Chapter 7 - The Vanessa Variable
Vanessa Carter didn't go quietly.
As the news of Ethan’s termination hit the wires,
she decided to play her last card.
She went on social media,
posting a series of "tell-all" messages.
She claimed that I was a cold,
calculating wife who had trapped Ethan in a loveless marriage.
She claimed that they were the true victims of a corporate conspiracy.
She even posted more photos from the Peninsula,
trying to prove that their love was "authentic."
I watched the numbers on her posts climb.
The public loves a scandal,
and she was giving them plenty of ammunition.
But she made one fatal error.
She didn't realize that Isabel Park had been monitoring her digital footprint for months.
Every message she sent was being logged.
Every photo she posted was being analyzed for metadata.
Isabel called me while I was in my new office.
"She’s digging her own grave,
Claire."
"She just posted a photo of a 'gift' Ethan gave her last month."
"It’s a Patek Philippe watch."
"Bought with a company expense account marked as 'Client Entertainment'."
I leaned back in my leather chair.
"Send the evidence to the District Attorney's office."
"And the IRS."
"If she wants to be a public figure,
let her do it in a courtroom."
Within forty-eight hours,
Vanessa's social media went dark.
The "victim" was suddenly facing charges of receiving stolen property and tax evasion.
Ethan’s "love" wasn't enough to pay her legal fees.
And Ethan wasn't answering her calls.
He was too busy trying to keep his own head above water.
I heard from a mutual friend that he had moved into a small apartment in Jersey City.
Vanessa was back in her hometown,
living in her parents' basement.
The luxury suite at the Peninsula was a long way away now.
The silk sheets were gone.
The champagne was gone.
All that was left was the cold,
hard reality of their choices.
I didn't feel happy about their downfall.
I just felt a sense of order.
The logistics of justice were finally settling.
May you like
The system was balanced.
And I was the one who had balanced it.
