The law offices of Morrison & Associates occupied the entire thirty-second floor of a sleek Midtown tower. I stepped out of the elevator, clutching my folder of evidence, my heart pounding with each click of my heels against the marble floor.
"Mrs. Foster." David Morrison rose from behind his desk as his assistant showed me in. He was shorter than I'd expected, with prematurely silver hair and eyes that had seen every trick in the book. "Please, sit."
I settled into the leather chair across from him, placing my folder on the desk. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."
"Victoria Chen is an old friend," he said, nodding toward my best friend who had helped arrange this meeting. "When she calls about a potential case involving art fraud and family betrayal, I make time."
I opened my folder, spreading out the bank statements, text messages, and photos I'd gathered. "My husband is conspiring with his mistress to steal everything I own. They've fabricated a terminal cancer diagnosis to accelerate the process."
David's expression remained impassive as he examined each piece of evidence. Only a slight tightening around his eyes betrayed his disgust.
"This goes beyond divorce," he finally said, leaning back in his chair. "This is criminal conspiracy, fraud, possibly even attempted murder."
The word 'murder' hung in the air between us.
"I need you to be absolutely clear about what you want, Mrs. Foster," David continued. "Because once we start this process, there's no turning back."
"I want justice," I said, my voice steady. "Not just divorce."
A thin smile crossed his face. "Then you've come to the right place." He pulled out a legal pad and began writing in sharp, decisive strokes. "We need more evidence. Hard evidence of the grand larceny and the connection to Franklin Wheeler."
"Franklin Wheeler?" The name hit me like a physical blow.
David looked up, studying my face. "You don't know? Franklin Wheeler isn't just Lyra's father. He's the man who destroyed your parents' gallery fifteen years ago."
The room seemed to tilt sideways. "That's impossible."
"The same modus operandi—art theft, financial ruin, then moving on to the next target." David slid a file across the desk. "I've been tracking him for years."
I opened the file with trembling hands. There, in black and white, was the connection—Franklin Wheeler, art thief extraordinaire, and his daughter Lyra, carrying on the family business.
My husband was sleeping with the daughter of the man who had destroyed my family.
---
"He'll be looking for signs that you know," David warned as our meeting concluded. "Stay in the marriage a few more weeks. Gather evidence. Be patient."
Patience. The word tasted bitter on my tongue.
---
"I simply cannot decide between the mahogany or cherry wood," I said, stirring my tea as Margaret O'Brien sat across from me in the sunroom of her Upper East Side brownstone. "For the casket, I mean."
Margaret's smile faltered slightly. "Margot, dear, perhaps we should discuss something more... uplifting?"
I touched my hand to my forehead, feigning weakness. "The doctors say I have so little time left. I want everything to be perfect."
The recording device in my pocket felt heavy against my hip.
"What about your art collection?" Margaret asked, her eyes suddenly sharp. "Have you decided what to do with the remaining pieces?"
I took a sip of tea, letting the silence stretch between us. "Actually, I've been considering donating everything to the Metropolitan Museum. A complete collection, in perpetuity."
Margaret's teacup clattered against its saucer. "You can't do that!"
"Why not?"
"That art belongs to the family," she hissed, leaning forward. "To Jensen's future children!"
I widened my eyes in mock confusion. "What children?"
Margaret's face paled as she realized her mistake. "I just mean... someday he might remarry..."
"But I'm not even buried yet," I said softly.
---
"Holy shit," Victoria whispered, her fingers flying across her keyboard. "Margot, you need to see this."
I leaned over her shoulder, staring at the screen. "What am I looking at?"
"A life insurance policy. Taken out six months ago on your life." Victoria pointed to the screen. "Look at the beneficiary."
Jensen Foster.
"And look at this clause." She scrolled down to a highlighted section. "Double indemnity for accidental death."
A chill ran down my spine. "They were planning to kill me all along."
"The cancer diagnosis was Plan A," Victoria confirmed grimly. "If you didn't die fast enough..."
"Plan B would be murder," I finished.
I reached for my phone, my fingers steady despite the fear coursing through me. "I need private security. Discreet. Professional."
As I made the call, I caught my reflection in the window—pale, determined, alive. They had underestimated me. And soon, they would pay for that mistake.
