Chapter 4 - The Mistress Who Lost Everything
Tiffany woke to pounding on her townhouse door.
For one confused moment, she thought it was Christopher arriving with coffee and apologies. She had spent the entire night staring at the envelope Penelope left behind.
The deed.
The account numbers.
The legal notice stating that the property was subject to a corporate asset investigation.
When she opened the door, two men in suits stood outside.
“Ms. Miller?” one asked.
“Yes.”
“We are representatives of Hastings Global Legal Affairs. We need to inspect the property and document company-funded assets.”
Tiffany stared at them.
“This is my home.”
“One moment,” the man said, handing her paperwork. “The ownership is under review.”
She read the first page.
Her hands began to shake.
Christopher had not purchased the house in her name. The property was held by a limited liability company. That company was funded by Hastings Global. The mortgage agreement named a trust controlled by Christopher, not Tiffany.
She had no house.
Not legally.
Not really.
The diamond bracelet he gave her was listed as a company purchase.
The red-soled shoes were billed to a marketing account.
The handbag, jewelry, vacations, furniture, and luxury car were all connected to funds Christopher had concealed.
Everything that made Tiffany feel chosen had been borrowed from someone else’s life.
She called Christopher.
He did not answer.
She called again.
Then again.
Finally, he picked up.
“What?” he snapped.
Tiffany flinched.
“They are here. They are saying the townhouse is not mine.”
Christopher was silent.
“Christopher?”
“You need to stay calm.”
“Stay calm? Penelope knew. She knew everything.”
“She is trying to destroy me.”
“No,” Tiffany said, her voice rising. “You did that.”
He exhaled sharply.
“You have no idea what you are talking about.”
“You told me you loved me.”
“I told you what I needed to tell you.”
The line went quiet.
Tiffany closed her eyes.
There it was.
The truth she had avoided because it hurt too much.
Christopher had never loved her. He loved the way she admired him. He loved that she asked for nothing except expensive proof that she mattered. He loved that she looked at him as though he had built the world himself.
And she had loved being the woman he chose over Penelope.
Now she understood that neither of them had been chosen.
They had both been used.
Later that afternoon, Tiffany sat alone in the nearly empty townhouse as legal representatives photographed every room. Her shoes stood in a neat row near the staircase. Her jewelry glimmered beneath glass. Her designer handbags lined the shelves.
For the first time, none of it looked beautiful.
It looked like evidence.
Her phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.
Mrs. Hastings is willing to meet you tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. If you have information relevant to the investigation, bring it.
Tiffany stared at the message.
May you like
Then she looked at the red-soled heels Christopher bought her.
Slowly, she removed them.
