Chapter 5 - The Shifting Tides
oving while eight months pregnant was no easy task, but Nina and a team of professional
white-glove packers made it seamless. Claire sat in a comfortable armchair, directing the
movers as they packed up the nursery furniture, her grandmother's antique vanity, and her personal
belongings.
She left behind everything Daniel had ever bought her. She left the expensive dining table he
insisted on buying to show off to his clients, the modern art he picked out, and his entire wardrobe of
bespoke suits.
As the movers loaded the final truck, Claire took one last walk through the empty hallways of the
craftsman home. It felt hollow now, stripped of its warmth, but she felt no sadness. Only a profound
sense of liberation.
Meanwhile, she monitored the financial accounts.
Predictably, Daniel’s card was declined at a high-end sushi restaurant in Honolulu. Claire watched
the notification pop up on her phone. He had tried to charge a $450 dinner to their joint visa. When
that failed, he tried his business line, which Claire had already reported to his primary investor for
unauthorized personal use.
Within minutes, her phone lit up with a barrage of angry text messages from Daniel.
*‘Claire! What the hell is going on? My cards are declined! Are you playing games with the
accounts? Fix this right now! I have clients with me!’*
Claire didn’t reply. She took a screenshot of his messages, saved them to her legal file, and blocked
his second number.
Instead, she sent a single email to Daniel's corporate clients, attaching the evidence of his expenseaccount fraud. She wrote a polite note: 'As Daniel's former financial manager, I am stepping down
immediately. To ensure your records are accurate, please find attached the audited reports of Daniel’s
recent travel and entertainment expenses for your review.'
She knew what would happen next. Within twenty-four hours, Daniel's clients would launch
internal investigations. His professional reputation, the one thing he valued above all else, was about
to evaporate.
Claire climbed into her car and drove toward her new apartment. The afternoon sun was warm,
and for the first time in months, she felt like she could breathe. She looked down at her stomach.
"We're going to be just fine, sweetie," she whispered. "Just you and me."
May you like
The Cost of Paradise 6
I
