Chapter 8: He Tried to Destroy My Career
I arrived at the office forty minutes later.
Linda was waiting in the conference room with the company's HR director, a man named Gregory.
Neither looked particularly pleased to see me.
A thick folder sat on the table.
"Please sit down, Sarah," Gregory said.
I placed my purse beside the chair.
"What's this about?""
Linda opened the folder.
"Your husband contacted us yesterday evening. He claimed you had been diagnosed with a condition affecting your judgment and memory.""
I stared at her.
"That's completely false.""
"We understand that may be the case," Gregory replied.
"But he provided documents that appeared to support his claims.""
He slid several printed pages toward me.
The first was the fabricated medical evaluation.
The second was a letter supposedly written by Daniel.
It claimed I had become increasingly unstable, had experienced unexplained memory lapses, and had recently begun making irrational financial decisions.
The third document was worse.
It contained a list of supposed unauthorized transactions involving company funds.
I read the first amount.
$18,500.
Then another.
$42,000.
Then another.
I looked up.
"These transactions never happened.""
Gregory folded his hands.
"That's why we wanted to hear your explanation.""
I felt my face getting hot.
"My husband is trying to make me look mentally incompetent because he's been stealing from my personal savings.""
Linda's expression changed.
"What?""
I took a breath.
"I have evidence of forged signatures, unauthorized transfers, and a fabricated medical report. My attorney is already investigating.""
Gregory exchanged a glance with Linda.
"Sarah, do you have documentation?""
I opened my laptop and showed them the bank records.
Then I displayed the original medical report and the messages from Elizabeth.
I explained the $85,000 transfer.
I explained the property purchase.
And finally, I explained that Daniel had submitted a loan application using my identity.
The room became increasingly silent.
When I finished, Linda leaned back.
"Oh my God.""
Gregory closed the folder.
"We will preserve the material you've provided. We won't take action based solely on an unverified third-party allegation.""
"Thank you.""
He looked directly at me.
"But I need to ask something. Has your husband ever had access to your company laptop or work credentials?""
"No.""
"Has he ever been inside the office?""
"Once, during a holiday event.""
Gregory nodded.
"We'll review our security logs.""
I was about to leave when Linda caught my arm.
"Sarah, wait.""
She lowered her voice.
"Your husband didn't just contact HR.""
I turned.
"What else?""
"He called the chief financial officer directly.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did he tell him?""
Linda hesitated.
"He claimed you were preparing to move confidential company funds into a personal investment account.""
I felt dizzy.
"That's ridiculous.""
"I know. But he was very specific. He mentioned projects only senior finance staff would know about.""
I slowly sat down again.
Daniel knew enough about my work to make his lies sound convincing.
And he had deliberately chosen accusations that could threaten my career.
Gregory immediately called the company's IT department.
They began reviewing access logs.
Twenty minutes later, an IT manager entered the conference room carrying a laptop.
"We found something.""
He turned the screen toward us.
A login attempt had been made using my credentials at 11:43 p.m. the previous night.
The device wasn't mine.
It was registered to an unfamiliar computer.
The location information showed a residential internet connection in Franklin, Tennessee.
Linda frowned.
"Can you identify the account owner?""
The IT manager clicked another window.
Then he looked at me.
"The network is registered to Vanessa Mitchell.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
Of course.
Vanessa.
The woman who had ordered $640 worth of food and wine while expecting me to pay.
The woman who knew Elizabeth was alive.
The woman who had helped Daniel prepare the fraudulent paperwork.
Gregory immediately instructed IT to secure my account and preserve the login records.
I thanked everyone and walked outside.
The afternoon sun felt painfully bright.
I called Michael.
He answered immediately.
"Sarah?""
"Daniel contacted my employer. He also tried accessing my work account through Vanessa's internet connection.""
There was a pause.
"Do you have evidence?""
"Yes. The company has the login records.""
"Excellent. Send me the documentation through the secure email address I gave you.""
I hesitated.
"Michael, how much worse can this get?""
He didn't answer immediately.
"People who believe they're about to lose control sometimes become reckless. Don't meet Daniel alone. Don't sign anything. And don't assume his relatives are telling you the truth.""
I thanked him and ended the call.
Then I noticed a black SUV parked across the street.
Daniel was standing beside it.
He wore a charcoal suit and held a bouquet of white roses.
When he saw me, he smiled.
It was the same smile he'd given me on our first anniversary.
The same smile he'd used when he convinced me to help his family.
"Sarah!""
I stopped.
"What are you doing here?""
He approached slowly.
"I wanted to apologize.""
I looked at the flowers.
"Keep them.""
"Can we talk?""
"No.""
He lowered his voice.
"I made mistakes. I know that. But you don't have to destroy our marriage over them.""
I almost laughed.
"Our marriage?""
"Yes. We can fix this.""
"You tried to destroy my career.""
His expression changed.
"That was a misunderstanding.""
"You contacted my employer and accused me of stealing company money.""
"I was worried about you!""
"Stop saying that.""
He glanced toward the office entrance.
"People are watching.""
"Good.""
His jaw tightened.
Then he leaned closer.
"Listen carefully. You need to withdraw whatever complaint you've made. The bank application, the fraud report, all of it.""
I stared at him.
"Or what?""
He looked directly into my eyes.
"Or I'll tell everyone what you did six months ago.""
I felt my heart skip.
"What did I do?""
He smiled faintly.
"You remember the money that disappeared from your mother's estate?""
My entire body went cold.
My mother had died two years before.
I'd inherited a modest amount, most of which had gone toward paying medical bills and settling her remaining expenses.
There had been one unresolved issue involving an account I thought had been closed.
I looked at Daniel.
"What are you talking about?""
He stepped back.
"Ask your attorney.""
Then he opened the SUV door.
"Because if you want to expose my secrets, Sarah, I'm going to expose yours.""
He drove away.
I stood on the sidewalk, unable to move.
My phone vibrated.
An email from Michael appeared.
*URGENT: We found a second financial account connected to your mother's estate. Your husband appears as the primary authorized user.*
I opened the attachment.
And suddenly, I understood why Daniel had chosen my mother's estate as his weapon.
May you like
The account contained $146,000.
Money I had never known existed.
