Chapter 3 - Where the Money WentReginald pulled a second file from his briefcase. "There's another matter."
Rosalind froze.
"Our preliminary financial review traced the twenty-five-thousand-dollar monthly transfers Dominic's been making to you." He flipped through several pages. "A substantial portion of those funds was subsequently sent to Preston Hale in Ohio, used toward construction costs."
Dominic turned slowly toward his mother. "What?"
Rosalind's face drained of color. "It was for the family! Your brother needed a home!"
"You told me you were investing it."
"I was investing in your brother!"
"You told me it was for our future!" His voice cracked.
For the first time, the anger in the room wasn't pointed at me.
Reginald kept his tone even. "Because some of those transfers involve accounts funded in part by Vivienne, they're now under formal review. Any further findings will go through the appropriate legal and financial process."
Rosalind lowered herself onto a barstool.
Dominic looked between her and me. In a matter of minutes, all the confidence he'd shown the night before had evaporated completely.
"Vivienne…" He took a step toward me. "We're family. We're having a baby."
I said nothing.
"What about my career? My reputation? You can't just tear all of this down!"
I looked at him. "You told me last night you could easily find another wife."
His face crumpled.
"So I'd suggest you find somewhere else to stay while our attorneys sort out what happens next."
"Vivienne, please."
"No."
"Please — I was angry."
"You weren't angry when you handed every paycheck to your mother."
He lowered his head.
"You weren't angry when you let your pregnant wife pay for this entire household."
"Vivienne—"
"And you definitely weren't angry when you told me I was replaceable."
Rosalind started crying. "This is all a misunderstanding."
"No," I said. "It was actually very clear."
Reginald handed Dominic another document. "You've been formally notified that your occupancy rights are being terminated under the applicable agreement. This explains the process and timeline. Your attorney can reach out to me directly."
Dominic stared down at the papers. Twelve hours earlier, he'd told me to leave "his" home.
Now he was learning it had never belonged to him at all.
Rosalind hurried toward me. "Vivienne, think about the baby! We can work this out — families fight!"
I stepped back. "This stopped being a family discussion the moment Dominic told his pregnant wife she could be replaced a hundred times over."
May you like
Dominic sank into one of the dining chairs. "I'm sorry."
Maybe he was. But apologies that arrive after the consequences already have sound very different from apologies offered before them.
