PART 3: THE SECRET DEAL BEHIND MY MARRIAGE
I stared at my mother-in-law’s name on the final page of the document, unable to believe what I was seeing.
Eleanor Prescott.
The same woman who had spent three years criticizing my clothes, questioning my upbringing, and reminding me how fortunate I was to marry her son.
Now her name appeared beside a confidential transaction involving my husband’s biggest business deal.
Nathan Brooks leaned forward, his expression growing serious.
“Claire, don’t jump to conclusions. We need to verify every document before accusing anyone.”
“I understand.”
But my hands were trembling.
Because something about that photograph bothered me.
Jasmine Cole had spent months making sure everyone knew she was close to Aaron. She attended private dinners, accompanied him on business trips, and sometimes answered his personal phone when I called.
Yet here she was, secretly meeting Richard Westbridge, the man whose company Aaron desperately wanted to acquire.
And somehow, Eleanor was involved.
“What does this document actually mean?” I asked.
Nathan examined the signature page.
“It appears to be an agreement involving a consulting arrangement connected to the proposed acquisition. Eleanor’s name is listed as an interested party.”
“Interested in what?”
“Potential payments tied to the transaction.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“How much?”
Nathan turned another page.
Then he stopped.
“Fourteen million dollars.”
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Fourteen million dollars.
My mother-in-law had repeatedly accused me of marrying Aaron for money, yet a document bearing her name suggested she might receive an enormous payment from a deal her own son was negotiating.
Nathan closed the folder.
“We need independent verification. And you must not confront her until we know exactly what this is.”
I nodded.
But there was one thing I couldn’t stop thinking about.
Why had someone sent these documents to me?
And why now?
At 8:43 that evening, my phone rang.
Aaron.
I almost declined it, but Nathan raised a hand.
“Answer. Keep it calm.”
I put the call on speaker.
“Claire.”
Aaron’s voice sounded different. Exhausted. Uneasy.
“We need to meet.”
“You can speak to my attorney.”
“This isn’t about the divorce.”
I remained silent.
“My mother knew about Meridian.”
“I know.”
Another silence.
Then Aaron whispered, “How long have you known?”
“That my grandfather invested in Prescott Global? Since I was old enough to understand his business.”
“And you never told me?”
I laughed once, without humor.
“Aaron, you never asked me anything about my life unless it affected your calendar.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Neither was bringing Jasmine to our anniversary dinner because you claimed she needed to discuss a contract.”
He said nothing.
I continued.
“You remember what you told me that night?”
“Claire…”
“You said successful men need understanding wives, not suspicious ones.”
His breathing changed.
“I made mistakes.”
“You made choices.”
Then he said something unexpected.
“Jasmine isn’t answering my calls.”
I glanced at Nathan.
“Perhaps she’s busy.”
“Claire, listen to me. The Westbridge acquisition is falling apart. Someone has been leaking information, and Michael thinks the board may suspend the transaction.”
“Then you should cooperate with the investigation.”
“Did you do this?”
My entire body went cold.
“Excuse me?”
“Did you contact Meridian to interfere with the deal because you’re angry with me?”
Nathan immediately leaned closer to the phone.
“Aaron, this is Nathan Brooks. Claire hasn’t authorized me to discuss the transaction with you. Any concerns regarding Meridian should go through corporate counsel.”
Aaron exhaled sharply.
“So that’s what this is? You’re trying to destroy me?”
“No,” I answered quietly. “I’m leaving you. Those are two very different things.”
Then I ended the call.
For a moment, I sat perfectly still.
Three years of marriage.
Three years of defending him.
And when his business began collapsing, his first instinct was to blame me.
Nathan watched me carefully.
“Are you all right?”
I swallowed.
“I think I finally am.”
The next morning, an unfamiliar woman appeared at Nathan’s office.
She introduced herself as Rebecca Lane, a former executive analyst at Prescott Global.
She looked exhausted, with dark circles beneath her eyes and a leather folder clutched tightly against her chest.
“I sent the email,” she said.
My heartbeat quickened.
“Why?”
Rebecca looked toward Nathan.
“Because I was fired two weeks ago after refusing to approve an expense report.”
“What expense report?”
“A consulting payment authorized through a private entity connected to Eleanor Prescott.”
Nathan motioned for her to continue.
Rebecca opened the folder and placed several documents on the table.
“I discovered repeated payments to a company called Harbor Bridge Advisory. The invoices described strategic consulting services, but I couldn’t find any legitimate work supporting them.”
“How much money?” Nathan asked.
“Just over two million dollars had already been paid.”
I stared at her.
“And you believe Eleanor received it?”
“I believe a company linked to her received it. But that’s not the worst part.”
Rebecca removed another page.
“Jasmine Cole approved several of the invoices using delegated authority from Aaron’s office.”
My mouth went dry.
“Did Aaron know?”
“I don’t know. Some approvals bear his electronic signature, but those credentials were accessible to Jasmine for certain administrative tasks.”
Nathan immediately cautioned her.
“That’s important. An electronic signature alone doesn’t establish who authorized a transaction.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Exactly. That’s why I kept asking questions.”
“And they fired you,” I said.
She looked down.
“They accused me of violating confidentiality.”
For the first time, I began to see how much bigger this situation might be.
Jasmine wasn’t simply the woman who had helped destroy my marriage.
She might have been part of something that threatened the company my grandfather had once helped save.
And my mother-in-law’s name kept appearing.
