I needed help—professional help. Someone who could make sense of the financial mess Evan had created. My law school friend Rachel had mentioned a forensic accountant who specialized in cases like mine. His name was Marcus Chen.
"He's the best," Rachel had said. "And he's discreet."
Discreet was exactly what I needed.
We arranged to meet at a small café in Silver Lake, far from Evan's usual haunts. The place was cozy, with high-backed booths that offered privacy—perfect for our conversation.
I arrived early, choosing a corner booth where I could see the entrance. My hands trembled slightly as I arranged the documents I'd brought—bank statements, Venmo transfers, company records. Each page represented another piece of my life that Evan had stolen.
Marcus Chen arrived precisely on time. He was younger than I expected, maybe early forties, with sharp eyes that missed nothing.
"Mrs. Lawrence?" he asked quietly, sliding into the booth across from me.
"Grant," I corrected him. "I'm using my maiden name now."
He nodded, no judgment in his expression. "Smart."
I pushed the folder across the table. "This is what I've found so far."
Marcus didn't speak as he flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing deeper with each passing minute. Finally, he looked up.
"This isn't amateur work," he said, his voice low. "Whoever set this up knew what they were doing."
"But it's embezzlement, right? It's fraud?" My voice sounded strange to my own ears—too calm for someone whose world was collapsing.
"Yes, but..." Marcus hesitated. "The problem is that financial records can sometimes be explained away as bad business decisions. You need something more concrete."
"Like what?"
"Video evidence. Recordings. Something that shows intent." He tapped the bank logs. "These are a good start, but they're not enough on their own."
I nodded, already knowing what I had to do.
---
Back home, I waited until Evan left for his "late meeting" before moving. He'd been careful about deleting his browser history and clearing his phone records, but he'd forgotten one crucial thing: the home security system.
When we'd installed it three years ago, we'd both been given administrator access to the cloud backup. Evan had never bothered to check if I still had mine.
I logged into the security app on my tablet, heart pounding as I navigated to the cloud storage. Years of footage, organized by date. I started with the most recent.
The living room camera showed nothing unusual at first—empty space, the occasional housekeeper passing through. Then, three days ago...
I froze, my finger hovering over the screen.
There they were.
Evan and Sabrina on my favorite sofa—the one I'd spent weeks choosing, the one that had cost more than most people's monthly rent.
"I can't believe she still hasn't figured it out," Sabrina's voice came through clearly as she straddled Evan. "She's so stupid."
Evan laughed, his hands roaming over her bare skin. "That's what makes this so easy. By the time she realizes what's happening, it'll be too late."
"The Galaxy launch at the Design Gala will be perfect," Sabrina continued, tracing patterns on his chest. "Everyone will think it's my work."
"It is your work now," Evan replied. "Sophia's just the bank account."
I watched, numb, as they continued their conversation—my life, my work, my marriage—all reduced to their entertainment.
---
The next morning, I was reviewing the footage again when the gate intercom buzzed. Security camera showed a man I didn't recognize—tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and a serious expression.
"Can I help you?" I asked through the intercom.
"I'm looking for Sabrina O'Brien," he replied. "I was told she might be staying here."
Something in his voice—a familiarity with Sabrina's name—made me pause.
"Who is calling?"
"Shane O'Brien. Her brother."
I buzzed him in before I could second-guess myself.
Shane looked even more imposing in person as he stood in my foyer, his eyes taking in the opulent surroundings with noticeable discomfort.
"Is Sabrina here?" he asked again.
"No," I replied. "She's not."
He seemed to relax slightly. "Do you have a minute? There's something you should know."
I led him to the kitchen and poured us both coffee. As we sat across from each other at the island, I studied his face—there was something honest in his eyes that made me trust him despite his connection to Sabrina.
"I've been hearing things from family members," Shane began cautiously. "About Sabrina's rich boyfriend. About how she's been... different lately."
"Different how?"
His eyes met mine, and I saw pain there. "More obsessed than usual. She's always been fixated on Evan since college, but lately it's gotten worse."
"College?" I echoed.
Shane nodded grimly. "She never got over him choosing you instead. And now..." He trailed off, but I understood.
Now she'd found a way to take him back.
