Chapter 4 - The Financial Bleed
Arthur flipped open the leather folio on the small laminate table between us. Inside were neatly printed bank statements, asset transfer receipts, and property titles bearing Cassian Medical Center letterheads.
"When you’re married to a corporate litigator, you learn how to follow a paper trail before the ink dries," Arthur said, tapping a finger against the top page. "Samuel isn't just sleeping with my wife, Camila. He’s been subsidizing her lifestyle."
I leaned over the table, squinting at the numbers as a sharp contraction pulled my attention away for a second. I breathed through it, gripping the edge of the table until my fingers went numb.
"Explain," I managed to say.
"Look at the routing numbers on these wire transfers," Arthur pointed. "Every month for the past year, ten thousand dollars has moved from a joint account you and Samuel share into an escrow account registered under a shell company called Cassian Holdings LLC. That company owns a luxury two-bedroom condo in downtown Detroit—the one overlooking the river."
My breath hitched. "That's... that's the building Samuel told me his business partner bought as an investment property. He said they were flipping it together."
"There is no partner," Arthur said softly. "The mortgage is in Jessica's maiden name. And the down payment cleared the exact week you found out you were pregnant with your second child."
The room seemed to tilt. The storm outside felt closer now, pressing against the glass as thunder rumbled overhead. All those late nights at the hospital. All those emergency consults where Samuel kissed my forehead, whispered that he had to save a patient, and walked out the door into the rain.
He wasn't saving patients. He was building an exit strategy.
"He planned it," I whispered, the realization settling into my bones like winter ice. "From the beginning of the pregnancy."
"He thought you were vulnerable," Arthur said, his voice hard as iron. "He thought you were so focused on carrying this baby to term after your miscarriage that you'd never look at the ledger. But he forgot one thing."
"What's that?"
"You're the director of strategic operations," Arthur said, looking at me with a grim sort of respect. "You look at the numbers for a living."
Before I could answer, the door of the waiting room pushed open again.
It was Dr. Thomas, holding a clipboard and looking entirely too grave for someone delivering a birth update.
"Mrs. Caldwell," Dr. Thomas said, hesitating when he saw Arthur standing beside me. "We need to move you to Delivery Suite 4 now. Your labor is progressing faster than anticipated."
"Where's Dr. Anderson?" I asked, my voice flat. "He's on rotation tonight, isn't he? Shouldn't my husband be the one delivering our child?"
Dr. Thomas cleared his throat, avoiding my eyes. "Dr. Anderson was... called away on an urgent personal matter ten minutes ago. He left the building with Nurse Vance. I'll be handling your delivery, Camila. You're in good hands."
Arthur let out a harsh, dry laugh that sounded like glass breaking on stone.
May you like
"He ran," Arthur said, looking at me. "When he realized I was in the building and his secondary accounts were exposed, he didn't even wait for his son to be born. He packed his bags and left with her."
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