Chapter 5
I agreed to meet Marcus at his office, but only after Ms. Collins advised me to keep the conversation factual and avoid signing anything.
I arrived the next morning carrying a folder containing copies of the relevant documents.
Marcus was waiting in the conference room.
He wore a navy suit and the expensive watch I had helped him choose for his last birthday. He looked polished, confident, and completely different from the man who had left me outside the restaurant.
Vanessa sat beside him.
I stopped at the doorway.
“Why is she here?”
Marcus gestured toward an empty chair.
“She's involved in the business.”
“So is Patricia. I don't see her.”
Vanessa crossed her legs.
“Let's not turn this into another emotional scene.”
I looked directly at her.
“Then don't give me another reason to be here.”
Marcus stood.
“Nia, please. We need to resolve this before things get out of hand.”
I placed the folder on the table.
“Start by explaining this signature.”
He opened it.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he pushed the document back toward me.
“It was an administrative mistake.”
“Someone copied my signature.”
“I was handling several transactions at once. The accountant needed the paperwork, and I thought we'd complete the formalities later.”
“You thought you'd complete my consent later?”
He rubbed his forehead.
“You told me you might invest.”
“I told you I needed time to review the company.”
“And I believed you would eventually agree.”
I stared at him.
“You cannot invent my consent because you believe I might give it someday.”
Vanessa shifted in her chair.
“Marcus was trying to protect the company.”
I turned toward her.
“By using money from my account and forging my name?”
Her face tightened.
“You don't understand how business works.”
“Then explain it to me.”
She opened her mouth, but no answer came.
Marcus leaned forward.
“Look, I can repay the money. We can correct the paperwork. Nobody needs to know about this.”
I felt a chill move through me.
He was offering to repair the documents, not explain how they had been falsified.
“What else did you sign in my name?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
I watched his eyes.
He was lying about something. I couldn't prove what yet, but I recognized the expression he wore whenever he hoped confidence would replace evidence.
I stood.
“I'm not signing anything, and I'm not agreeing to keep this quiet. My attorney will handle the next steps.”
Marcus's face hardened.
“You would really ruin my career over a relationship that didn't work out?”
“This isn't about our relationship anymore.”
Vanessa stood too.
“You're being vindictive.”
I turned toward her.
“You called me because you wanted to tell me I was jealous. You defended his spending. You mocked me for asking questions. If you believe nothing improper happened, you should have no reason to fear an investigation.”
She went pale.
Marcus stepped between us.
“Enough.”
I picked up my folder.
Before I reached the door, he spoke again.
“You're going to regret humiliating me.”
I looked back.
“You humiliated yourself when you decided my trust was something you could spend.”
Then I left.
Outside the building, my hands shook so badly that I had to sit in my car for several minutes before driving away.
I had imagined confronting Marcus would feel empowering.
Instead, it felt like standing in front of someone I barely recognized and mourning the person I had thought he was.
That afternoon, Ms. Collins contacted the bank and requested information about the disputed transfers.
She also sent a formal notice to Marcus asking that relevant financial records be preserved.
I didn't know what would happen next.
I only knew that I wouldn't let him rewrite the facts.
Two days later, Patricia called.
“I found something.”
Her voice was tight with anxiety.
“What is it?”
“The accountant located a second authorization form. It appears to have been used to justify a larger transfer.”
“How much larger?”
“Twenty-eight thousand dollars.”
My stomach dropped.
“Does it have my signature?”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Send it to my attorney.”
“I will. But there's something else.”
She hesitated.
“The transfer went to a company registered under Vanessa's name.”
For a moment, the room seemed to tilt.
“Are you sure?”
“The payment records show the destination account. The company registration lists Vanessa as its owner.”
I gripped the edge of my desk.
“Did Marcus tell you why?”
“He claimed it was payment for consulting work. But there's no completed contract attached to the transaction.”
I felt anger rising again.
The affair, the bracelet, the hotel, the lies. Now there was a business payment to the woman he had been seeing, supported by paperwork bearing my forged signature.
Patricia lowered her voice.
“Nia, I think they're preparing to move more money.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Marcus requested approval for another transfer this morning.”
“To Vanessa's company?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
I stood so abruptly that my chair scraped across the floor.
“Has it gone through?”
“Not yet. The accountant flagged it because the supporting documents are incomplete.”
I immediately called Ms. Collins.
She told me not to contact Marcus or Vanessa about the proposed transfer. Instead, we would provide the relevant records to the bank and allow the proper review process to proceed.
That evening, Marcus sent me a message.
I need you to come home. We can still fix this together.
I stared at the screen.
For months, I had wanted him to say something like that.
Now the words felt empty.
I replied, You can fix what you did. I cannot do it for you.
His response arrived almost instantly.
You have no idea what you're about to lose.
I put my phone down.
May you like
For the first time, I wasn't afraid of his threats.
I was afraid of how much more he might have done without my knowledge.
