Chapter 4 - The Financial Web
Claire let out a bitter, mocking laugh, leaning back against the dining table with her arms crossed.
"Leave? On what grounds, Mark?" she scoffed. "We've been married for eight months. Under state law, this home is marital property. My business funds are tied to our joint accounts. You can't just throw me out because an eight-year-old had a clumsy fall!"
"You left a child unattended in an unsafe room, ignored her broken bone for hours, took away her ability to call her father, and forged medical records to cover your legal liability!" I shouted, slamming my fist onto the table. "You aren't just leaving this house, Claire. You're getting served with divorce papers and a restraining order."
Claire’s eyes narrowed into slits. "Try it, Mark. You think I’m stupid? Look around you. Who paid off the back taxes on this house when your first wife passed away? Who invested $80,000 into renovating your workshop? My name is on the deed."
I spent the rest of the night on the living room sofa while Nora slept beside me, my arm wrapped protectively around her.
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The next morning, while Claire was out at her clinic trying to manage her damaged reputation, I hired a forensic accountant and a high-profile family law attorney, Eleanor Vance (no relation).
When Eleanor reviewed our joint financial records, she discovered something terrifying. Over the past six months, Claire had been secretly siphoning money from our home equity line of credit into an off-shore LLC registered under her maiden name. But even worse—she had taken out a $500,000 supplemental life insurance policy on Nora, listing herself as the primary beneficiary.
