Chapter 7: What He Stole From Me
I stared at Derek.
“What was inside my company?””
He didn't answer.
Victor did.
“Data.””
I looked at him.
“What data?””
Victor's jaw tightened.
“Your client database.””
I shook my head.
“That isn't worth four hundred thousand dollars.””
“No,” Victor said.
“The contracts are.””
A cold feeling settled in my stomach.
“What contracts?””
Derek looked at the floor.
I already knew.
“The government contract.””
Neither man spoke.
I stepped closer.
“You knew.””
Derek finally lifted his eyes.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Because I helped you get it.””
I laughed.
“You did?””
“You were asleep one night when the email came in.””
“You read my email?””
“Yes.””
“You went through my files?””
“Yes.””
The room seemed to get smaller with every answer.
“What did you see?””
“Everything.””
My hands curled into fists.
“You saw the contract value.””
“Yes.””
“You saw the renewal terms.””
“Yes.””
“You saw the client list.””
“Yes.””
“And you realized my company was worth more than you were telling me.””
He nodded.
“So you decided to steal it.””
“I decided to borrow it.””
“Borrow?””
“I thought I could use the contracts as leverage.””
“With whom?””
“Investors.””
Victor stepped in.
“Not investors.””
Derek glared at him.
“Don't.””
Victor ignored him.
“People who acquire distressed companies.””
I looked at Derek.
“You were trying to sell my company.””
“No.””
Victor raised an eyebrow.
“You signed the preliminary agreement.””
Derek closed his eyes.
I looked at Victor.
“Show me.””
He reached into his briefcase and produced several pages.
The first page carried my company name.
The second listed projected revenue.
The third contained a purchase proposal.
I saw the figure.
My breath caught.
*$2.4 million.*
“You were selling my company for two point four million dollars?””
Derek shook his head.
“Not selling.””
“Then what is this?””
“A temporary transfer.””
“There is a purchase price.””
“I planned to buy it back.””
“With what?””
He had no answer.
I flipped to the final page.
There was my name.
Again.
Not my handwriting.
Not my signature.
A perfect imitation.
I looked at Victor.
“This isn't real.””
“No.””
“You knew it was forged.””
“Yes.””
“Then why bring it here?””
“To show you what your husband did.””
Derek stepped forward.
“I was going to fix it.””
I turned on him.
“Stop saying that.””
He went quiet.
“You didn't make one mistake.””
I lifted the documents.
“You made dozens.””
My voice shook.
“You stole my passwords. You copied my signature. You accessed my contracts.
You moved my money. You created an account in my company's name. You used that account to move money into your mother's company.””
Derek whispered, “I never wanted to hurt you.””
I stared at him.
“You just wanted everything I built.””
He couldn't answer.
Linda finally spoke.
“Derek, you told me the company belonged to the family.””
He turned toward her.
“I never said that.””
“You said Megan had no idea how valuable it was.””
“I said that.””
“You said the contracts could save us.””
“I thought they could.””
Linda looked at me.
“I didn't know about the sale.””
I laughed.
“You didn't know?””
She shook her head.
“I swear.””
I didn't believe her.
But there was something else I needed to know.
I looked at Victor.
“Why did you come here personally?””
He studied me.
“Because the person who hired me expected you to surrender.””
“Who?””
He said nothing.
“Victor.””
His gaze shifted toward Derek.
“Your husband.””
Derek immediately said, “No.””
“You hired him to force me into accepting the agreement?””
Derek shook his head.
“I hired him to negotiate.””
Victor laughed softly.
“You hired me after the first lender refused.””
“You said you could help.””
“I did.””
“And now you're threatening my wife.””
“I’m enforcing a debt.””
I looked between them.
“Which debt?””
Victor pulled out another folder.
“That's the interesting part.””
He opened it.
Inside was a series of wire transfers.
The dates were from before Derek ever approached me about refinancing the house.
“Look.””
I leaned over the papers.
Every transfer was made from a business account.
The recipient name was the same.
Mercer Holdings LLC.
But the amounts were different.
$30,000.
$45,000.
$75,000.
$60,000.
Then $100,000.
I looked at Derek.
“This started before you borrowed from Victor.””
“Yes.””
“You were already moving money.””
He nodded.
“Where?””
Derek rubbed his face.
“Into an investment.””
“What investment?””
He hesitated.
“Property.””
“Whose property?””
“Mine.””
I shook my head.
“You didn't own property.””
“I did.””
“Where?””
He looked at Linda.
She wouldn't meet my eyes.
I understood.
“You bought properties through my mother.””
Derek nodded.
“With my money.””
“Yes.””
“You used my business to buy real estate.””
“Yes.””
“For yourself.””
“Yes.””
I looked at the list.
Seven properties.
The same seven Linda had claimed were hers.
