Chapter 10 - THE NDA'S POISON PILL
"What do you mean,
Grant is going with her?"
Grant asked,
looking at me with sudden,
paralyzing fear.
"I have the recording of your conversation at the gala,
Grant,"
I said,
pulling out my phone and tapping the screen.
His own voice filled the room,
discussing the Vanguard transfers and his plans to flee with the money.
"And because his corporate attorney drafted that NDA for all three of us,"
Evelyn Vance said,
stepping out from the dining room where she had been waiting.
"The document is legally binding on your company,
too."
"By attempting to use corporate assets to silence your wife regarding an affair,
you committed a breach of fiduciary duty."
"And by signing that document,
you formally confessed to the transactions."
Grant sank back into his chair,
all the strength leaving his body.
"Claire,
please,"
he begged,
tears finally filling his eyes.
"We can work this out."
"I'll give you whatever you want."
"I'll give you the house,
the cars,
everything."
"Just don't destroy me."
"I'm not destroying you,
Grant,"
I said,
looking down at him with utter contempt.
"You destroyed yourself the day you decided to treat me like an obstacle to be cleared."
"You thought one signature would buy my silence."
"But that signature was the very thing that unlocked your vault."
"Evelyn has already filed the whistleblower petition with the SEC,
and the divorce papers have been served to your office."
"As we speak,
your bank accounts are being frozen by federal investigators."
"Vanguard Horizon is gone."
"The Swiss account is locked."
"And your investors are being notified of your fraud."
Madison began to cry,
slumping onto the sofa,
realizing her dream of a lavish life was over.
"What about me?"
she sobbed.
"I'm pregnant,
you can't do this to me!"
"You should talk to Julian about that,"
I told her,
"though I doubt he wants anything to do with you now."
"As for your $480,000,
it has been classified as stolen marital property."
"You will be returning every single dollar,
or you will be facing embezzlement charges alongside Grant."
They sat there in silence,
two thieves who had tried to steal my life,
now staring at the ruins of their own.
I stood up,
grabbing my clutch from the table.
"This house is mine,
Grant,"
I said,
looking around the elegant room.
"You have one hour to pack a single bag and leave."
"If you are still here when the police arrive to serve the financial warrants,
they will gladly help you pack."
I walked out of the room,
May you like
leaving them to their fate,
the sound of their desperate arguments fading behind me.
