Chapter 5 - The Shadowy Agreement
By eight o'clock that evening,
the large mahogany dining table in my penthouse was covered in folders,
spreadsheets,
and legal documents.
Victoria sat to my left,
her sharp eyes scanning a pile of bank statements with practiced ease.
Opposite us sat Marcus,
the private investigator she had brought along,
a quiet man who looked like he could blend into any crowd.
"He has been sloppy,
Vivienne,"
Victoria said,
sliding a document across the table toward me.
"Grant has been funneling money from your joint accounts into a shell company registered in Delaware."
"The shell company's sole director is Cynthia Vance."
I looked at the numbers,
the sheer volume of the theft making my stomach turn.
"He took nearly half a million dollars of my family's money,"
I whispered,
not with sadness,
but with a growing,
vicious anger.
"Yes,"
Victoria confirmed,
"but that is not the worst of it."
"Marcus found something else while digging into the Vance family's legal dealings."
Marcus leaned forward,
placing a manila envelope on the table and sliding it toward me.
"This is a draft of a custody agreement,"
he explained,
his voice low and serious.
"It was prepared by Cynthia’s personal attorneys,
not Grant’s."
I opened the envelope,
my hands slightly trembling as I pulled out the document.
The title at the top of the page read:
"Agreement Regarding the Care and Custody of Minor Child."
As I read through the clauses,
my blood turned to ice.
The agreement outlined a plan where Grant would file for sole custody immediately after the birth,
citing my mental health.
Once custody was granted,
Grant would allow Cynthia to legally adopt the child as her own.
In exchange,
Arthur Vance would transfer thirty percent of his real estate holdings to Grant's company.
They were literally selling my unborn daughter for real estate shares.
"They actually thought they could get away with this,"
I said,
my voice a cold,
dead whisper.
"They believed they could use your past therapy sessions to paint you as unstable,"
Victoria said,
her face tight with fury.
"In a court of law,
unsupported claims of anxiety do not equal parental unfitness."
"But with enough money and bribed experts,
they could have delayed the process long enough to make your life a living hell."
I looked at the document,
feeling a strange sense of gratitude for their immense stupidity.
By committing this to writing,
even in a draft,
they had handed me the ultimate weapon.
They had exposed their conspiracy,
their greed,
and their utter lack of humanity.
"Can we use this?"
I asked,
looking up at Victoria.
"Use it?"
she smiled,
a terrifying,
predatory look that made me glad she was on my side.
"We are going to use this to destroy them completely,
both financially and socially."
"But we have to play this perfectly,
Vivienne."
"Grant must believe he is still in control until the very moment the trap snaps shut."
I nodded,
understanding the strategy perfectly.
"He comes back tonight,"
I said,
looking at the clock on the wall.
"He thinks he is coming home to a broken,
submissive wife who will beg him to stay."
"Then give him exactly what he expects,"
Victoria advised,
gathering her papers and packing them into her briefcase.
"Play the victim,
Vivienne,
May you like
for just a little longer."
"Let him believe he has won."
