I looked her directly in the eyes without even a hint of fear or hesitation.
“The only thing your son gave me was a list of debts to pay, while I gave him a life of luxury he could never have earned on his own,” I retorted.
Caleb swallowed hard as the reality of the situation began to settle into his expression.
I reached through the bars and dropped the heavy folder onto the pavement at his feet.
The photos spilled out onto the ground, showing him and Tessa in various compromising positions across the city.
The bank statements and the forged property deeds followed, fluttering in the light breeze.
Arthur lowered his head in shame, while Margot stood speechless for the first time in the five years I had known her.
“You have two very simple options moving forward, Caleb,” I told him as I signaled for the security guard to step forward.
“You can sign the divorce papers without a fight and return every cent you embezzled, or I can file a formal complaint for fraud and forgery tomorrow morning,” I added.
Caleb’s knees seemed to buckle as he realized he was cornered, and he sank to the ground.
“Lydia, please listen to me, I was just confused and Tessa means absolutely nothing to me,” he pleaded.
At that exact moment, his phone chimed with a notification that was loud enough for all of us to hear.
It was a text from Tessa that read, “I just found out you do not own any of it, so do not bother looking for me because I am not going down with you.”
Caleb closed his eyes as if his final mask had just been ripped away, leaving him completely exposed.
I felt no joy in seeing him broken, but I also felt no pity for a man who had tried to steal my life.
There was only a beautiful, ringing silence where his insults used to be.
A week later, I decided to take the vacation that I had originally planned, but I went entirely alone.
The island was just as beautiful as the brochures had promised, with white sand and turquoise water stretching to the horizon.
I spent my days walking barefoot on the beach without having to serve a single person or listen to a single criticism.
The travel agency had even offered me a significant discount to reactivate the trip because of the drama they had witnessed at the dock.
On the third evening, as I watched the sun dip below the ocean from my private terrace, I received the final confirmation from my lawyer.