Chapter 4 - The UnravelingThe silence in the 40th-floor conference room was total.
Jack stood frozen in the center of the floor, his jaw working silently, his face turning from pale white to a deep, dark crimson.
"You... you destroyed my career?" Jack whispered, his voice trembling with a terrifying mix of disbelief and rising fury. "Ten years of medical school, residency, fourteen-hour shifts... you ruined my life over a trip to Cabo?!"
"You ruined your life, Jack, the moment you confused my patience for stupidity," I replied, standing up slowly from my leather chair.
Gerald stepped forward, placing three thick blue envelopes on the mahogany table.
"Mr. Walker," Gerald announced in a dry, matter-of-fact tone, "these are formal service copies of three separate legal actions. First: a petition for dissolution of marriage filed in Dallas County District Court. Second: an emergency eviction order for the Southlake property, effective at 5:00 PM today. Third: a civil suit for recovery of stolen trust funds totaling $1.8 million, naming you and your mother, Carol Walker, as joint defendants."
"One point eight million?!" Carol screamed, her voice cracking hysterically. "Where are we supposed to get nearly two million dollars?! Jack! Do something! Tell him he can't do this!"
"He can do it, Carol," I said, rounding the table and picking up my handbag. "Because every dollar Jack spent making you feel like Dallas royalty was drawn from my father's estate. The luxury cars, the club memberships, the overseas vacations, the Plano townhome—all of it was bought with stolen money."
Jack lunged forward, grasping for my arm. "Megan, wait! Please! We can talk about this! Don't do this to my family!"
Before his fingers could touch my coat, two tall security guards in dark suits stepped smoothly out of the hallway, blocking his path with broad shoulders.
"Touch her again, Dr. Walker," Gerald said calmly, "and you will spend the night in Dallas County jail for assault. I suggest you take your mother and your guest and leave this building immediately."
Jack stared past the guards at me, his eyes wild and bloodshot. "Megan! You can't just throw me out! I have nowhere to go! My accounts are frozen! My car lease is in the corporate name!"
"I know," I said, stopping at the glass elevator door and turning back to look at him one last time. "You should probably call an Uber, Jack. Though I doubt your card will work for that either."
May you like
The elevator doors slid open. I stepped inside, followed by Gerald.
As the doors began to close, I watched Carol drop onto one of the leather conference chairs, weeping hysterically, while Chloe pulled her suitcase away from Jack, turning her back on him completely. Jack stood alone in the center of the room, his hands clutching his head, screaming my name into the empty air as the floor dropped away beneath us.
