Chapter 5 - RICHARD LEARNS THE WRONG LESSON
Richard expected Maya to panic.
Instead, she hired a lawyer.
Not one paid by Grant Vale.
Maya insisted on using her own savings for the initial consultation.
Attorney Naomi Cross had spent fifteen years handling ugly custody cases.
She read Richard’s petition once and pushed it aside.
“He made three mistakes.”
Maya leaned forward.
“Which ones?”
“He filed too quickly.”
“He exaggerated.”
“And he forgot there were forty-seven witnesses at that party.”
Naomi pulled up Vanessa’s video.
“The internet already preserved what happened.”
Richard had claimed Maya became hysterical and endangered Lily.
The video showed the opposite.
Maya had remained calm.
Richard had grabbed her.
Lily had screamed.
Olivia had celebrated.
Vanessa had laughed.
Naomi paused the video.
“People like your husband confuse control with credibility.”
“They aren’t the same.”
Across town, Richard was discovering that himself.
His employer called before lunch.
Richard worked as regional sales director for a commercial property firm.
His boss had seen the video.
Clients had seen it too.
“You’re suspended until we review this.”
Richard stood up.
“You can’t suspend me because my wife embarrassed me online.”
“Your wife didn’t put her own face into a cake.”
The call ended.
Richard threw his phone across the kitchen.
Olivia watched from the island.
“Stop losing control.”
“She’s ruining me.”
“No.”
Olivia’s voice was strangely calm.
“She might be worth more than everything you’ve ever imagined.”
Richard stared at her.
“What are you talking about?”
Olivia had spent the morning searching old newspaper archives.
She rotated her laptop.
A twenty-five-year-old photograph showed Catherine Vale holding a five-year-old girl.
The child had Maya’s eyes.
Richard stared.
Then laughed.
“That’s insane.”
Olivia pointed to the necklace visible in a second picture.
The orchid ring.
Richard’s smile disappeared.
“You knew?”
“I suspected something when you first brought her home years ago.”
“And you never told me?”
“I didn’t have proof.”
Richard paced the kitchen.
“If Maya is Grant Vale’s daughter…”
Olivia finished the thought.
“She isn’t a broke waitress.”
Richard sat down slowly.
His anger changed.
It became calculation.
“How much?”
Olivia searched another article.
“Grant Vale’s estimated net worth is eleven-point-eight billion dollars.”
Richard’s face went blank.
For years he had mocked Maya for buying clothes from discount stores.
He had hidden money from her.
He had complained whenever she spent twenty dollars on Lily.
He had told friends she was lucky he married her.
Now the woman sleeping in Rachel’s guest room might be heir to one of the largest private fortunes in America.
Richard whispered, “She’s still my wife.”
Olivia looked at him.
“For the moment.”
Richard reached for his car keys.
“What are you doing?”
“Fixing my marriage.”
Olivia grabbed his wrist.
“No.”
Richard frowned.
She leaned closer.
“If Maya really is Maya Vale, apologies won’t be enough.”
“What will?”
Olivia looked toward the old photograph.
May you like
“Leverage.”
—
