Chapter 4 - The Morning After and the Frozen Accounts**
The morning sun cast a bright, golden glow across the downtown skyline as I sat in Marcus Vance’s sleek glass-walled conference office overlooking San Diego Bay. A warm cup of black coffee sat beside my laptop, while Marcus meticulously scanned the stolen financial documents I had pulled from our home safe the night before.
“This is an absolute goldmine of liability for Mr. Palmer,” Marcus said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with an approving smirk. “Not only did he attempt to fraudulently alter a pre-marital property deed without your notarized consent, but the forensic trail of siphoned funds from your corporate salary into his secret personal accounts constitutes grand larceny under California family law.”
“Can we freeze everything immediately?” I asked, leaning forward.
“Everything is already locked down,” Marcus replied smoothly, tapping his computer screen. “As of 8:01 AM, our emergency injunction hit every single financial institution linked to Benedict Palmer, his mother, and his personal credit lines. His debit cards are frozen, his motorcycle loan accounts have been flagged for immediate default investigation, and any attempt he makes to access household funds will result in an instant administrative hold.”
Just as Marcus finished speaking, my cell phone—which I had turned back on specifically to monitor the fallout—began to ring violently. The caller ID flashed Benedict.
I placed the phone flat on the conference table and hit speakerphone.
“Sabrina! Where the hell are you?!” Benedict’s voice exploded through the speaker, frantic, hoarse, and dripping with raw panic. “I’ve been trying to reach you all night! Do you have any idea what happened last night? The restaurant manager locked us in! We had to leave our watches and my mother’s diamond brooch as collateral just to leave the premises! And now—now my corporate card is declined, my personal debit card won't work, and the bank says our entire household account has been frozen by court order! What did you do?!”
I kept my voice ice-cold, calm, and completely devoid of emotion. “I simply stopped paying for your mother’s extravagant lifestyle, Benedict. And I stopped funding your secret financial playground.”
“What are you talking about?!” he yelled, his voice cracking with desperation. “You can't just freeze our money! My mom is having a panic attack, and I have bills to pay! Come home right now so we can fix this!”
“There is nothing to fix,” I replied evenly. “You can talk to my attorney, Marcus Vance, who is currently sitting right across from me reviewing the paperwork you hid in our safe—including the forged property transfer documents.”
Silence descended on the other end of the line so heavy you could hear a pin drop. The realization that I knew about his secret property theft hit him like a physical blow.
“Sabrina... wait... let’s not do something stupid,” Benedict stammered, his arrogant tone instantly morphing into pathetic groveling. “We can talk about this! We’re husband and wife! My mom was just excited about her birthday, that’s all! Please don't involve lawyers—”
“Your mother’s birthday party is the least of your problems, Benedict,” I interrupted sharply. “Pack your things and get out of my house by tonight. Because when I walk back through that front door tomorrow, you won't even have a key that works.”
I hung up the phone without waiting for his reply, cutting the line dead.
Marcus looked across the table with an expression of profound respect. “Remind me never to get on your bad side, Sabrina.”
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“I’m just collecting what’s mine, Marcus,” I said, gathering my files. “And we are only just getting started.”
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