Chapter 4 - The Financial SiegeThe forensic audit was complete, and the findings were devastating—for them. Vivian hadn't just been skimming; she had been running a full-scale embezzlement scheme, using my credit cards to fund her high-society lifestyle and a secret gambling addiction.
I sat in my office, reviewing the files. The total amounted to over half a million dollars.
I didn't just want the divorce. I wanted justice.
I authorized my lawyers to file a criminal complaint against Vivian for grand larceny and fraud. If she wanted to spend her time being pampered, she was about to have a very different experience in the judicial system.
As I signed the documents, the doorbell rang again. This time, it wasn't Ryan or Vivian. It was a man I recognized—a private investigator I had hired to keep tabs on Ryan's movements.
"He's at the courthouse, ma'am," the investigator said, handing me a folder. "He's trying to file for an emergency custody order."
I smiled. "Let him. He’ll find that I’ve already filed for temporary custody in the jurisdiction of my primary residence—this house—which is completely airtight."
I stood up and went to find my mother. She was sitting in the garden, looking at the flowers. She looked healthier already, the color returning to her cheeks now that she wasn't under Vivian's thumb.
"Mom, I'm going to take care of everything," I said, sitting beside her. "You don't have to worry about money, the house, or them, ever again."
"I never cared about the money, Sabrina," she said, squeezing my hand. "I only cared about you. I just wanted you to be happy."
"I am happy," I said. "I’m the happiest I’ve been in years."
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But the happiness was fragile. I knew that Ryan wouldn't go down without a fight. He had been a parasite for seven years, and parasites don't like being detached from their host.
I spent the night preparing for the court battle. I compiled every record of my financial support, every email where Ryan had ignored my concerns about his mother’s behavior, and the medical logs of my mother’s condition. I was ready.
