The aftermath of the gala was swift and brutal.
Within forty-eight hours, Daniel’s construction firm lost three major commercial accounts. His business phone was overwhelmed with cancelation requests from residential clients who had seen the leaked video, which had predictably found its way onto local social media groups.
Linda had retreated to her modest suburban home, refusing to answer her door as process servers repeatedly attempted to serve her with civil battery summonses.
On Monday morning, Victoria and I sat in a high-rise office downtown with a forensic accountant named Marcus.
"We finished reviewing the Vance Trust disbursements for the Oakridge renovations," Marcus said, sliding a thick ledger across the mahogany table. "And we found significant irregularities."
I frowned, looking at the numbers. "What kind of irregularities?"
"Daniel’s construction company billed your trust approximately $450,000 for materials and labor over the last two years," Marcus explained, pointing to a highlighted column. "However, according to supplier receipts and subcontractor invoices, the actual cost of the work done at Oakridge was only $220,000."
"Where did the other $230,000 go?" I asked.
Marcus pulled up another set of bank statements. "Transferred directly into a secondary account registered to Carter Holdings—a company where Linda Carter is listed as the sole director. She used your trust funds to pay off her personal credit cards, buy a luxury sedan, and finance her annual trips to Florida."
My hands shook slightly as I read the paper trail.
It wasn't just disrespect. It was systematic fraud. Daniel hadn't just turned a blind eye to his mother's cruelty; he had actively funneled my family’s money to support her lifestyle while convincing me he was "working hard to build our future."
"Does Daniel know we have these records?" I asked Victoria.
"Not yet," Victoria said with a cold, precise smile. "He thinks this is just a messy divorce. He has no idea we’re holding grand jury-level financial evidence."
Right on cue, my phone rang. It was Daniel’s attorney, a stressed-out local lawyer named Henderson.
"Mrs. Vance," Henderson said, skipping the pleasantries. "My client is desperate to settle this out of court. He is willing to sign a full waiver of all claims to Oakridge and accept a joint-custody arrangement if you agree to drop the public statements and stop pressuring his clients."
Victoria took the phone from my hand and put it on speaker.
"Mr. Henderson," Victoria said sharply. "This is Victoria Vance. You need to inform your client that joint custody is off the table. Furthermore, we are filing criminal embezzlement and grand larceny charges against both Daniel and Linda Carter by 5:00 PM today unless your client signs a total surrender of parental rights and agrees to full financial restitution."
A heavy silence fell over the line.
"E-embezzlement?" Henderson stammered. "This was a marital asset dispute!"
"Check the trust origin, Henderson," Victoria replied. "The funds were drawn from a pre-marital irrevocable trust. Transferring that money to his mother's shell company is fraud. Send your client to my office in one hour, or he can explain it to the District Attorney."