“Linda wasn't the owner.””
“No.””
“Derek was.””
He said nothing.
I looked at Linda.
“You let him use your company.””
She nodded.
“How much did he put through it?””
“I don't know.””
“You do.””
She wiped her eyes.
“Almost nine hundred thousand.””
My knees nearly buckled.
Nine hundred thousand dollars.
A number so large it stopped feeling real.
I sat down at the kitchen table.
For years, Derek had complained about cash flow.
For years, he'd told me his business was struggling.
For years, I'd helped.
And all along, money had been disappearing into properties.
I looked at him.
“Why?””
He sat opposite me.
“Because I wanted to build something.””
“You had a company.””
“I wanted more.””
“You wanted more at my expense.””
“I thought we'd both benefit.””
“How?””
“The properties would grow.””
“And I would know?””
“Eventually.””
I stared at him.
“You never intended to tell me.””
He looked down.
“No.””
Something inside me became very quiet.
Not the dangerous kind of quiet from earlier.
This was different.
It was the quiet that comes after a door closes forever.
I looked at my phone.
Martin had sent another message.
*MARTIN: Do not trust anything Derek says. I found the original files.*
I called him.
He answered immediately.
“Did Victor show you the purchase agreement?””
“Yes.””
“Don't sign anything.””
“I won't.””
“There's something worse.””
I glanced at Derek.
“What?””
“The signature on that document wasn't just forged.””
My stomach tightened.
“What do you mean?””
“It was digitally inserted.””
I stared.
“How do you know?””
“I traced the metadata.””
“Whose computer?””
Martin paused.
“Yours.””
I felt a chill.
“My computer?””
“The signature file was created from a scan stored on your office network.””
I looked toward the hallway.
“My office.””
“Yes.””
“Can you tell when?””
“Three months ago.””
I looked at Derek.
Three months ago.
He had access.
But then Martin said something that made my blood run cold.
“The file was opened from a second device.””
“Whose?””
“Linda's tablet.””
I turned toward her.
She went pale.
I lowered the phone.
“Linda.””
She froze.
“Did you access my office?””
“No.””
“Did you use your tablet on my network?””
“No.””
“Did Derek?””
She looked at him.
Derek looked away.
I stood.
“Someone is lying.””
Nobody answered.
Victor closed his briefcase.
“I'll give you until four-thirty.””
“For what?””
“To resolve the debt.””
“And if I don't?””
“I'll file enforcement.””
I looked at him.
“And if the agreement is fraudulent?””
His expression tightened.
“Then prove it in court.””
He turned toward the door.
I followed him.
At the threshold, he stopped.
Without looking back, he said, “One more thing.””
“What?””
“Don't assume Derek is the only person who knows about the contracts.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Victor turned.
“The person who contacted me knew your business before your husband did.””
My blood ran cold.
“Who?””
Victor reached into his coat.
He pulled out a photograph.
He placed it in my hand.
I looked down.
The photograph showed a woman standing outside my office building.
I recognized her instantly.
My former business partner.
Rachel.
She had left the company two years earlier after a disagreement I thought we'd resolved.
I stared at the image.
“She contacted you?””
Victor nodded.
“She told me the contracts were vulnerable.””
“Why?””
“She didn't tell me.””
I looked up.
“Where is she now?””
“That's the problem.””
“What?””
“She disappeared three weeks ago.””
The photograph trembled between my fingers.
Derek stood behind me.
“Rachel?””
I turned.
His face had gone pale.
“You know where she is.””
“No.””
“You recognize her.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“Derek.””
He finally whispered, “Because she was the one who gave me the access codes.””
My heart stopped.
“What access codes?””
“To your company.””
I stared at him.
“Rachel helped you?””
“Yes.””
“And you knew her?””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
Derek swallowed.
“Since before I met you.””
Silence.
I looked toward the front window.
Across the street, the black sedan was still waiting.
Victor walked away.
Derek remained in the doorway.
And suddenly every lie I had believed about my marriage seemed to have another lie underneath it.
I looked down at the photograph of Rachel.
Then at Derek.
“Were you sleeping with her?””
His face changed.
He didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
But before I could say another word, my phone buzzed.
A new message.
Unknown number.
*You finally found the right person.*
Another message appeared.
*But Derek isn't the one you should be afraid of.*
Then a third.
*Check the locked drawer in your office.*
I looked toward the stairs.
My office.
The locked drawer.
The one drawer I had never been able to open because the key had disappeared months ago.
Derek noticed where I was looking.
And for the first time that day, genuine terror crossed his face.
“Don't,” he whispered.
I turned toward him.
“Why?””
He shook his head.
“Because if you open that drawer…”
He stopped.
“What?””
May you like
His eyes filled with fear.
“…you'll find out who started all of this.””
