desperate, and desperate men were dangerous.
The next morning, I arrived at my office to find Marcus waiting by my car in the parking garage. He looked terrible. He hadn't shaved in days, his clothes were wrinkled, and the arrogant sheen of a man who thought he controlled the world was entirely gone.
"Eleanor," he begged, stepping in front of my car door. "Please. Just five minutes."
"Step away from my car, Marcus, or I'm pressing the panic button," I warned, keeping my keys clenched in my fist.
"I'll sign the divorce papers," he said rapidly, his eyes darting around the garage. "I'll give you full custody. I won't fight for the house. Just... unfreeze the accounts. Let me have half the money. I need to get out of the city. Chloe is insane, Eleanor. She's threatening to ruin my career if I don't pay her off."
May you like
"You ruined your own career," I said coldly. "And you aren't getting a dime. I'll see you in court."
I hit the unlock button, slipped into my car, and locked the doors before he could grab the handle, leaving him screaming my name in the dark, empty garage.
