Chapter 4 - What Chloe Had Already Done
For seven years, Brad had told me partnership meant trust.
That afternoon I learned trust had been the weapon he depended on most.
I stood in our kitchen, staring at the man I had married while a newborn cried in another woman's arms.
"What board meeting?"
Brad rubbed his forehead.
"There is no board meeting."
Rachel laughed bitterly.
"Then why did you reserve Conference Room A for nine tomorrow morning?"
"You're repeating Chloe's lies."
"Chloe copied the calendar."
"Chloe stole confidential information."
I stepped closer.
"Stop talking about Chloe."
Brad looked at me.
"Tell me what happens tomorrow."
He lowered his voice.
"Emily, you need to sit down."
The sentence was so patronizing that something inside me hardened.
"I'm standing."
"Fine."
"Tell me."
He sighed.
"There have been concerns."
"About?"
"You."
I almost smiled.
"How convenient."
"They aren't mine."
"Whose are they?"
"The board."
"Name one person."
Brad hesitated.
I knew most of our directors personally.
My father had chosen three of them.
One had known me since I was twelve.
"Brad?"
"Your behavior has been concerning."
Rachel stepped forward.
"He's been setting you up."
Brad pointed toward the door.
"Leave."
"No."
"Rachel."
"She deserves to know."
He looked at the baby.
"Think carefully."
Rachel's face changed.
That was the first moment I realized Brad had leverage over her too.
"What are you threatening her with?" I asked.
"Nothing."
Rachel's eyes filled.
"Tell her."
"Rachel—"
"Tell your wife why Chloe started investigating you."
Brad remained silent.
Rachel looked at me.
"Because I almost died."
The house became quiet.
Rachel rocked Sophie gently.
"Six months ago, I worked in purchasing at Parker-Morgan. I noticed invoices from a supplier I'd never heard of. Northstar Clinical."
I knew our major vendors.
Northstar wasn't one.
"I asked questions."
"She violated procedure," Brad interrupted.
Rachel ignored him.
"Three days later, I was fired."
"For cause," Brad said.
"I was seven months pregnant."
"Your pregnancy had nothing to do with it."
Rachel's voice broke.
"You told HR I falsified purchase orders."
Brad looked at me.
"There was documentation."
"Documentation you created."
Rachel wiped her cheek.
"After they fired me, my health insurance terminated at the end of the month. I had complications with my pregnancy. Sophie came early."
She looked down.
"I spent twelve days terrified I'd lose her."
I couldn't look at Brad.
Rachel continued.
"Chloe had been my friend for years. She didn't believe I had stolen anything. So she started checking the invoices."
"And found Brad?"
"Found companies connected to people connected to him. Shell vendors. Consulting payments. Equipment billed twice."
Brad finally lost his composure.
"You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Then why did you stage an affair?"
I turned on him.
He flinched.
I stepped closer.
"Why make me think you were sleeping with Chloe?"
Brad said nothing.
The answer formed before he gave it.
Because I had forty-two percent of Parker-Morgan.
Because my father had written protections into the trust.
If I were declared unable to manage my financial affairs, temporary voting authority could move to my spouse under a provision I'd signed years earlier.
I remembered signing it.
Brad had called it emergency planning.
My hands went numb.
"You wanted my shares."
His face changed.
"Emily—"
"You needed the board to believe I was unstable, then you needed enough control to block an audit."
Rachel nodded.
Brad stared at her.
"You don't know that."
"But Chloe does."
That name hit differently now.
Not mistress.
Witness.
"Where is Chloe?" I asked.
Rachel looked worried.
"I don't know."
Brad spoke quickly.
"She's probably hiding because she committed theft."
"Of what?"
"Company records."
"Records proving what you did?"
"Records she manipulated."
I picked up Brad's phone.
"Call her."
"No."
"Call her."
"She won't answer."
"You haven't tried."
Brad moved toward me.
I stepped back.
"Don't touch me."
He stopped immediately.
It was the first boundary I'd set in months that he respected.
Maybe because Rachel was watching.
Maybe because Brad finally understood I wasn't confused anymore.
I dialed Chloe from his phone.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
Rachel whispered, "Something's wrong."
