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hey everyone welcome back to Sleeping
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Reddit Pills today I've got a story for
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you that's a little different but trust
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me it's a wild ride it's about how I
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Anna navigated a truly messed up
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situation with my husband Marcus and how
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sometimes the quiet ones are the ones
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you really need to watch out for i stood
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there in silence watching Marcus my
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husband of 8 years pack his expensive
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shirts into that fancy leather suitcase
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I'd given him for our fifth anniversary
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he moved so quickly like he couldn't
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wait to leave me behind and that
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it made my stomach churn he barely even
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looked at me just had this smug smirk on
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you'll never prove we shared anything
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Anna," he said not even bothering to
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make eye contact victoria and I planned
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this perfectly no marriage papers
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everything in my name you get nothing i
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just leaned against the door frame
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keeping my face super calm even though I
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was absolutely boiling inside
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marcus who was 35 thought he was too
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good for me he honestly believed he
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deserved someone younger someone more
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victoria his 23-year-old personal
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trainer had apparently convinced him he
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was missing out on life "nothing to
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say," he taunted folding another shirt
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"that's new usually you never stop
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talking about our life together and all
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i watched him pack the cufflinks I'd
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saved for months to buy him and I just
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i was just wondering if Victoria knows
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about the money you borrowed from my
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savings last year his hands hesitated
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for just a second that was a gift you
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can't prove otherwise interesting I said
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quietly thinking about the hidden camera
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I had installed in our home office
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months ago see I'd found suspicious
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messages on his phone and my gut just
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told me something was off the signs were
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all there late nights at the gym new
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clothes appearing changed passwords
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but Marcus bless his arrogant heart
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totally thought I was the clueless wife
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"my job in digital security taught me to
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always always be prepared." "You know
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your problem Anna?" Marcus said zipping
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up his suitcase you know her take risks
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victoria understands passion adventure i
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almost laughed if only he knew about the
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cameras the recordings and all the solid
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proof I had gathered about our shared
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you're right Marcus I said i do like to
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plan things carefully he grabbed his
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suitcase and headed for the stairs i've
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already moved all the money good luck
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proving anything was ever yours my
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lawyer handled everything
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i followed him downstairs staying calm
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your lawyer you mean Jeffrey the one who
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helped you set up that offshore account
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last month he stopped dead in his tracks
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how do you know about that i picked up
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the TV remote want to watch something
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interesting before you go it'll be
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i don't have time for your games he
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snapped but I could hear the nervousness
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this won't take long I said pressing
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play his voice filled the room from the
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hidden camera recording i need all
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traces of joint ownership erased anna
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can't know once the transfers are done
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I'll move in with Victoria and there
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won't be any proof of where the money
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came from "turn that off," Marcus
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demanded his confidence fading fast "but
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there's more," I said my voice steady
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like your talk with Victoria about using
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my inheritance for her beach house or
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maybe you'd rather watch yourself
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his suitcase literally fell to the floor
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"you You were spying on me," he
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stammered "spying no just protecting
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myself," I said "something you taught me
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with all your planning." He ran a hand
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through his hair panic in his eyes "you
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can't use those recordings it's
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illegal." I just smiled remembering my
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talk with my own lawyer in our state I
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can record anything in my home if I
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suspect fraud his voice was weak what do
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you want right now i said I want you to
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leave go to Victoria start your exciting
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new life but this I gestured to the TV i
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have copies of everything my lawyer has
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them too you're bluffing he whispered
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but I could hear the fear in his voice
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i turned off the TV and walked toward
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the kitchen your flight to Kingston
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leaves in 2 hours right you better hurry
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victoria hates waiting almost as much as
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she hates broke men his footsteps
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faltered behind me i smiled marcus
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thought he had the perfect escape plan
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but he was about to learn that the quiet
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ones the careful planners are the ones
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"this isn't over," he called trying to
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you're right I whispered as the front
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door slammed shut it's just beginning 3
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days after Marcus left I knew my plan
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was working i was watching security
