Chapter 5 - THE PERFECT HUSBAND WAS A PERFORMANCE
Martin drove me to my parents' lake house outside the city.
My father opened the door before we reached the porch.
One look at my face was enough.
“What did he do?”
I walked into his arms.
Only then did I cry.
Not because Derek had thrown a rag in my face.
Not because Brenda had laughed.
I cried because three years of memories were rearranging themselves inside my head.
Every question.
Every concern.
Every loving gesture suddenly had a second meaning.
My mother, Eleanor, silently took my backpack.
Dad saw the stains on my shoes.
“What happened?”
“I married a stranger.”
We sat at the kitchen table.
Martin spread the documents across the wood.
My parents read everything.
Neither interrupted.
When Dad reached the forged power of attorney, his hands curled into fists.
When he reached the photograph from the medical clinic, he looked at me.
“Why were you there?”
“Migraine treatment.”
Exactly.
The clinic specialized in neurology.
Derek knew that.
He had driven me there once.
He had waited in the parking lot.
At the time, I thought it was considerate.
Now Martin believed someone had photographed me entering the building to create the appearance of a serious neurological disorder.
Dad stood abruptly.
“I'll destroy him.”
“Dad.”
“No.”
His voice shook.
“He tried to build a case that my daughter was mentally incapable of controlling her property.”
Martin remained calm.
“We need him to keep making mistakes.”
Dad stared at him.
“I don't care about strategy.”
“I care about Chloe.”
“So do I.”
Martin slid another folder across the table.
“That is why we do this correctly.”
My phone buzzed.
Derek.
I ignored it.
He called again.
Then again.
Five times.
Finally, a text arrived.
Come home.
Another followed.
We can still fix this.
Then:
You're making this much bigger than it needs to be.
I stared at the screen.
Three years earlier, that tone would have made me question myself.
Tonight, it made me furious.
I typed one sentence.
Communicate through Martin.
I blocked his number.
Thirty seconds later, Brenda called.
Blocked.
Mallory called.
Blocked.
Then an unknown number appeared.
I almost ignored it.
Martin stopped me.
“Answer.”
I put it on speaker.
A woman's voice spoke.
“Is this Chloe Matthews?”
“For approximately fourteen hours, yes.”
The woman hesitated.
“My name is Natalie.”
“I used to date Derek.”
Every person at the table went still.
“I know what he's doing to you.”
My throat tightened.
“What is he doing?”
Natalie inhaled.
“He did it to me too.”
A silence followed.
Then she said something I would remember for the rest of my life.
“Please don't go back to that house alone.”
I looked at Martin.
His face had changed.
“How did you get my number?”
I asked.
“Derek's cousin sent me a video from brunch.”
My stomach turned.
“A video?”
“He threw something at you.”
“Someone recorded it.”
“It's already circulating through their family group chat.”
Of course it was.
My humiliation had been entertainment.
Natalie continued.
“When I saw your face, I knew exactly what would happen next.”
“What happened to you?”
She was silent for several seconds.
Then she answered.
“He isolated me.”
“He convinced people I was unstable.”
“He tried to control my bank accounts.”
“And when I left, his family told everyone I was crazy.”
My mother covered her mouth.
I leaned toward the phone.
“Natalie.”
“Yes?”
“Do you still have proof?”
Her answer came quietly.
“I kept everything.”
Then she added one more sentence.
May you like
“And Chloe, Brenda was involved.”
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