He Wanted a Fake Divorce for the Payout, I Gave Him a Real One for the Payback Chapter 09

He Wanted a Fake Divorce for the Payout, I Gave Him a Real One for the Payback Chapter 09

Darren and Lorna didn’t make it far.

It turned out they had barely made it outside before the officers waiting there took them down.

Darren had the secondary debit card on him, which provided not only the trail to the $450,000 payout but also records of his gambling debts and embezzlement.

Darren had been buried in debt.

It was not only for Lorna.

He had also wanted to win back everything he had lost. He planned to use the redevelopment payout to fill the hole, but only digging his own grave a little deeper.

The baby in Lorna’s belly really was Mickey’s.

To pay off her debt, she had been forced into Mickey’s bed. Later, she tried to drag Darren into the mess to share the burden.

The two of them hit it off and staged that whole sham-divorce scheme together.

What they never expected was that Nathan had already protected himself.

Before he died, Nathan had gone to an estate attorney and filed a notarized will.

It stated clearly that the apartment was his separate property and had nothing to do with Lorna.

If Nathan died, the apartment would be inherited solely by his parents and myself.

And half a year earlier, Nathan had already realized someone was impersonating him.

He had filed a report with the local police department, but because there was not enough evidence yet, the case was kept quiet.

That redevelopment agreement was actually part of a police sting.

When Darren went to sign it, the surveillance cameras caught everything.

Because I cooperated with the police during the operation, I was given leniency and did not face charges.

Three months later.

I took my share of the redevelopment payout and moved my parents into a new home.

The new place was spacious and bright, with flowers lining the balcony.

That day, I went to the county jail to see Darren.

Through the glass, Darren sat in an orange jail jumpsuit, his head shaved, his whole body shrunken and withered.

He looked ten years older.

“Clara…” He picked up the phone, his voice hoarse. “I’m sorry.”

I said nothing. I only looked at him quietly.

“Actually… in the beginning, I really did want to live a good life with you.” Tears rolled down Darren’s face.

“Then I got hooked on gambling, and I couldn’t turn back.”

“What about Lorna?” I asked.

“She… got five years. The baby… she lost it.”

I nodded.

“Darren, did Nathan’s death have anything to do with you?”

Darren’s whole body jolted. His eyes darted away. “No… No. Don’t say things like that.”

I looked at the way his eyes flickered, and in my heart, I already understood.

But I did not ask again.

Some truths were better taken to the grave.

“Take care of yourself.”

I set down the phone and turned to leave.

When I walked out of the county jail, the sunlight was warm and bright.

I took a deep breath. The air thick with the scent of soil and fresh grass.

My phone rang. It was Rusty.

“Clara, you coming out for barbecue tonight? My treat.”

“Sure.” I smiled, “Make sure you crack open the good bourbon.”

After hanging up, I lifted my head and looked at the sky.

The sky was blue.

The clouds were white.

Life would go on.

And mine had only just begun.