Chapter 4 · My Son Said He Saw My Absent Husband

Chapter 4

I said, keeping my voice calm, "My husband, Malcolm Boyer, was supposedly sent to Ucreland for work two years ago. That's what everyone thinks.

"But the truth is, he never left this city. He spent those two years forming a whole new family with my best friend. They even have a daughter."

Sabrina's eyebrows lifted a little, but her face stayed perfectly neutral.

She'd probably heard stories like this a thousand times.

I went on, "I've got the footage to prove it.

"The videos show him lurking outside my window late at night, him and his new family showing up downstairs, and that's just the tip of the iceberg."

Sabrina nodded and plugged the hard drive into her computer.

But instead of opening the videos right away, she looked at me.

"Ms. Dodson, before we get into the evidence, I want to know what you're hoping to achieve here," she said.

"I want a divorce," I declared, my tone leaving no room for doubt. "I want full custody of our son. And I want Malcolm to pay dearly for every lie and betrayal."

"Be more specific," Sabrina said.

I replied, "Financially, I want him out with nothing but the clothes on his back. I want to track down all the assets, the house, the car, every cent in his accounts and investments, and make sure my son and I get our share, maybe even more.

"He took 150 thousand dollars from me over the past two years, all using that Ucreland project as an excuse. I want every last dime back, with interest."

At last, I caught a glimmer of approval in Sabrina's eyes.

She definitely preferred clients who came in with a clear game plan.

"Got it," she said.

She opened the video files.

I couldn't watch. Every frame felt like a stab, cutting right into me.

I sat there, quietly watching Sabrina's face.

She skimmed through the footage, jumping ahead but never missing a single crucial moment.

Her expression started out calm, then shifted to a slight frown, and finally her gaze grew frosty.

When she saw Malcolm's expressionless face pressed against my sixth-floor window, she took off her glasses and rubbed her temples.

"This isn't the run-of-the-mill cheating," Sabrina said, her voice dropping to a serious tone. "This is a full-blown, two-year, premeditated marriage scam. Honestly, this is as nasty as it gets."

She looked at me. There was a flicker of sympathy in her eyes, but mostly, I saw the thrill of a pro lawyer who found herself a real challenge.

"Ms. Dodson, I'm taking this case," she said. "Mr. Boyer's actions aren't just about being at fault in the divorce.

"He could be facing fraud charges. 150 thousand dollars is no small amount. If this all holds up, he might actually end up behind bars."

My heart skipped a beat.

This was exactly what I wanted.

"Now, here's what you need to do next," Sabrina said.

Sabrina put her glasses back on, her demeanor returning to its usual calm professionalism.

She instructed, "First, keep things as they are. Don't tip him off. And whatever you do, don't send that 150 thousand dollars yet.

"Come up with a reason to delay. Say the bank's having issues, or you're short on cash right now.

"Second, you need to gather more evidence, especially about the assets. Find out what he's bought for his new family using your money or joint property: houses, cars, business shares, anything. We need every detail.

"Third, figure out where they're living now, and get all the info you can on that woman and the kid. If you know your enemy, you'll never lose."

"This won't be easy," I said.

"I know," Sabrina said, handing me a business card. "This is a PI I trust. He's good. If you need help, give him a call."

I took the card.

"Ms. Dodson, remember this," Sabrina said, fixing me with a steady look. "From now on, you're not a victim. You're the hunter. And Mr. Boyer? He's your prey. Your job is to pull the net tighter and tighter, leaving him no way out."

I gripped the business card and nodded, determined.

As I walked out of Sabrina's office, the afternoon sun hit me hard, almost blinding.

I squinted, taking in the street buzzing with traffic and people.

The world hadn't changed, but my world had been flipped upside down.

But it didn't matter.

Since the old world had already crumbled, I'd build a new one, one that truly belonged to me. from the ashes of everything I'd lost.

*****

I didn't call the PI right away.

This was something I needed to do myself.

