Chapter 3 - THE SECOND WOMAN WASN’T THE ONLY WOMAN
Claire followed Madison into the hotel hallway.
Ryan came after them.
“Madison, you’re upset.”
She spun around.
“Don’t tell me what I am.”
Guests began drifting from the ballroom, pretending not to stare.
Madison looked at Claire.
“Three weeks ago, I found messages.”
Ryan went still.
Claire noticed.
“What messages?”
Ryan interrupted.
“She’s confused.”
Madison pulled out her phone.
“No, I’m not.”
Ryan lunged for it.
Claire stepped between them.
“Try it.”
He stopped.
Madison scrolled through her screen.
“There’s another woman.”
Claire almost laughed.
Of course there was.
Why stop at one betrayal?
“Who?”
“I don’t know her full name. Her contact says ‘J.’”
Ryan’s face told Claire everything.
Madison held up screenshots.
Messages.
Flirty jokes.
Hotel reservations.
Promises.
The same lines.
The exact same lines.
Claire read one aloud.
“‘Once everything settles down, we can finally be together.’”
Madison laughed bitterly.
“That’s what he told me.”
Claire stared at Ryan.
“It’s almost efficient.”
Ryan stepped closer.
“You two are really going to stand here and compare notes?”
“Yes,” Claire said. “Actually, we are.”
Madison handed Claire the phone.
There were months of messages.
One caught Claire’s attention.
J: Are you sure Claire knows nothing about the investment account?
Claire stopped breathing.
“What investment account?”
Ryan’s anger vanished.
Now he looked nervous.
Madison looked confused.
“I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?”
Ryan grabbed his jacket.
“I’m leaving.”
Claire moved in front of him.
“No.”
“Get out of my way.”
“Tell me about the account.”
“It’s business.”
“Our money?”
“No.”
“Then whose?”
Ryan didn’t answer.
Claire pulled out her phone.
“I’m calling our accountant.”
Ryan knocked the phone from her hand.
It hit the carpet.
The hallway went silent.
A security guard stepped forward.
“Sir.”
Ryan raised both hands.
“I didn’t touch her.”
“You knocked her phone down,” the guard said.
Claire bent to pick it up.
Her hands were shaking now.
Not from fear.
From realization.
For months, she had noticed strange transfers from their joint accounts.
Five thousand.
Twelve thousand.
Twenty thousand.
Ryan had blamed taxes, investments, business expenses.
She had believed him.
Because marriage trained you to trust until evidence forced you not to.
Claire called their accountant, Martin Keller.
He answered on the fourth ring.
“Claire? Everything okay?”
“No.”
Ryan whispered, “Don’t.”
Claire walked away from him.
“Martin, I need you to tell me whether Ryan opened any investment accounts using our marital funds.”
Silence.
Too much silence.
“Martin?”
He sighed.
“Claire, I advised Ryan that you needed to be informed.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Informed about what?”
Ryan closed his eyes.
Martin spoke carefully.
“About the transfer.”
“What transfer?”
“Four hundred and eighty thousand dollars.”
Claire stared at the wall.
Nearly half a million dollars.
Their retirement.
Their savings.
Part of the proceeds from selling her late father’s property.
“Where did it go?”
Martin hesitated.
“Ryan created a private holding company.”
Claire looked at Ryan.
“What company?”
Martin answered.
“Cole Meridian Holdings.”
Madison suddenly whispered, “Oh my God.”
Claire turned.
“You know it?”
Madison looked sick.
“That’s the company buying a condo in Miami.”
Ryan whispered, “Enough.”
Claire’s heart pounded.
“For who?”
Madison stared at Ryan.
Then at Claire.
“For the woman named J.”
May you like
Claire thought she had exposed her husband tonight.
Instead, she had just discovered she might have exposed a thief.
