My stomach churned. I turned slowly to Mark. “Is it true? Did you hide that money from me?”
His jaw locked as he avoided my eyes. “Claire, listen… things were tight. We had expenses—”
“Tight?” I let out a breathless, broken laugh. “I worked two jobs while pregnant. You made me feel guilty for buying anything that wasn’t discounted. And all this time—” My voice trembled. “—you were sitting on a quarter of a million dollars every month?”
Vivian rushed in defensively. “You don’t understand how expensive life is. Mark had to maintain his professional image. If people thought he was struggling—”
“Struggling?” Grandpa roared. “You stole more than eight million dollars. Eight million!”
Mark finally exploded. “Fine! I took it! I deserved it! Claire would never understand what real success looks like—she’s always been—”
“Enough,” Grandpa said sharply, his voice suddenly terrifyingly calm. “You will pack your belongings today. Claire and the baby are leaving with me. And you—” he pointed at Mark—“will repay every dollar. My lawyers are already prepared.”
Vivian’s face drained of color. “Edward, please—”
“No,” he said flatly. “You nearly destroyed her life.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks—not from sadness alone, but from rage, betrayal, and an overwhelming sense of release. Mark looked at me now, panic replacing his earlier arrogance.
“Claire… please,” he whispered. “You wouldn’t take our daughter away from me, would you?”
The question stunned me. I hadn’t even allowed myself to think that far ahead.
But in that moment—holding my baby, surrounded by shattered trust—I knew my answer would reshape everything.
I drew in a slow, shaky breath before speaking. Mark reached toward me, but I pulled back instinctively, holding my daughter tighter.
“You took everything from me,” I said quietly. “My security. My trust. My ability to prepare for her arrival. You made me believe we were barely surviving. You let me feel ashamed for needing help.”
His face twisted. “I made a mistake—”
“You made hundreds,” I replied. “One every single month.”
Grandpa placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to decide everything today,” he said gently. “But you deserve safety. And you deserve truth.”
Suddenly, Vivian broke into sobs. “Claire, please! You’ll ruin Mark’s career. Everyone will find out!”
Grandpa didn’t hesitate. “If consequences come, they belong to him—not to Claire.”
Mark’s voice dropped to a desperate whisper. “Please… just let me fix this.”
I finally met his eyes. For the first time, I didn’t see my husband. I saw someone who chose greed over his own family.
“I need time,” I said firmly. “And I need distance. You’re not coming with us today. I have to protect my daughter from this… from you.”
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