Chapter 4: The House of Cards
The court date was set for the end of January. Jimena arrived with a high-priced legal team, draped in designer silk, looking like the aggrieved wife. She expected me to settle, to pay her off to get her out of our lives.
She didn't know that I had already submitted the evidence of her embezzlement to the authorities. She thought it was a divorce proceeding; she didn't realize it was a criminal trial.
As the judge reviewed the documents, Jimena tapped her foot, bored. She shot me a look of pure hatred. She thought she was winning.
Then the lead investigator entered the room. He walked to the prosecutor’s table and dropped a heavy file. The prosecutor stood up.
"Your Honor," he said, his voice echoing in the chamber. "The defense’s motion for a financial settlement is moot. Mrs. Jimena Santillán is currently under indictment for child endangerment, fraud, and embezzlement of funds exceeding two million dollars."
The room erupted. Jimena stood up, her face draining of color. "This is a lie! He planted it! He’s framing me!"
I sat back and watched as the handcuffs were brought out. She screamed—not for her husband, not for her reputation, but because she saw her luxurious life vanishing in a heartbeat. The judge didn't even blink. He ordered her taken into custody, pending trial.
She looked at me as they dragged her out. Her eyes were full of venom. "You think you won? They'll never be normal! They’re broken, Alejandro!"
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"They are healing," I said, my voice steady. "And you? You’re just a memory."
I walked out of the courthouse, the winter air feeling crisp and clean. The weight of the world was lifting. The girls were waiting for me in the car, watching cartoons on an iPad, safe and happy. The nightmare that had nearly cost me everything was over.