By noon, Nathan had arranged for Rebecca’s information to be submitted securely to independent counsel for Meridian.
I made one thing absolutely clear.
“I want the documents investigated properly. I don’t want anyone punished because of my marriage.”
Nathan nodded.
“That’s the right approach.”
But someone else had already realized that the documents were no longer hidden.
At 2:15 p.m., Eleanor Prescott arrived at my parents’ house.
I was there packing the last few personal belongings I’d brought from our marriage.
My mother opened the door.
Eleanor walked inside wearing a cream-colored designer coat, pearl earrings, and the familiar expression she used whenever she expected everyone to obey her.
“Where is Claire?”
I stepped into the hallway.
“I’m here.”
She looked me up and down.
“This little performance has gone far enough.”
I folded my arms.
“Which performance?”
“The divorce. The public humiliation. Your ridiculous attempt to involve yourself in Aaron’s business.”
“My business interests are not ridiculous, Eleanor.”
Her expression flickered.
Then she smiled.
“Sweetheart, I knew about your grandfather long before you married Aaron.”
I felt my chest tighten.
“I gathered that.”
“Your grandfather was a clever man. But don’t mistake an inherited investment for business experience.”
I looked directly at her.
“Then why are you here?”
Her smile disappeared.
“Withdraw your involvement in the Westbridge matter.”
“Why?”
“Because Aaron has worked too hard to have everything destroyed by his wife’s emotional outburst.”
I studied her face.
“Is that what you’re afraid of? Aaron losing the deal?”
“Of course.”
“Or are you worried about Harbor Bridge Advisory?”
Eleanor froze.
It lasted less than a second.
But I saw it.
“What did you say?”
“Harbor Bridge Advisory. Does the name mean anything to you?”
Her expression hardened.
“You have absolutely no idea what you’re interfering with.”
“Then explain it.”
She stepped closer.
“You think your grandfather left you power. But power means nothing if you don’t understand how to use it.”
I didn’t move.
“And threatening your daughter-in-law is how you use yours?”
Eleanor’s face turned pale with anger.
Then she said something I would never forget.
“Your marriage to Aaron was supposed to solve a problem. Instead, you’ve become one.”
I stared at her.
“What problem?”
She immediately looked away.
“Forget I said that.”
But it was too late.
“My marriage was supposed to solve what problem, Eleanor?”
She grabbed her handbag.
“You should be very careful about the questions you’re asking.”
Then she walked out.
My mother had been standing near the kitchen doorway.
She looked at me with genuine alarm.
“Claire, what did she mean about your marriage?”
I didn’t answer.
Because suddenly, I remembered something.
Three months before our wedding, Aaron’s father had insisted on meeting me privately.
Thomas Prescott was a quiet man who rarely interfered in family matters.
He had taken me to lunch at a small restaurant overlooking Boston Harbor.
During that conversation, he asked an unusual question.
“Claire, if Aaron lost everything tomorrow, would you still marry him?”
I had laughed.
“Of course.”
Thomas hadn’t laughed back.
Instead, he’d looked almost relieved.
Then he’d said, “I hope my son understands what a gift he’s been given.”
At the time, I thought he meant love.
Now I wasn’t so sure.
That evening, Nathan called with an update.
“Claire, I’ve reviewed the historical agreements between Meridian and Prescott Global.”
“And?”
“There’s a document your grandfather signed shortly before your engagement.”
I sat down.
“What kind of document?”
“A conditional restructuring agreement involving the Prescott family’s controlling interest.”
My pulse quickened.
Nathan continued.
“It appears Thomas Prescott was trying to prevent a financial crisis that could have cost his family control of the company.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“That’s what we’re still determining. But your grandfather’s participation was central to the arrangement.”
I closed my eyes.
Had my marriage somehow been connected to a business arrangement I knew nothing about?
Had Thomas kept quiet to protect me?
Or had everyone known something except Aaron and me?
Before I could ask another question, Nathan spoke again.
“There’s something else. We found a letter Thomas wrote to your grandfather.”
I held my breath.
“What does it say?”
Nathan hesitated.
“There’s one sentence I think you need to hear.”
He cleared his throat.
Then he read it aloud.
“William, if Claire ever discovers why Eleanor supported this marriage, I fear she’ll never forgive any of us.”
I couldn’t speak.
My grandfather had been dead for two years.
Thomas Prescott had died the year before.
And the two men who might have explained everything were gone.
But Eleanor was still alive.
And she knew exactly what that letter meant.
I stood up slowly, staring at my reflection in the dark living-room window.
For three years, I had believed my biggest mistake was marrying a man who didn’t love me enough.
Now I was beginning to wonder whether my marriage had been encouraged for reasons far more calculated than love.
Then another message appeared on my phone.
It came from Jasmine Cole.
The woman who had ignored Aaron’s calls for nearly two days.
Her message contained only two sentences.
“Claire, your husband was never the person I was supposed to get close to. It was you.”
And beneath those words was a photograph taken three years earlier.
My wedding day.
Jasmine stood in the background beside Eleanor, holding a sealed folder.
On the folder was my grandfather’s name.
WILLIAM BENNETT: CONFIDENTIAL AGREEMENT.
I stared at the photograph.
Then Jasmine sent one final message.
“Meet me before Eleanor finds out I’m talking to you. Because the real reason she wanted you in that family is something Aaron still doesn’t know.”…..
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 3…
