I sat across from Katie in her home office, watching as her fingers flew across the keyboard. The soft glow of her laptop illuminated her face, highlighting the determined set of her jaw. Three days had passed since I'd discovered the truth about Pierce, and each hour had brought a new layer of betrayal.
"Got it," Katie muttered, her eyes narrowing at the screen. "Your husband has been withdrawing cash in increments of five thousand dollars every other week for the past year."
I leaned forward, my stomach clenching as I stared at the banking records she'd somehow managed to access. "That's over $120,000."
"And that's just from his personal account." Katie's voice was cold as she pulled up another screen. "Look at these transfers to a property management company."
The address listed on the receipt made my blood run cold. I'd seen it before—on the school notice.
"Lilith Castro," I whispered, the name still foreign on my tongue.
Katie nodded grimly. "I ran a credit check. She's been living at that address for three years. Monthly rent is $4,200."
"That's more than most people's mortgage," I said, my voice hollow.
"There's more." Katie scrolled down, revealing a series of payments to luxury retailers. "Jewelry, designer clothes, electronics—all purchased by your husband but never seen in your home."
I closed my eyes, remembering the diamond earrings Pierce had given me for our anniversary last month. Had he bought identical ones for her?
"We need to document everything," Katie said, her lawyer instincts taking over. "Dates, amounts, patterns. If he's embezzling from the company to fund his second life, we need irrefutable evidence."
I nodded, feeling a strange calm settling over me. The shock was giving way to something colder, more calculated.
---
Two days later, I followed Pierce's sleek black Audi to an upscale apartment complex in the east side of the city. I kept my distance, parking across the street where I could watch the entrance without being seen.
Pierce looked relaxed as he climbed out of his car, checking his watch before heading inside. No suit today—just casual clothes that made him look younger, happier somehow.
I waited fifteen minutes before approaching, slipping into the building through the door a resident held open. The hallway was elegant—cream-colored walls, plush carpeting, and tasteful lighting that cast a warm glow over everything.
Apartment 3B. I stood outside, listening to the sounds of laughter through the door. A child's giggle, followed by Pierce's deeper chuckle.
"Higher, Daddy!" Luka's voice, excited and trusting.
"Careful, buddy!" Pierce sounded so much like himself—like the man who had pushed Skyler on swings just last weekend.
I pulled out my phone and began taking photos through the peephole. The apartment beyond was spacious and stylish—similar to our own home in many ways. Same color scheme. Similar furniture arrangements.
Had he decorated it himself? Or had Lilith chosen everything, unconsciously mirroring what she'd seen in his other life?
Through the narrow view, I watched Pierce lift Luka onto his shoulders, spinning him in circles while a stunning brunette—Lilith—looked on with a smile that spoke of familiar intimacy.
The coffee table held framed photos. One caught my eye—Pierce and Lilith at the beach, Luka building sandcastles between them. They looked like a family. A real family.
---
"You're being unusually quiet tonight," Pierce remarked as he poured himself another glass of wine.
I smiled tightly, watching him over the rim of my own glass. "Just tired. Long day."
Across the dining room table, he looked perfectly composed in his crisp button-down shirt, every inch the successful businessman. The husband who came home to his wife and daughter after a hard day's work.
"I need to discuss something with you," he said, setting down his glass. "I'm planning an extended business trip."
"Oh?" I kept my voice neutral, even as my heart began to race.
"The Singapore merger is moving forward faster than expected." He leaned forward, his expression serious. "I'll need to be there for at least six weeks, possibly longer."
Six weeks. Enough time to establish a new life? To transfer assets? To disappear?
"Skyler will miss you," I said softly.
He nodded, his expression softening in that practiced way that had once made me feel so loved. "That's why I wanted to discuss some paperwork before I leave."
He pulled out a folder from his briefcase, sliding it across the table toward me. "Just some signatures we need to file before the merger goes through."
I opened the folder, scanning the dense legal text. My legal training, dormant for so long, suddenly awakened. These weren't standard merger documents. These were liability waivers. Debt transfers.
"Signing these would make me responsible for any company debts incurred during your absence," I said carefully.
Pierce's smile didn't falter. "It's just a formality, Emilia. The board requires it."
As he spoke, I slipped my phone from my pocket and activated the recording function Katie had shown me.
"Of course," I said, my voice steady despite the rage building inside me. "Whatever you need, darling."
