Chapter 18 - The Other Women Speak
Samantha agreed to give a statement.
Then another woman did.
Then a third.
Once detectives began comparing their experiences, patterns emerged.
Julian pushed every serious girlfriend toward financial disclosure.
Victoria inserted herself early.
Prenuptial agreements were discouraged.
Family wealth was discussed repeatedly.
Women with protective relatives were described as “controlled.”
Women with independent legal counsel rarely lasted more than a few months.
One woman, Claire Donnelly, told detectives Julian had proposed after ten weeks.
Her father required a prenup.
Julian ended the relationship three days later.
Another, Heather Shaw, remembered Victoria asking whether Heather’s grandmother had revised her will.
At the time, Heather thought it was bizarre small talk.
Now it looked like due diligence.
Nothing proved Julian had committed a crime against all of them.
But it established something equally devastating for the annulment case.
A pattern of intent.
My marriage was no longer just my word against his.
Six women existed in the same orbit.
Same questions.
Same pressure.
Same financial curiosity.
Rebecca scheduled a settlement conference with Julian’s new attorney.
He had stopped representing himself after Detective Reyes contacted him.
His lawyer’s first offer arrived the next morning.
Julian would agree to a quiet divorce.
In exchange, I would withdraw the annulment claim, sign a confidentiality agreement, return the wedding ring, and make no public accusations.
There was one additional demand.
I would pay Julian $75,000.
I read it twice.
Then looked at Rebecca.
“Is that a typo?”
“No.”
“Why would I pay him?”
“He claims reputational damage and wedding expenses.”
“My parents paid most of the wedding.”
“I know.”
“He tried to steal from me.”
“Allegedly.”
I smiled.
“You really are a lawyer.”
“That’s why you pay me.”
I slid the paper back.
“Reject it.”
“I already did.”
“Good.”
Rebecca’s mouth twitched.
“I thought you might say that.”
Julian’s second offer removed the money demand.
His third offered mutual confidentiality.
His fourth asked only that I change the annulment petition to a no-fault divorce.
I refused.
Not because I wanted revenge.
Because words mattered.
A divorce would say a marriage had existed and failed.
An annulment based on fraud would say something else.
It would say the foundation had been rotten before I ever said “I do.”
Then, one week after the wedding, Detective Reyes called.
“We executed a search warrant this morning.”
I stood.
“At Victoria’s house?”
“And Julian’s office.”
My heart pounded.
“What did you find?”
“I can’t discuss everything.”
“Anything?”
A pause.
“We recovered draft loan documents using your personal information.”
I gripped the desk.
“And Elena?”
“Yes?”
“One of them is dated six days before your wedding.”
Six days before.
Before the vows.
Before the dirty towel.
May you like
Before Julian had any legal claim to call me his wife.
They had already started trying to turn me into collateral.