I had to see every inch of Malcolm and Gail's love nest with my own eyes. Only then would my hatred burn even brighter.

It was the fuel that would keep my revenge blazing.

I shot Malcolm a quick text, saying my mom got sick out of the blue, so I went to visit my folks for a bit. I told him the money would have to wait a couple of days.

Chapter 4

I said, keeping my voice calm, "My husband, Malcolm Boyer, was supposedly sent to Ucreland for work two years ago. That's what everyone thinks.

"But the truth is, he never left this city. He spent those two years forming a whole new family with my best friend. They even have a daughter."

Sabrina's eyebrows lifted a little, but her face stayed perfectly neutral.

She'd probably heard stories like this a thousand times.

I went on, "I've got the footage to prove it.

"The videos show him lurking outside my window late at night, him and his new family showing up downstairs, and that's just the tip of the iceberg."

Sabrina nodded and plugged the hard drive into her computer.

But instead of opening the videos right away, she looked at me.

"Ms. Dodson, before we get into the evidence, I want to know what you're hoping to achieve here," she said.

"I want a divorce," I declared, my tone leaving no room for doubt. "I want full custody of our son. And I want Malcolm to pay dearly for every lie and betrayal."

"Be more specific," Sabrina said.

"He took 150 thousand dollars from me over the past two years, all using that Ucreland project as an excuse. I want every last dime back, with interest."

At last, I caught a glimmer of approval in Sabrina's eyes.

She definitely preferred clients who came in with a clear game plan.

"Got it," she said.

She opened the video files.

I couldn't watch. Every frame felt like a stab, cutting right into me.

I sat there, quietly watching Sabrina's face.

She skimmed through the footage, jumping ahead but never missing a single crucial moment.

Her expression started out calm, then shifted to a slight frown, and finally her gaze grew frosty.

When she saw Malcolm's expressionless face pressed against my sixth-floor window, she took off her glasses and rubbed her temples.

"This isn't the run-of-the-mill cheating," Sabrina said, her voice dropping to a serious tone. "This is a full-blown, two-year, premeditated marriage scam. Honestly, this is as nasty as it gets."

She looked at me. There was a flicker of sympathy in her eyes, but mostly, I saw the thrill of a pro lawyer who found herself a real challenge.

"Ms. Dodson, I'm taking this case," she said. "Mr. Boyer's actions aren't just about being at fault in the divorce.

"He could be facing fraud charges. 150 thousand dollars is no small amount. If this all holds up, he might actually end up behind bars."

My heart skipped a beat.

This was exactly what I wanted.

"Now, here's what you need to do next," Sabrina said.

Sabrina put her glasses back on, her demeanor returning to its usual calm professionalism.

She instructed, "First, keep things as they are. Don't tip him off. And whatever you do, don't send that 150 thousand dollars yet.

"Come up with a reason to delay. Say the bank's having issues, or you're short on cash right now.

"Third, figure out where they're living now, and get all the info you can on that woman and the kid. If you know your enemy, you'll never lose."

"This won't be easy," I said.

"I know," Sabrina said, handing me a business card. "This is a PI I trust. He's good. If you need help, give him a call."

I took the card.

I gripped the business card and nodded, determined.

As I walked out of Sabrina's office, the afternoon sun hit me hard, almost blinding.

I squinted, taking in the street buzzing with traffic and people.

The world hadn't changed, but my world had been flipped upside down.

But it didn't matter.

Since the old world had already crumbled, I'd build a new one, one that truly belonged to me. from the ashes of everything I'd lost.

*****

I didn't call the PI right away.

This was something I needed to do myself.

I had to see every inch of Malcolm and Gail's love nest with my own eyes. Only then would my hatred burn even brighter.

It was the fuel that would keep my revenge blazing.

I shot Malcolm a quick text, saying my mom got sick out of the blue, so I went to visit my folks for a bit. I told him the money would have to wait a couple of days.