Chapter 5 - The Retaliation
The following Monday morning, Laura sat in the sleek, high-rise office of Victoria Vance—no relation to Marcus, but widely known as one of the most ferocious family law attorneys in the city. Victoria’s office smelled of expensive leather, fresh espresso, and absolute dominance.
Victoria adjusted her tortoise-shell glasses, looking down at the dossier Laura had placed on her desk: Diego’s financial records, the toxic divorce agreement he had tried to force her to sign, the threatening texts, and, most importantly, Dr. Salinas’s official medical certification of paternity and surgical negligence.
“Well, Mrs. Costello,” Victoria said, a predatory grin playing at the corners of her perfectly lined lips. “Your husband is not just a coward. He is legally and financially trapped in a corner of his own making.”
“I don’t want to ruin him,” Laura said softly, playing with the strap of her handbag. “I just want what’s fair for me and my baby. A safe home, financial security, and a clean break.”
Victoria let out a sharp, amused laugh. “Fair? Oh, my dear, throw 'fair' out the window. When a man tries to frame his pregnant wife for infidelity, locks her out of joint marital accounts, attempts to coerce her into signing away her legal rights under duress, and defames her publicly on social media, we don't look for fair. We look for total devastation.”
Victoria pulled a clean legal pad toward her and picked up a Montblanc pen.
“Here is our battle plan,” Victoria ticked the points off on her manicured fingers:
Asset Freezing & Forensic Audit: We are going to slap an immediate emergency injunction on all of Diego’s personal and corporate accounts. If he’s been funneling marital assets to fund his little apartment with Paola—which I suspect he has—we are going to claw every single penny back.
Alimony & Child Support: Given his high-earning status as a regional VP at the logistics firm, we will be seeking maximum temporary and permanent spousal support, plus pre-natal medical cost reimbursements.
The 'Marital Expenses' Clause: That ridiculous clause he put in his draft agreement where he threatened to charge you for marital expenses? We are going to flip it. Under state law, abandoning a pregnant spouse without cause constitutes emotional distress and financial abandonment. We are counter-suing for punitive damages.
Public Defamation Retraction: We are issuing a formal cease-and-desist letter demanding a public retraction and apology for the defamatory statements and social media posts he made implying infidelity. If he refuses, we file a civil defamation suit that will cost him six figures in legal fees.
Laura listened, her breath hitching slightly. The sheer scale of the legal artillery Victoria was preparing to unleash was breathtaking.
“Will it hold up?” Laura asked. “Diego’s company has powerful corporate lawyers.”
Victoria leaned back in her leather executive chair, looking at Laura with absolute confidence. “Corporate lawyers defend companies from lawsuits. They don’t waste millions of dollars protecting a mid-level executive who torpedoed his own marriage with a botched vasectomy and a public smear campaign. Believe me, Diego’s bosses are already watching this disaster unfold and wondering if he’s stable enough to keep his job. Men who humiliate themselves publicly are liabilities in the corporate world.”
As if on cue, Victoria’s desk phone buzzed. Her assistant’s voice crackled through the intercom: “Ms. Vance? Mr. Diego Costello is on line two. He says he needs to speak to his wife’s legal representation immediately.”
Victoria picked up the receiver, pressed the speaker button so Laura could hear, and flashed a razor-sharp smile.
“Mr. Costello,” Victoria purred into the phone, her voice dripping with lethal sweetness. “This is Victoria Vance representing Laura Costello. I believe you have some paperwork to review—though I should warn you, our demands have gone up significantly since this morning.”
A panicked, breathless voice spilled out of the speaker. “Ms. Vance, please! My lawyer hasn't even looked at this yet! Laura, are you there? Please, let’s be reasonable, we don’t need lawyers involved, we can talk about this like—!”
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Victoria calmly pressed the disconnect button, cutting him off mid-sentence.
“Never let them smell your desperation, Laura,” Victoria said, capping her pen with a satisfying click. “The game has just begun. And we hold every single card.”