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footage in my home office when my phone
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the bank froze my accounts he snapped
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what did you do i sipped my coffee
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enjoying the expensive blend he used to
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i didn't do anything Marcus but the
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bank's fraud department seems very
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interested in those fake documents you
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submitted you vindictive
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careful i cut him off everything's still
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being recorded marcus do you want to add
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threats to the evidence
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silence i imagined him standing in
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Victoria's fancy apartment probably
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wearing the silk robe he bought last
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month with our joint credit card
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his tone softened slipping into his
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we can work this out i was emotional
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made mistakes let's talk like when you
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forgot to mention transferring my
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inheritance or when you emptied our
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retirement savings a woman's voice
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interrupted in the background victoria
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demanding to know what was happening
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perfect time to play my next move
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by the way did you tell Victoria about
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the second mortgage on her condo the one
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you took out to pay your gambling debts
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silence then muffled arguing i ended the
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call and turned back to my laptop my
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lawyer's email waited for my response
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the evidence was overwhelming fake
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signatures stolen money secret accounts
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marcus had been so focused on hiding our
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marriage that he left behind proof of
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his crimes that evening my doorbell rang
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victoria stood there mascara smudged
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clutching her designer handbag like a
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"is it true?" she asked about the
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mortgage i stepped aside
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want to see the paperwork
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she followed me to the kitchen her heels
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clicking on the expensive floors Marcus
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insisted we import from Italy i laid out
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the documents he told me you were just
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his roommate she whispered staring at
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our marriage certificate that this house
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was his investment property
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he told me he was working late at the
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gym I replied watching her face crumble
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as she read through the mortgage papers
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he said the condo was a gift she mumbled
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that he was rich from investments
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but this says he borrowed against it
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before even giving me the deed
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i nodded and slid another document
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toward her he bought it with money from
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my inheritance here's the proof he
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forged my signature to access it
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victoria sank into a chair looking lost
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i'm going to lose everything aren't I
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not necessarily I said pulling out
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another folder i have a proposition for
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you her eyes narrowed why would you help
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me because Marcus needs to learn he
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can't treat people like this I said and
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you're in a unique position to help me
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make that happen 20 minutes later
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Victoria left with copies of the
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documents and a new understanding she
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had been played just like me but
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together we could make sure Marcus faced
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the next morning my phone exploded with
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messages marcus was panicking victoria
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had moved out and taken evidence of his
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fraud with her his perfect plan was
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falling apart "you turned her against
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me," he yelled when I finally answered
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"No Marcus your lies did that." I paused
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then added by the way the police have
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questions about those fake documents
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detective Rivera will be calling you
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soon you can't prove anything but his
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voice shook really the hidden cameras
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caught everything you practicing my
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signature talking to your broker about
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hiding transfers the bank's fraud team
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is very interested in those offshore
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a long silence then in a whisper i'll
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lose my license as a financial adviser
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his career depended on his reputation
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you should have thought of that before
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stealing my money a notification popped
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up on my laptop an email from Detective
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Rivera confirming our meeting everything
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was falling into place "what do you
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want?" Marcus asked his arrogance
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finally replaced by desperation "name
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your price." I looked around my house
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"my house now the expensive artwork the
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luxury car the things he insisted we
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needed none of it had made us happy i
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want you to understand something Marcus
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i said "You didn't just try to steal my
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money you tried to take my security my
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future but you forgot one thing i'm not
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just your wife i'm a woman who protects
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people from scams like yours for a
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He started to speak but I kept going the
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evidence is already with the authorities
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your accounts will stay frozen during
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the investigation and as for Victoria's
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condo well she's very eager to cooperate
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something shattered on his end of the
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line followed by angry cursing
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oh and Marcus I added your mother called
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you know that retirement account you
