Chapter 9 - THE TACTICAL RETREAT
"What do you want?" Victoria whispered, her voice stripped of all its former confidence.
"Take one suitcase," Daniel commanded, pointing toward the door. "Leave your keys, your security gate pass, and your credit cards on that dresser. You will sleep at a hotel tonight."
"Daniel, please... we can handle this quietly through our lawyers—"
"You are leaving now," Daniel cut her off, his tone leaving zero room for negotiation. "Tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM, you will meet my attorney, Marcus Vance, at his office downtown. You will sign an unconditional separation agreement. You will waive all rights to alimony, all claims to this property, and all custody rights regarding Emma."
"That's extortion!" Victoria gasped. "I spent three years building a life with you! I gave up my career!"
"You didn't build a life; you ran a prison camp," Daniel said coldly. "If you sign the papers tomorrow, I won't press criminal charges. You get to walk away with your freedom and whatever clothes you can carry. If you refuse, or if you contest a single clause, the flash drive goes to the DA by noon, and your name will be on the front page of every paper in Connecticut."
Victoria looked at Daniel’s face. She searched for a sliver of hesitation, a hint of the soft, forgiving husband she thought she had manipulated for years. She found nothing.
Slowly, humiliated, she reached into her handbag. She pulled out her heavy brass keyring, her black American Express card, and her gate clicker, setting them one by one onto the marble dresser.
May you like
She grabbed the handle of her single suitcase and walked past him, keeping as much distance as possible. As her heels clicked down the stairs, Daniel followed her at a distance, watching her every step until she opened the heavy front door and stepped out into the freezing November night.
The door clicked shut. The house was finally hers no longer.
