Chapter 11 - The Inheritance Trap
Six months after the courtroom explosion, the trial of the century was officially underway. Behind the heavy iron gates of the state penitentiary, Travis sat in a dim, cold cell, his world stripped down to a thin mattress and concrete walls. His former life was gone, replaced by the crushing weight of impending lifetime sentences.
However, Deborah was far from finished. Even from behind bars, her relentless greed and delusion raged on. Through her court-appointed lawyer, she uncovered a forgotten clause in the prenuptial agreement Travis and I had signed years ago—a clause stating that any marital assets acquired during the marriage, including gifts and spousal support funds, were subject to a 50/50 division in the event of a divorce without an infidelity clause.
"She thinks she’s won!" Deborah cackled maniacally into the prison phone during a visitation with Travis. "Her father may be a billionaire, but she married you under state law, Travis! If we push for a financial settlement through the marital estate before the criminal conviction is finalized, we can legally strip tens of millions from her father's trust!"
Travis looked at his mother with hollow, empty eyes. "Mom, stop it. It’s over. Look where we are."
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"Shut up, you spineless fool!" Deborah snapped, her eyes gleaming with desperate madness. "We hold the legal loophole! We take her money, hire the best defense team in the country, and walk out of here as millionaires!"
What Deborah failed to realize was that every financial move she attempted to make was being monitored in real-time by the Vance Financial Group's elite legal intelligence division. She was pulling on a thread that was attached to a trapdoor right beneath her feet.
