Chapter 4 - The Aftermath
The fallout was spectacular. Grant was arrested for embezzlement and tax evasion. The foundation was seized by the state for audit, and his reputation was effectively incinerated.
Evelyn, the woman who had always treated me like an employee, came to see me. She wasn't there to apologize; she was there to negotiate. She wanted me to sign a non-disclosure agreement to stop the flow of information to the press, promising me a "generous" settlement if I did.
"You really don't get it, do you, Evelyn?" I sat in a cafe near the docks, wearing a simple trench coat and dark glasses, feeling more like myself than I had in years. "This isn't about money. It never was. It’s about the fact that you raised a son who thought women were assets to be managed. I’m not managing anything anymore."
"He is your husband, Avery," she hissed.
"He’s my liability," I corrected. "And I’ve officially filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery and fraud. I’m not asking for alimony. I’m asking for the entirety of my own assets to be returned, and for his name to be scrubbed from my life."
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She stared at me, seeing for the first time that the "soft, obedient" daughter-in-law was a myth. "You have no idea what you’re starting. The Whitmore family doesn't lose."
"You already lost," I said, leaving a twenty-dollar bill on the table and walking out into the rain.
