Chapter 5 - The Illusion of Wealth
|
The deeper my forensic accountant and I dug into the labyrinth of Graham's finances, the more terrifyingly obvious the absolute truth became.
Graham was not simply cheating on me with a younger woman. He was completely, devastatingly broke.
He wasn't broke publicly. Not visibly. Not in the dramatic way that made the front pages of the financial tabloids. But beneath the highly polished stories about Wycliffe Capital, the designer suits, and the rumors of endless family trust funds, Graham had squandered a fortune. He had lost staggering amounts of money in a series of incredibly reckless, ego-driven investments.
To cover his tracks, he had borrowed heavily against assets he did not fully own. He had illegally used corporate company accounts to cover his massive personal debts. He had promised returns and payouts to people who were not patient, not kind, and certainly not interested in hearing pathetic excuses from a man whose wealthy family had always magically swooped in to save him before.
But his family couldn't save him this time. The hole was too deep.
And then, somehow, in his twisted, desperate mind, he and his mother had come to believe that my sudden death would perfectly solve everything. The massive life insurance payout would clear his debts, fund his new life with Isabelle, and free him from a wife who asked too many questions.
I installed the hidden cameras exactly two weeks after making that horrific discovery.
I didn't buy obvious, bulky cameras. Not the kind Constance could point to and sneer about. She had already mocked the idea of upgrading the estate's security when I casually mentioned it months ago.
May you like
“Honestly, Evelyn,” Constance had said, swirling expensive brandy in a crystal glass, her nose wrinkled in disgust. “You have spent entirely too much time around common criminals. This is a private, gated estate, not a downtown courthouse. We do not need cameras watching our every move.”
She was right about one thing. I didn't install the system for outside burglars. I installed it for the monsters already sitting comfortably at our dinner table.