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claimed was yours she helped set it up
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as a joint account after our wedding
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she's already given a detailed statement
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the call ended with his frustrated
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scream i leaned back in my chair a small
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marcus thought he had the perfect escape
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plan but he forgot the most important
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never underestimate me 2 weeks after
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Marcus' life started falling apart I sat
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in my living room across from Detective
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Rivera he was reviewing the last pieces
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of evidence on my laptop
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"mrs walker," he said looking up these
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recordings are incredible your husband
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never suspected anything i shook my head
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and poured us both some coffee marcus
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always underestimated me he thought
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being a cyber security specialist just
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meant fixing computers
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the detective chuckled as he took his
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cup big mistake the district attorney is
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very interested in this case financial
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fraud forgery wire transfer fraud he's
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facing serious charges
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just then my phone buzzed with a text
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he's here at my place begging for money
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should I start recording like we planned
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i smiled and showed the detective he
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nodded your teamwork with Miss Carter
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has been invaluable ready to finish this
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i sent Victoria a quick yes and sat back
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to wait within an hour we had Marcus on
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video pressuring Victoria for money and
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admitting to his crimes
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the next morning I was making breakfast
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when the doorbell rang i opened it to
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find Marcus standing there he looked
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terrible unshaven wearing wrinkled
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clothes nothing like his usual polished
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"anna please," he said his voice rough
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"i've lost everything the firm suspended
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me my accounts are frozen even my credit
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cards don't work." I looked at him
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calmly "sounds like consequences
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i'll do anything," he begged i'll sign
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whatever you want just make this go away
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come in I said stepping aside there's
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something you should see
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i led him to the living room our wedding
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photo still hung on the wall the one
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with the hidden camera behind it that
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had recorded so many of his lies
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remember what you told Victoria in this
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room last month i asked picking up my
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tablet anna's too stupid to understand
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finance she'll never figure out where
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the money went his face turned pale as I
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played the recording "you didn't just
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hide cameras," he whispered "you planned
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this." "No Marcus you planned this i
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just made sure there was proof i set the
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tablet down every fake signature every
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call about hiding money every sneaking
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meeting with your lawyer it's all
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He dropped onto the couch burying his
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face in his hands what happens now
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now you deal with the consequences of
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your choices the DA will offer you a
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plea deal soon i walked to the door and
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held it open i suggest you get a good
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lawyer he stood up desperation in his
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voice but what about us 8 years of
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marriage should have meant something it
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should have I said but you chose ego
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lies and a failed escape plan instead
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after he left I opened my laptop an
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email from Victoria waited
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meeting with the prosecutor tomorrow
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thank you for helping me see the truth i
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leaned back thinking about how much had
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changed in just a month i had always
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been strong but now I had something more
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confidence peace and the satisfaction of
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knowing I had outsmarted the man who
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thought he could ruin me a week later my
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lawyer called marcus took the plea deal
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no jail time but he has to pay back
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everything he stole he's also lost his
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financial advisor's license and has a
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fraud charge on his record and the
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divorce i asked you keep the house your
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inheritance is restored he has to pay
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back every cent from the joint accounts
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that night I invited Victoria Detective
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Rivera and my lawyer over for dinner we
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raised our glasses to justice Victoria
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said looking wiser than before to karma
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added Detective Rivera to hidden cameras
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my lawyer joked to new beginnings I said
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feeling lighter than I had in years
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later when I was finally alone in my
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house I took down the wedding photo and
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removed the hidden camera marcus had
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thought he was making a perfect escape
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he never realized that sometimes the
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quiet ones are the most dangerous
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my phone buzzed with one last message
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from Marcus i'm sorry i never deserved
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you i didn't reply instead I opened my
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laptop and started writing a book
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Digital Defense: A Woman's Guide to
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Protecting Herself in the Modern Age
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marcus had tried to leave me with
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nothing but instead he gave me something
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priceless the knowledge that I was
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stronger and smarter than even I had