Brad rolled his eyes.
"She's enjoying this."
I looked at him.
"If she's lying, you should want her standing here more than anyone."
He had no answer.
That was answer enough.
I went upstairs.
Brad followed.
"Where are you going?"
"Packing."
"Emily, don't make some dramatic decision."
I stopped halfway up the staircase.
"Brad, you manufactured an affair to convince me I was losing my mind."
"That's Rachel's version."
"You lied about where you were going this morning."
"I had a confidential meeting."
"You wore a tie Chloe selected."
"Because we knew you were reading my phone."
That stung.
So he had known.
Every time I secretly checked messages, believing I was uncovering truth, Brad had been feeding me a story.
"How long?"
"Emily—"
"How long have you been making me question myself?"
He didn't answer.
I walked upstairs.
In our bedroom, I pulled a suitcase from the closet.
Brad stood in the doorway.
"You can't leave tonight."
I looked at him.
"Watch me."
"The board meeting—"
"Rachel was right?"
Silence.
He realized the mistake.
"There is a meeting?"
"It's routine."
"Then I'll attend."
"No."
I stopped packing.
"Why not?"
"Because it concerns you."
I laughed.
"My father's company is holding a meeting about me, and you think I won't attend?"
"You're not an executive."
"I'm the largest individual shareholder."
"You haven't participated in operations for years."
"That changes tomorrow."
For the first time, Brad's calm façade cracked.
"You don't know anything about running Parker-Morgan."
"No."
I zipped the suitcase.
"But I know when someone is stealing from it."
He slammed his palm against the doorframe.
Rachel gasped downstairs.
I froze.
Brad stared at his own hand as though surprised by it.
Then he softened his voice.
"Emily, please."
"No."
"I'm trying to protect us."
"From what?"
"Your father left a complicated company. I've spent five years holding it together."
"By creating fake vendors?"
"You don't understand the pressure."
There.
Not denial.
Justification.
I stared at him.
"You did it."
His eyes shifted.
"That's not what I said."
"It was enough."
I grabbed my suitcase.
Brad blocked the doorway.
"Move."
"Where are you going?"
"Somewhere you aren't."
"This is my home."
"It's mine too."
"Exactly. So stop acting irrationally."
That word.
Irrational.
The word he had taught himself to use every time I resisted him.
I stepped toward him.
"Say it tomorrow."
"What?"
"At the meeting."
I looked directly into his eyes.
"Call me irrational in front of the board while I ask for a forensic audit."
Brad's face went white.
I walked past him.
Downstairs, Rachel was on her phone.
"No answer," she said. "Chloe still isn't picking up."
I looked at Brad.
"Do you know where she is?"
"No."
"Do you know why her last message said she'd already done what you asked?"
His jaw tightened.
"No."
His phone rang in my hand.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then breathing.
"Hello?"
A woman's whisper.
"Emily?"
I knew the voice.
Chloe.
I turned away from Brad.
"Where are you?"
"Don't tell him I'm calling."
Brad started toward me.
I raised my hand.
He stopped.
Chloe continued.
"I'm safe. For now."
"What did Brad ask you to do?"
A pause.
"Make you believe we were sleeping together."
My eyes closed.
"Why did you agree?"
"Because I needed him to trust me."
"And did he?"
"Enough."
"Where are you?"
"I can't tell you yet."
"Chloe, tomorrow—"
"I know."
"What did you find?"
Her breathing shook.
"Enough to end this."
"Then come here."
"I can't."
"Why?"
Another pause.
"Because Brad isn't the only person involved."
I looked at my husband.
He seemed to be trying to read my face.
"Who else?"
"Dr. Price."
I glanced at the prescription bag.
"Brad's friend?"
"Emily, do not take anything with your name on it."
"I wasn't planning to."
"You need to get out of that house."
My stomach tightened.
"Why?"
"Because I copied Brad's private emails last night."
"And?"
"What he's been doing to you didn't start with fake messages."
My hand went cold around the phone.
"What are you saying?"
Chloe whispered the sentence that erased whatever certainty I had left.
May you like
"I'm saying you need to think carefully about every pill Brad has handed you for the past six months."
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