Chapter 5 - The Turning of the Tide
Six months passed.
The drama of that winter day in the NICU felt like a distant, bad dream. Liam and Chloe, against all medical odds, proved to be true Vances. They grew stronger by the day, their tiny lungs healing completely under the care of the world’s finest pediatricians. By the time spring arrived, they were healthy, chubby, and laughing infants living in my grandfather’s sweeping estate just outside the city.
I hadn't spent those six months just playing mother, either. With my grandfather's guidance, I took over as the chairperson of the Vance Foundation, managing the philanthropic distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars to neonatal research and maternal health programs across the country. I was no longer the quiet woman hiding in the shadow of a mediocre man. I was Audrey Vance, and the business world was beginning to recognize my own strength.
Dominic’s life, meanwhile, had devolved into a masterclass in karma.
Without the Vance Medical Group contracts, his business collapsed within six weeks. The forensic audit uncovered that he had been overcharging the hospital network by over two hundred thousand dollars over three years. To avoid jail time, he had to liquidate all his personal assets—the luxury apartment lease was broken, the sports cars were repossessed, and his company went into forced bankruptcy.
One Tuesday afternoon, I was reviewing a foundation report in a quiet cafe downtown near the family office when a shadow fell over my table.
I looked up, expecting my assistant. Instead, I saw Dominic.
He looked ten years older. His hair was long and unkempt, his expensive designer suit replaced by a cheap, faded button-down shirt. He looked thin, exhausted, and thoroughly defeated.
"Audrey," he said, his voice trembling. "Please. Just give me five minutes. Don't call security."
I looked around. Two of my personal protection officers were already stepping out of an SUV parked at the curb, their eyes locked on Dominic. I raised a hand, signaling them to stay back. I wasn't afraid of him anymore. He had no power over me.
"Sit down, Dominic," I said calmly, taking a sip of my tea. "You have two minutes."
He collapsed into the chair opposite me, his hands shaking as he locked them together on the table. "I... I wanted to say I’m sorry. I know it doesn't mean anything now, but I was stupid. I was so incredibly stupid."
"You weren't stupid, Dominic. You were greedy, and you were cruel," I corrected him smoothly. "You showed me exactly who you were when you thought I had nothing. That wasn't a mistake. That was your character."
"Natalie left me," he whispered, staring down at the table. "The moment the money ran out, she took what little cash I had left and moved back to her parents' house. She had the baby—a little boy. But her father's business went under because of the supply chain issues, and they hate me. She won't let me see my son unless I pay child support, and I don't have a dime."
I watched him without a shred of pity. "Karma has an incredibly accurate address, doesn't it?"
"I’m working as a freelance sales rep now, making minimum wage plus commission," he pleaded, tears welling in his eyes. "I live in a studio apartment next to the train tracks. Audrey, please... talk to your grandfather. Just tell him to let the local medical clinics buy from me again. I’m not asking for millions. I just want to survive. I want to be able to pay my bills."
I leaned forward, looking deeply into the eyes of the man I had once thought I loved.
"When I was in that hospital chair, Dominic, you told me to try calling a homeless shelter. You told me my babies were runts who weren't worth your future. If it weren't for my grandfather, my children and I would be on the streets right now because of your actions."
"I was wrong!" he sobbed openly now, drawing looks from other cafe patrons. "Please, Audrey!"
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"The answer is no, Dominic," I said softly, standing up and picking up my designer handbag. "I won't destroy you any further, but I will never help you rise again. You made your bed on the day you walked into that NICU with a mistress wearing my coat. Now, you have to sleep in it."
I walked away, leaving him weeping at the table, a broken man who had traded a kingdom of genuine love for a handful of fool's gold.
