Chapter 9 - The Fabricated Story
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While Ethan prepared the federal filings, I spent the afternoon at a private hotel suite preparing for the evening.
I knew Cordelia’s narrative machine was already at work. By mid-afternoon, high-society gossip blogs were already circulating whispers that the new Mrs. Montgomery had suffered an emotional breakdown hours after the wedding and had been quietly checked into a private psychiatric facility upstate.
They were trying to invalidate my credibility before I could speak a single word.
I sat in front of the vanity mirror as a professional stylist pinned my hair into an elegant, towering updo. I wore a backless, emerald-green silk gown that radiated absolute, undeniable confidence—a stark, deliberate departure from the muted, modest dresses Cordelia had forced me to wear during our engagement.
My phone rang. It was an emergency call from my father.
“Sarah!” my father gasped, his voice trembling with distress. “Cordelia called me an hour ago! She said you walked out on Lachlan, took a box of family heirlooms, and were acting unhinged! What on earth is happening?”
“Dad,” I said, keeping my voice utterly calm and grounded. “I need you to listen to me very carefully. Do not answer any more calls from Cordelia or Lachlan. Do not sign anything they send to your house.”
“But Sarah, the Montgomerys—”
“The Montgomerys are broke, Dad,” I interrupted firmly. “They stole two hundred thousand dollars from my trust fund to pay off Lachlan’s gambling debts. I am currently with Ethan Vance. We are filing federal fraud charges tonight.”
A long, shocked silence fell over the line.
“They... they stole your trust?” my father whispered, the illusion of Montgomery grandeur instantly shattering.
“Yes,” I said softly. “And tonight, I am collecting the debt. Turn on the local news at nine o'clock.”
I ended the call, adjusted the diamond drop earrings resting against my collarbone, and met Ethan in the lobby.
May you like
He took one look at my emerald dress and smiled.
“They expected a terrified domestic servant,” Ethan said, offering me his arm. “They’re getting the jury’s favorite witness.”
