Chapter 8 - CORNERED
By 1:00 AM, Daniel walked back down the stairs.
Victoria was no longer in the kitchen. The glass had been swept up, and the floor was clean. He found her in the master bedroom, frantically throwing designer dresses, silk blouses, and luxury handbags into two large leather suitcases on the bed.
"Where do you think you're going, Victoria?" Daniel asked, leaning against the doorframe with his hands resting in his pockets.
Victoria whipped around, her dark hair falling loose around her face. She held a gold-plated compact mirror against her cheek, which was now noticeably bruised.
"I’m leaving, Daniel," she snapped, her voice trembling with a mixture of rage and terror. "You struck me. That is domestic assault. I have the mark on my face to prove it. If you try to stop me, or if you attempt to keep my share of the marital assets, I will go straight to the police and the press. Do you have any idea what a domestic violence charge will do to your company's board standing?"
Daniel didn't flinch. He didn't even raise his voice.
"Go ahead," he said quietly. "Call them."
Victoria froze, her hands hovering over a silk scarf. "What?"
"Call the police. Call the local news," Daniel stepped into the room, his presence completely dominating the space. "Tell them I slapped you tonight. And while they’re taking your statement, I will hand the District Attorney eighty-four high-definition video files documenting child endangerment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and felony child abuse."
Victoria’s breath hitched. Her face drained of all color. "You... you don't have video..."
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"I have every hour of every day I was away," Daniel lied smoothly, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "Every locked door. Every destroyed toy. Every meal denied. You wanted to play a quiet game of cruelty behind closed doors, Victoria. But you forgot whose house this is."
Victoria dropped the scarf. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably as the reality of her position set in. In affluent suburban legal battles, child abuse allegations backed by video evidence didn't just mean divorce—it meant prison time, complete social ostracization, and total financial annihilation.
