“Rebecca gets arrested for tax evasion and fired from Meridian Tech. Alexander gets fired for violating company policy with his affair. Rebecca’s husband receives evidence of her escort business and her affair with Alexander.
And you serve Alexander with divorce papers that make it clear he gets nothing.”
“All on the same day?” Sarah asked.
“All within the same hour, if we time it right,” Janet said. “Complete devastation with no opportunity for them to warn each other or plan a response.”
Sarah imagined Alexander’s face when his carefully constructed world collapsed all at once.
When can we do it?
“One week from today,” Janet said. “We need time to coordinate with federal investigators on Rebecca’s arrest, and Michael needs time to prepare Alexander’s termination paperwork.”
Sarah nodded slowly.
One more week of playing the loving wife.
One more week of pretending everything was normal while secretly orchestrating the destruction of everything Alexander thought he’d built.
“There’s one more thing,” Dr.
Harper said gently. “After this happens, you’re going to need support. Revenge can be satisfying in the moment, but it doesn’t heal the underlying pain of betrayal.
I’d like to recommend a therapist who specializes in helping people rebuild their lives after traumatic divorces.”
Sarah considered this.
She’d been so focused on destroying Alexander and Rebecca that she hadn’t thought much about what would come after. What would her life look like when this was all over?
“That’s probably a good idea,” she admitted.
“Good,” Dr. Harper said.
“And Sarah, your father would be proud of you—not just for standing up for yourself, but for doing it intelligently and legally. A lot of people in your situation make emotional decisions that end up hurting them more than their cheaters.”
As Sarah left the law office, she felt like she was commanding an army instead of just planning a divorce.
In one week, Alexander and Rebecca’s world would explode, and they would finally understand what it felt like to be completely powerless.
But first, she had to survive six more days of living with a man who thought he was outsmarting her while she planned his downfall.
The hardest part wouldn’t be executing the plan.
It would be keeping the smile off her face when Alexander told her about his fake overtime tomorrow night.
Sarah’s phone rang at seven in the morning, jolting her awake. Alexander was already in the shower, getting ready for another day of lies and deception.
The caller ID showed Tom Mitchell’s number.
“Sarah, we have a problem,” Tom said.
His voice was tense. “I’ve been watching Rebecca’s apartment all night. Alexander never left.”
Sarah sat up straighter, suddenly wide awake.
“What do you mean?”
“He went to her place yesterday evening around six—just like he has every Tuesday for the past three months.
But instead of leaving after a few hours like usual, he stayed all night. His car is still in her parking lot.”
Sarah’s mind raced.
Alexander had told her he was working late on a big client presentation. He was supposed to be at the office, not spending the night with Rebecca.
“Are you sure it’s his car?”
“Positive.
Silver BMW. License plate matches your registration. And Sarah—there’s something else.
Rebecca’s husband left for work an hour ago. Alexander is still inside.”
The implications hit Sarah like a physical blow.
Alexander wasn’t just having an affair. He was getting careless about it.
Staying overnight meant this relationship was escalating beyond casual cheating. They were acting like a real couple now, taking risks they wouldn’t have taken before.
“Has this happened before?” Sarah asked.
“Not that I’ve documented, but I haven’t been watching him overnight until now. This could be a new development, or it could be something I missed.”
Sarah heard the shower turn off in the master bathroom.
Alexander would be out in five minutes, probably ready to lie to her face about where he’d spent the night.
“Keep watching,” she told Tom.
“I want to know every move they make.”
“Sarah,” Tom said, “there’s something else. I ran a deeper background check on Alexander like you asked. You’re not going to like what I found.”
Sarah’s stomach dropped.
“Tell me he’s done this before.”
“Before he met you, Alexander was married to a woman named Jennifer Walsh in Seattle.
Marriage lasted two years. She filed for divorce, citing adultery, and she got almost nothing in the settlement because she couldn’t prove the affair.”
The room started spinning.
Alexander had been married before.
He’d never mentioned a previous marriage—not once in three years together.
“Are you sure?”
“I have the divorce records right here. Alexander Richard Webb, married to Jennifer Marie Walsh from 2019 to 2021.
She alleged in the filing that he was having an affair with a coworker, but she couldn’t gather enough evidence to prove it in court.”
“What happened to Jennifer?”
“She moved back to her hometown in Montana after the divorce. From what I can find, she’s working as a teacher now and seems to be doing okay.”
Tom’s voice hardened.
“But Sarah—the pattern is identical. He married her, had an affair with someone from work, then tried to manipulate the divorce proceedings to his advantage.”
Sarah sank back against her pillows, feeling sick.
She wasn’t Alexander’s first victim.
She was just his latest.
Everything about their relationship—everything she thought was special and unique—was actually just Alexander following the same playbook he’d used before.
Does he know you found this information?
“No way.
I’ve been very careful to keep my investigation invisible. But Sarah, this changes things. Alexander isn’t just a cheating husband.
He’s a predator who targets women for their assets and then discards them when he’s done.”
The bathroom door opened, and Alexander emerged in a towel, hair still damp from the shower. He looked relaxed and satisfied—the look of a man who’d had a very good night.
“I have to go,” Sarah whispered into the phone. “Send me everything you found about Jennifer.”
She hung up just as Alexander walked into the bedroom, whistling softly under his breath.
“Morning, beautiful,” he said, bending down to kiss her forehead.
“Sorry I got in so late last night. That client presentation ran way longer than expected.”
Sarah looked up at him—this man she’d shared a bed with for three years—and saw a complete stranger. A liar.
A predator. A man who’d done this exact same thing to another woman just a few years ago.
“How late?” she asked, keeping her voice sleepy and unconcerned.
“Oh, around midnight, maybe. You were already asleep.”
Alexander moved to his dresser and started pulling out clothes.
“The client loved our proposal, though.
I think we’re going to land this deal.”
Midnight.
Alexander had just lied to her face without even blinking.
According to Tom, his car had been at Rebecca’s apartment all night.
“That’s great, honey,” Sarah said. “I’m proud of you for working so hard.”
Alexander paused in buttoning his shirt and looked at her with surprise.
“Really? I was worried you might be getting frustrated with all my late nights.”
“Why would I be frustrated?” Sarah asked.
“I know you’re doing it for us—for our future.”
Sarah forced a loving smile.
“I trust you completely.”
The words tasted like poison in her mouth, but Alexander’s face lit up with relief and what looked like genuine affection.
For a moment, Sarah almost felt sorry for him.
He had no idea that his wife had become a better actor than he was.
“You’re amazing,” Alexander said. “You know that?”
He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
The irony was so thick Sarah almost laughed.
Instead, she squeezed his hand and gazed at him with adoring eyes.
“You don’t have to deserve love, Alex. It’s just something I give you because you’re mine.”
Alexander’s expression grew tender, and for a moment he looked like the man she’d fallen in love with.
“I love you so much, Sarah.
More than you’ll ever know.”
The scary thing was that Sarah almost believed he meant it.
Alexander was such a good liar that he’d probably convinced himself his feelings were real—even while he planned to divorce her and steal her inheritance.
After Alexander left for work, Sarah called Janet Williams immediately.
“Janet, we need to move up our timeline. Alexander spent the night with Rebecca, and I just found out he was married before. He’s done this exact same thing to another woman.”
