Chapter 10 - The Unraveling
As Vanessa was escorted out by two armed court officers, sobbing and screaming about Jonah’s ruined destiny, Ben looked at me. His face was gray, his eyes hollow.
“Claire,” he mouthed across the aisle. “Please.”
I looked straight ahead, gathered my files from Sarah’s table, and walked out without acknowledging his existence.
Outside the courtroom, Sarah squeezed my arm. “The judge took the bait on the financial dissipation. Now we hit the forensic audit. That $45,000 wasn't just savings, Claire. When my team ran a preliminary check on Ben’s corporate card this morning, we found something worse.”
I stopped in the marble corridor. “What do you mean?”
“Ben works as the head of regional accounts for your father’s old logistics firm, right?”
“Yes. My father retired three years ago, but his partner, David Reynolds, still runs the company.”
“Ben didn't just use your joint account to pay for Vanessa’s car,” Sarah said quietly. “He put the lease down-payment through a company expense account, listing it as a ‘client acquisition retainer.’ And he used the firm’s credit card to pay for Jonah’s conservatory lodging.”
I gasped. “He embezzled from David?”
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“He committed corporate fraud, Claire. If David finds out through an internal audit, Ben isn't just looking at a divorce. He’s looking at federal wire fraud charges.”
***
