Emily caressed her belly. The baby was too small to move, but she already felt the connection with him.
“Forgive me, little one.” She spoke mentally to her unborn child. Mommy will do everything to protect you and your brother Noah.
As she drove home, she was already drawing up her plan. First, find a good lawyer. Then, contact the defrauded families. And of course, prepare a surprise for her dear husband upon his return from his business trip.
Ethan thought he was smarter than everyone, but that night he had lost the most important game of his life, and he did not even know it.
The next morning, Emily woke with a steely determination. The previous night had brought her not only proof of her husband’s infidelity, but the full scale of his crimes. She knew what she had to do.
First, she took Noah to daycare and warned the teacher that only she or Mrs. Davis could pick up the child. Ethan was not to get near their son until everything was settled.
Then, she went to her job at the health clinic and requested a leave of absence for family matters.
When she got home, she locked herself in her study and opened her laptop. Online, she found the contact information for several renowned lawyers specializing in family and criminal law.
The first number answered immediately. “Roth and Associates,” a male voice said.
“Good morning. My name is Emily Hayes. I need an urgent consultation regarding fraud and document forgery.”
“One moment, please. I will connect you with Mr. Roth. He handles those cases himself.”
Constantine Roth was a man in his 40s with a pleasant voice and a professional demeanor. After hearing a brief summary of the situation, he agreed to meet her in 2 hours.
“Bring all the documents and evidence you have,” he advised. “If everything you are telling me is true, we could be looking at a very serious case.”
Emily’s next call was to a private investigator, Andrew Castle, recommended by a colleague from the clinic.
“I need a background check on two people,” she explained. “Ethan Hayes, a senior partner at a law firm, and Pamela Serrano, 25 years old, his parallegal. I am particularly interested in their financial situation, connections, and possible accompllices.”
“Understood. The standard fee is $5,000 for a complete dossier on each. It will take us 3 days.”
“Agreed. But I need the results sooner. I will pay extra for the urgency.”
After speaking with the detective, Emily tackled the most delicate part of the plan: contacting the families Ethan had defrauded.
In the red folders, she had seen the addresses and phone numbers of the deceased testtor’s relatives. The first call was to the grandson of Antonio Morales, the same elderly woman Ethan had made sign a deed of gift instead of a will.
“Hello, Max Morales.”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“My name is Emily Hayes. I am the wife of the lawyer, Ethan Hayes, who handled your grandmother’s documents.”
“Oh, yes, I remember. Why are you calling, Max?”
“I have very bad news for you. Your grandmother was the victim of a fraud. Instead of a will in your favor, she signed a deed of gift to my husband.”
There was a long silence.
“What? What are you saying? But my grandmother wanted to leave me the house.”
“Exactly. And I am willing to help you get justice. I have proof.”
The conversation lasted half an hour. Max was in shock but agreed to meet and discuss the details. Emily gave him her contact information and promised to call him in the next few days.
The rest of the calls followed a similar pattern: the daughter of Vladimir Castro, the nephew of Maria Andrade, the son of George Pacheco. They all believed their relatives had died without leaving an inheritance, but in reality, a cunning lawyer had stolen it.
By noon, Emily had a complete database of the victims. The total damage exceeded $20 million.
Ethan and Pamela had set up a veritable criminal organization.
At 1:00 in the afternoon, Emily arrived at Mr. Roth’s office. Constantine was a tall, pleasant-looking man. His office had a classic design: dark furniture, leatherbound books, portraits of famous jurists.
“Well, Emily, let’s see what you have brought me,” he said as he sat behind his desk.
Emily took out the printouts of the photos from the red folders, the copies of the emails, and the list of victims. Roth studied the documents in silence, occasionally raising an eyebrow or nodding.
“The scale of this is astonishing,” he said finally. “Your husband has created an entire system for stealing inheritances, and he has acted with incredible skill using his position, professionally forging documents.”
“What will happen to me? I am the wife of a con man.”
“If you are not part of the system, nothing. In fact, you are a victim. Your husband planned to strip you of your inheritance and take your son. Plus, there are the emotional damages for the infidelity.”
“And what will happen to him with this evidence?”
“Grand lararseny, forgery of a public document, abuse of power, at least 10 years in prison, maybe more.”
Emily felt a strange satisfaction. Justice would be served.
“What do I need to do?”
“First, file a complaint with the NYPD. I will help you draft it correctly. Second, gather all the victims and organize a class action lawsuit with the district attorney’s office. Third, file for divorce and request full custody of your son.”
“And what if Ethan tries to flee? He is abroad right now.”
“We will issue an international arrest warrant. With this evidence, he will not get very far.”
They talked for another hour discussing the details of the strategy. Roth agreed to represent Emily and all the victim families. The fees were not low, but the result would be worth it.
Leaving the lawyer’s office, Emily felt relieved. The plan was in motion. She had allies, and the evidence was gathered. All that was left was to wait for her husband’s return and put an end to this story.