Chapter 5 - THE PARTY AFTER THE PARTY
The baptism ended before dinner.
The family scandal did not.
After I opened the folder, half the room pretended to leave slowly.
Nobody actually wanted to go.
Daniel’s boss stood near the bar.
His business partner whispered to his wife.
His mother cried quietly.
Chloe remained near the doorway.
Daniel pulled me toward a private hallway.
“You’re insane.”
I pulled my arm away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“You brought my ex-girlfriend to our daughter’s baptism.”
“You brought her into our marriage.”
“She needed help.”
“You slept with her.”
“That was a mistake.”
“For seven months?”
His jaw tightened.
“You don’t know what our marriage has been like for me.”
I laughed.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The part where your affair becomes my fault.”
He lowered his voice.
“You stopped being available.”
“I was pregnant.”
“You were always tired.”
“I was pregnant.”
“You cared more about the baby than us.”
“I was carrying our baby.”
Every excuse collapsed against the obvious.
He knew it too.
Then he said, “Chloe understood me.”
I stared at him.
“No. Chloe admired the version of you you paid to perform.”
He flinched.
Good.
Then Rachel appeared at the end of the hallway.
She wore a charcoal suit and carried a slim envelope.
Daniel frowned.
“Who are you?”
“My attorney,” I said.
His face changed.
Rachel handed him the envelope.
“You’ve been served.”
He looked at me.
“You filed for divorce?”
“Yes.”
“Before today?”
“Three weeks ago.”
His mouth opened.
No words.
I had waited to serve him until Lily’s baptism because Rachel advised me not to let him move assets first.
The filing included temporary orders.
No transfer of marital funds.
No sale of property.
No changes to insurance.
No access to my separate trust.
Daniel tore open the packet.
“You can’t do this.”
“I already did.”
“You planned all of this.”
“I responded to what you planned.”
His father walked toward us.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
Robert’s voice was quiet.
“Did you forge her signature?”
Daniel looked away.
His father understood.
“Jesus Christ.”
“Dad, stay out of it.”
“No.”
Robert stepped closer.
“I invested in your company.”
Daniel froze.
I did too.
Robert continued.
“You told me the new loan was clean.”
“It is.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Rachel looked at me.
That was new information.
“How much?” I asked.
Robert swallowed.
“Two hundred thousand.”
Daniel snapped, “It was temporary capital.”
Robert grabbed his son’s shirt.
“You used my retirement money?”
Diane screamed his name.
The hallway erupted.
Hotel security moved toward us.
Daniel shoved his father’s hands away.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face turned white.
“Who is it?” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
The call ended.
A voicemail arrived.
He listened.
Then slowly looked at me.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“The bank froze the business line.”
Rachel smiled slightly.
“I did warn them about suspected fraud.”
Daniel stepped backward.
“You’re destroying my company.”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“You put my signature on a loan application.”
His phone rang again.
This time he answered.
“What?”
His face changed.
“What do you mean the payroll account is under review?”
May you like
The room went silent again.
Because Daniel’s affair had just become the smallest problem he had.
