Chapter 24 - The Blackmail Package
Clara was locked in a holding cell, but her threat wasn't empty.
By 8:00 AM the next morning, Marcus and I were gathered in the conference room of his law firm. The atmosphere was tense, the air heavy with the smell of strong coffee that nobody was drinking.
Sarah, my accountant, sat at the table with her laptop open, her face grim.
"It’s already happening," Sarah said, turning her screen toward us. "An anonymous tip was sent to the Maple Ridge Chronicle, the Columbus Dispatch, and several local business blogs. The email contains select screenshots of your private communications with Marcus, along with a narrative claiming you used your financial power to frame Margaret and coerce Daniel into a fraudulent divorce settlement."
"How bad is the data leak?" I asked, my hands clenching my coffee mug.
"They didn't get the patient records—our main clinical database has a separate encryption protocol that Daniel’s admin codes couldn't bypass, thank God," Sarah sighed. "But they got your personal financial ledger, your corporate tax filings, and thirty-four private emails between you and Marcus from last summer."
Marcus leaned forward, his eyes scanning the leaked emails on the screen. "These emails are entirely professional, Evelyn. We were discussing the acquisition of the Columbus clinic and the defense strategy for your business. There is absolutely nothing romantic in these messages."
"It doesn't matter to the tabloids, Marcus," I said, my voice heavy. "They are cherry-picking phrases. Look at this headline on the Maple Ridge Gazette online."
I pointed to the screen.
"LOCAL DENTIST EMBEZZLES OWN PRACTICE TO FUND LUXURY AFFAIR AND RUIN HUSBAND'S FAMILY?"
"This is classic smear-campaign tactics," Marcus hissed, his jaw clenching. "They are trying to damage your clinics' reputation so badly that patients start canceling appointments, forcing you to settle with Daniel just to make the bad press go away."
"It’s working," Sarah muttered quietly. "We’ve already had fourteen cancellations at the High Street clinic this morning. The receptionists are getting calls from angry people calling Dr. Carter a 'gold-digging liar.' Our social media pages are being flooded with negative reviews."
The phone on the conference table rang. It was the private line. Marcus pressed the speaker button.
"Evelyn," Daniel’s voice came through, smooth, arrogant, and entirely devoid of his previous desperation. He was back in his element, playing the role of the victimized husband. "I assume you’ve seen the news."
"Daniel," I said, my voice cold. "Your sister is in jail for felony trespassing and probation violation. You are next."
"Oh, I don't think so, Evie," Daniel chuckled, a sound that made my stomach turn. "I’m in Toledo. I didn't touch your servers. Clara did that all on her own. I’m just a concerned citizen who happened to receive an anonymous package of documents showing how my wealthy wife and her hotshot lawyer conspired to destroy my family."
"What do you want, Daniel?" I demanded.
"I want what’s mine," he said, his tone turning sharp and demanding. "Three million dollars. Paid into a secure offshore trust. You sign over the deed to my mother’s house back to us, and we will issue a joint public statement saying the leaked documents were 'fabricated by a third party' and that we parted ways amicably. If you don't pay by Friday, I file a formal petition to reopen the divorce, and I hand the rest of these emails to the IRS."
"You have twenty-four hours to think about it," Daniel added. "Choose wisely, Evie. Your precious clinics won't survive another week of this."
The line went dead.
I looked at Marcus. His eyes were burning with a dark, intense fire. "He’s committing felony extortion, Evelyn. We have the call recorded."
"We can't just rely on the police, Marcus," I said, standing up and pacing the room. "A legal battle to prove my innocence will take months. By then, my clinics will be bankrupt. My reputation will be destroyed. I need to fight back on his level."
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"What are you thinking?" Marcus asked, watching me closely.
"Daniel thinks he’s the only one who has secrets," I said, a cold, calculated plan forming in my mind. "But I was married to him for eight years. I know exactly where he buried his bodies. And I think it’s time we dig them up."
