CHAPTER 10 — He Stole My Name Before He Tried to Destroy My Life
I didn't open the folder until sunrise.
Claire sat across from me in complete silence while Sophia nervously held a cup of coffee she never drank.
The flash drive contained hundreds of files.
Bank statements.
Corporate registrations.
Wire transfers.
Consulting agreements.
And one folder.
Madison.
My hands trembled as I clicked it.
The first document stole the air from my lungs.
Madison Carter Holdings, LLC.
Chief Executive Officer:
Madison Elise Carter.
My name.
My signature.
My Social Security number.
My address.
Everything looked authentic.
Except...
I had never seen the company before.
"What is this?"
Sophia whispered, "It's one of Ethan's shell companies."
I opened another file.
Then another.
There weren't one or two companies.
There were seven.
Seven businesses created in my name over the past four years.
Millions of dollars had flowed through them.
Medical consulting fees.
International transfers.
Luxury property purchases.
Everything appeared perfectly legal.
Until Agent Ross arrived.
He studied the documents for less than five minutes before looking at me.
"You've been framed."
I stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
"Ethan didn't just hide money."
"He intentionally built a paper trail leading back to you."
My heart stopped.
"If the investigation had gone the way he planned..."
"You would've been arrested first."
Claire covered her mouth.
"No..."
Ross nodded grimly.
"We believe his exit strategy was simple."
"Blame his wife."
"Claim she secretly handled the finances."
"And walk away as the innocent doctor who trusted her."
For fifteen years, I thought I knew the man I married.
Now I realized something terrifying.
The affair had never been his greatest betrayal.
He had been preparing to sacrifice me long before I discovered Sophia.
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And if the FBI hadn't found the flash drive...
I might have been the one wearing handcuffs.
