Chapter 4 - The Secret Behind Richard's Perfect Marriage
Nebula expected Richard to become apologetic.
Instead, he became dangerous in a different way.
He started talking.
To her parents.
To Chloe.
To mutual friends.
He told everyone Nebula had been secretly seeing Gilbert for months.
He claimed she had staged the incident to leave him for a wealthy former lover.
Then financial documents appeared online suggesting Nebula had transferred money from Richard's architectural firm.
Rebecca dropped a folder onto the townhouse table.
“This isn't random.”
Nebula stared at the documents.
“I've never had access to his company accounts.”
“Someone created access under your name.”
“When?”
Rebecca turned the page.
“Eighteen months ago.”
Nebula's stomach tightened.
Gilbert stood near the window but remained silent.
Nebula looked at him.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“Can your people find out?”
“Yes.”
Rebecca immediately interrupted.
“Legally.”
Gilbert glanced at her.
“I was going to say legally.”
Rebecca raised an eyebrow.
“You paused.”
“I enjoy dramatic timing.”
Nebula almost laughed.
It felt strange.
Good strange.
Three days later, Rebecca returned with something worse.
Richard had taken out a large insurance policy on Nebula.
Nebula stared at the number.
“Two million dollars?”
Rebecca nodded.
“Eleven months ago.”
“Why?”
“We don't know.”
Gilbert's expression became stone.
Nebula looked at him.
“Don't.”
“I haven't done anything.”
“Your face is doing something.”
“My face is private.”
“Gilbert.”
He exhaled.
“Fine.”
Nebula turned to Rebecca.
“What else?”
“Richard's company is in serious financial trouble.”
“How serious?”
“Potentially catastrophic.”
Rebecca pushed another document forward.
“And the transfers made under your name appear designed to make you responsible for missing funds.”
Nebula understood.
“He was building a story.”
Rebecca nodded.
“If the marriage ended badly, you're the unstable wife who stole money.”
Gilbert added quietly, “And if something happened to you…”
Nebula looked at the insurance policy.
Nobody finished the sentence.
That afternoon Chloe arrived.
She looked exhausted.
“I need to tell you something.”
Nebula closed the door.
“What?”
“Richard asked me to lie.”
“About what?”
“He called this morning.”
Chloe held out her phone.
“He wanted me to say you were drunk at the wedding.”
Nebula stared.
“I wasn't.”
“I know.”
“He asked you to tell police?”
Chloe nodded.
“And I recorded him.”
For the first time, Richard's carefully constructed version began collapsing.
But Chloe wasn't finished.
“There’s something else.”
She reached into her purse.
A small flash drive.
“I found this inside the wedding gift Richard gave me.”
Nebula frowned.
“Why?”
“I don't think he put it there.”
“Then who did?”
“His business partner.”
Nebula stared.
“Daniel?”
Chloe nodded.
“He pulled me aside during the reception. He said if Richard ever caused trouble, I should give this to you.”
Rebecca inserted the drive into an offline laptop.
Files appeared.
Invoices.
Accounts.
Contracts.
Recorded conversations.
Then one audio file.
Richard's voice filled the room.
“If Nebula leaves, the Mercer connection becomes useful.”
Another man asked, “What connection?”
“Gilbert Mercer.”
Nebula went still.
Richard continued.
“Everyone knows they were together. If anything happens, point at Mercer.”
Gilbert's face changed.
Nebula looked at him.
Richard had not merely abused her.
He had chosen her partly because of the man she had once loved.
May you like
And now his entire plan was coming apart.
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