Chapter 3 This weekend . I drove back to that fancy private school The second I parked , my phone buzzed with a text from James : [ You guys make it to Grandma's okay ? ] Of course . He needed to confirm my whereabouts . Stone faced , I sent back the pre - recorded video I'd made earlier . Zoe was bouncing around my mom's backyard , grinning at the camera : " Hi Daddy ! We made it safe ! Hurry up and finish work so you can come play with us ! " His reply came almost instantly : [ Have fun , princess . Daddy misses you . ] Complete with that fake - ass heart emoji . I clicked my phone off , nausea churning in my stomach . Funny how once love dies , everything afterward just feels like bad theater . Using my shareholder credentials , I walked straight into the school's weekend festival . It didn't take long to spot them in the crowd . Michelle had clearly gone all - out today . Head - to - toe Chanel , a diamond tennis necklace that caught the light perfectly . That necklace looked awfully familiar . Nearly identical to the one locked in my safe at home - the one James swore was " custom - made , one of a kind . " Even her Louboutin heels matched a pair I owned . Same style , different color . She was up on stage as the parent committee chair , looking poised and confident . Every inch the perfect soccer mom . Below , James was patiently playing some father - son game with Alex . He was crouched on the ground , eyes full of a tenderness I'd never seen before . Carefully steadying the boy , completely absorbed . That kind of patience ? He'd never shown it to our daughter . Not once . A group of parents clustered around them , laying on the praise : " James really knows how to balance work and family . Do you remember , James ? * That winter when the heat got cut off ? We huddled under blankets , pulling all - nighters to revise our business plan . When you landed in the ER with a bleeding ulcer from stress - pitching investors ? I learned how to blend your meals and spoon feed you between my own meetings . When your ego got too big and nearly bankrupted us ? I put up my parents ' house as collateral to keep us afloat . The day our first real check cleared , you held me tight and whispered : " Maya , I swear I'll never let you down . " Now here you were . Using everything we'd built together to play Big Shot Daddy for your side piece and your bastard kid ! Donating libraries . Buying respect and status with our blood money . Right then , the principal called James up to the stage . The projection screen lit up with fancy 3D renderings of the new library . James took the mic like he owned the place . Going on about " architectural vision " and " investing in our children's futures . " Eating up every bit of applause and admiration . That's when I made my move . Right at his most triumphant moment . When his smile was widest and his guard was down . The auditorium doors burst open . Three officers in NYPD uniforms walked in . Every parent and teacher in the place went dead silent . You could hear a pin drop . The lead detective flashed his badge and a warrant : " James Morgan , you're under arrest for embezzlement , money laundering , and fraudulent asset transfer . " " You need to come with us . Now . " Chapter 4 Chapter 4