Chapter 6 - CHLOE’S REAL REASON
Chloe asked me to meet the next morning.
I almost said no.
Then she sent one message.
There’s something Daniel never told either of us.
We met at a coffee shop near the courthouse.
She looked exhausted.
No makeup.
Hair tied back.
Her newborn son was with his father.
Mark.
The actual father.
“You knew Daniel was married,” I said.
“Yes.”
“You knew I was pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t ask me to comfort you.”
“I’m not.”
Good.
She placed her phone on the table.
“Daniel told me your marriage was over.”
“That’s original.”
“He said you were waiting until after the baby was born to announce it.”
“Also false.”
“I know.”
She swallowed.
“I didn’t at first.”
I believed that she believed him.
It did not excuse the affair.
But truth has layers.
Then she opened a message thread.
Daniel:
Once the refinance clears, we’ll have enough to start over.
Chloe:
What about the house?
Daniel:
Jen won’t keep it. She can’t afford it alone.
Chloe:
What about Lily?
Daniel:
We’ll work out custody. I’m documenting everything.
My skin went cold.
“Documenting what?”
Chloe looked at me.
“He asked me to save messages where he complained you were unstable.”
“Why?”
“He said his lawyer needed a timeline.”
I looked at Rachel.
She had come with me.
Rachel’s expression hardened.
“Did he name the lawyer?”
Chloe nodded.
“Martin Bell.”
Rachel knew him.
Family law.
Aggressive.
Expensive.
We subpoenaed records later.
But Chloe had more.
A voice memo.
Daniel had sent it while drunk.
“If Jen gets emotional after the birth, I’ll use that. Postpartum stuff. Judges take it seriously.”
I stopped the recording.
My hands were shaking.
He had been preparing to use postpartum depression against me before I even gave birth.
Chloe whispered, “I’m sorry.”
I looked at her.
“Did you know about that plan?”
“Not the details.”
“But you knew he wanted custody leverage.”
“Yes.”
I stood.
For a second, anger wanted somewhere easy to land.
Chloe was easy.
Then I remembered the man who benefited when women fought each other instead of comparing notes.
I sat back down.
“What else?”
She looked surprised.
“Everything.”
We spent two hours building a timeline.
Hotels.
Transfers.
Promises.
The condo he claimed he would buy.
The fake story about my mental health.
The money.
Then Chloe told us why she took the paternity test.
“Daniel started talking about putting his name on the birth certificate.”
“But he already believed the baby was his.”
“That’s what scared me.”
“Why?”
“He said if his name was legally on it, he could use the child in a business succession plan.”
Rachel looked at me sharply.
“What business succession plan?”
Chloe opened another screenshot.
Daniel had created a draft family trust.
Beneficiaries:
Daniel.
Lily.
Chloe’s baby.
But not me.
The trust would receive his company shares after the refinance closed.
Meaning Daniel had planned to move business assets out of the marital estate before filing for divorce.
Rachel leaned back.
“That’s fraudulent transfer territory.”
Chloe looked sick.
“I thought he was protecting the kids.”
“No,” I said.
“He was protecting himself.”
Then my phone rang.
My mother.
She was crying.
“Jennifer, come home.”
“What happened?”
“Someone broke into your office.”
My stomach dropped.
“The folder?”
“No.”
May you like
A pause.
“Your laptop is gone.”
