Chapter 9 - The Story Everyone Wanted
I refused the interview.
The reporter wanted scandal.
Dead millionaire.
Greedy husband.
Forged signatures.
Luxury house.
Secret recording.
It was irresistible.
But Dad’s death was not entertainment to me.
Then Patricia gave an interview.
She portrayed herself as a victim.
According to her, I had used inherited wealth to destroy her family.
She never mentioned the forged signatures.
Never mentioned her debts.
Never mentioned the house.
The article spread online.
For forty-eight hours, strangers debated my marriage.
My lawyers recommended silence.
I agreed.
Then Patricia appeared outside Bennett Precision with cameras.
She demanded I “give Ethan what he deserved.”
I walked outside.
“Patricia, please leave.”
“You destroyed him.”
“No.”
“You could have paid everything.”
“Yes.”
She froze.
I continued.
“I could have.”
Cameras moved closer.
“But paying debts created through fraud would not make the fraud disappear.”
Patricia’s face changed.
“You have millions.”
“And none of that gave Ethan permission to sign my name.”
She had no answer.
I returned inside.
The clip spread farther than her interview.
But the part people repeated wasn’t about wealth.
It was one sentence:
Having enough money to rescue someone does not mean you owe them rescue from consequences they created.
I never gave another interview.
I didn’t need to.
The documents eventually spoke for themselves.
And one person who saw the clip was Ethan.
He sent me a single text.
You were right.
I deleted it.
May you like
Not angrily.
Because I no longer needed his agreement.
