Chapter 5 - Unraveling the Lie
|
"Marina," Caleb said, forcing a weak laugh as he approached the dining table. "Whatever game you're playing, it's ridiculous. Put it away."
"I hope it's ridiculous," I said, unhooking the elastic band. "I truly do."
Deep down, a fragile, wounded part of me still wished I was wrong. I wished Caleb would grab my hand, pull me away from his mother, and apologize. I wished he would prove he was the gentle, protective man I fell in love with.
He didn't. He just stood there, his jaw tightening into a defensive glare.
I flipped open the first page. It was a comprehensive financial background check, accompanied by public land registries, credit reports, and court filings.
"Caleb Rourke," I read aloud, my voice steady and clear. "Three credit cards maxed out to their limits. Two high-interest personal loans. A private online gambling account linked to an unverified LLC. Unpaid state tax liens from your 'freelance business'..."
Caleb’s face drained of color, turning a ghostly shade of white. "You... you hired a private investigator on me?"
"My attorney pulled public records after your mother tried to force me to sign those 'marriage transition documents' three weeks ago," I replied.
Dorothea marched over, her silk robe rustling aggressively. "How dare you! How dare you bring corporate espionage into this house! We welcomed you!"
"You didn't welcome me, Dorothea," I snapped, looking her dead in the eye. "You targeted me. You saw an architect with a solid income and no debt, and you tried to siphon my life savings to cover your family's ruin."
May you like
I flipped to the second section of the folder.
"And let's talk about the Rourke family legacy," I continued. "Overdue property taxes on this very house. A second mortgage taken out six months ago. And a predatory promissory note tied to a local private lender... signed by you, Dorothea."
