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hey folks welcome back to Sleeping
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Reddit Pills i'm your host Jake and
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tonight I've got a wild story for you
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it's about betrayal lies and one woman's
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picture this a quiet suburban home a
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marriage built on secrets and a family
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that thought they could pull one over on
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the wrong person let's dive into the
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tale of Sarah a woman who turned a
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devastating blow into an empire sarah
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was folding laundry in her cozy living
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room the kind of place with soft throw
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blankets and family photos on the mantle
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she was smoothing out her husband
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Michael's dress shirt when her
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mother-in-law Karen barged in smirking
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like she'd just won the lottery karen
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waved a stack of papers in Sarah's face
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"you're getting nothing in the divorce,"
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she said her voice dripping with glee
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"michael never registered your marriage
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you're not even his real wife." Sarah
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kept her cool folding a towel with
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"thanks for letting me know Karen," she
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said calm as a summer breeze "karen
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wasn't expecting that." She slammed the
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papers onto Sarah's neat pile of clothes
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"did you hear me you're nothing just
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some chick who played house with my son
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when he marries Emma she'll be his real
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Sarah met her gaze unruffled "anything
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else?" Now Sarah wasn't just any woman
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she'd been married to Michael for 8
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years built a life with him and thought
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they were happy but Karen's words hit
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still Sarah held it together
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while Karen gloated Sarah's mind went to
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a safety deposit box at the bank the one
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holding the real marriage papers she'd
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secretly filed years ago see Sarah's
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late mom Ellen had a best friend named
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Susan a sharp family lawyer who taught
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Sarah to always cover her bases karen
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thought she'd dropped a bomb but Sarah
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was already 10 steps ahead karen frowned
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thrown off by Sarah's chill vibe you're
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not even upset michael's leaving you for
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a real woman and you're acting like I
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just told you it's going to rain sarah
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grabbed her laundry basket i got to make
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dinner you staying karen's face flushed
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with anger you're delusional when
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Michael hands you divorce papers
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tomorrow don't say I didn't warn you
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emma's already picking out new curtains
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she stormed out her heels clicking on
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the hardwood the second Karen's car
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speed off Sarah let out a deep breath
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she set the basket down and dialed Susan
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it's happening she said karen just told
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me my marriage isn't legal michael's
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serving divorce papers tomorrow the
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proof still in the deposit box susan's
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voice was warm but firm smart girl karen
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messed up by tipping her hand too soon
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they had years of evidence joint bank
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accounts property records Sarah's
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contributions to Michael's family
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business karen and Michael thought they
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could erase Sarah but they'd
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underestimated her big time sarah stared
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out the kitchen window at the garden
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she'd planted she and Michael had been
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happy once back when they'd grill
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burgers in the backyard and talk about
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their dreams but then Karen started
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meddling whispering in Michael's ear
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then Emma Michael's secretary started
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staying late at the office then came the
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lies little ones at first then bigger
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until Sarah felt like she was living
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a car pulled up michael was home early
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for the first time in months talk about
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timing sarah wiped her eyes started
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chopping onions for dinner and acted
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like nothing was wrong michael walked in
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his tie loose his face uneasy sarah we
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need to talk she turned knife in hand
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about the divorce papers or the fact you
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never registered our marriage
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michael froze his mouth half open
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how did you Karen told me sarah said
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stirring a pot on the stove i can
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sarah cut him off let me guess your mom
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said it was to protect family assets did
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I miss anything michael looked like he'd
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sarah please you have to understand
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oh I understand she said her voice
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steady you and your family lied to me
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for 8 years you're leaving me for your
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secretary and you think I'll walk away
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with nothing michael probably expected
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tears begging something instead Sarah
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set the table like it was any other
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night dinner's ready you staying he
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stared totally thrown "did you hear me
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i'm leaving you this house everything
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Sarah smiled thinking of that safety
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deposit box "eat while it's hot
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tomorrow's going to be a wild ride,"
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Michael muttered "you're acting weird."
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and backed out of the kitchen leaving
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sarah ate alone then went upstairs to
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pack an overnight bag before bed she
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made one last call to Officer Daniels a
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family friend who'd been holding a file
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for her at the precinct "it's time," she
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said "i'll need those records." She
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slept soundly knowing the real fight was
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about to go down the next morning Sarah
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was already at Susan's law office when
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Michael Karen and their lawyer Richard
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rolled in emma hovered in the back
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dressed like she was auditioning for a
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CEO's wife karen snapped what's she
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doing here this meeting's to confirm
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their marriage was never legal susan
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smiled sharp and knowing take a seat
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sarah's got some documents to share
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michael scoffed there are no documents
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that's the whole point sarah coolly
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opened her bag and pulled out a stack of
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papers first up the legal marriage
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registration she'd filed 8 years ago
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karen's face went pale "that's
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impossible," she whispered
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sarah leaned forward "you destroyed the
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copy you stole from the registry office
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but you didn't know I filed it myself
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susan taught me to always be prepared."
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Susan spread out more documents bank
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records showing Sarah's contributions
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property deeds in both their names
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emails from Michael's company praising
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Sarah's work richard shifted in his seat
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looking uneasy those were internal
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messages Susan cut in they became legal
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evidence the moment you tried to deceive
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her then Sarah pulled out the final file
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the one Officer Daniels had kept safe
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these are records of every conversation
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where you and Karen planned to keep the
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marriage unregistered phone calls emails
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texts your mom was real thorough about
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protecting the family assets karen's
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face turned ashen you recorded us that's
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illegal susan shook her head not in this
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state especially when fraud's involved
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michael shot up this is ridiculous even
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if the marriage is legal I'm still
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divorcing her she'll get a basic
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settlement nothing more sarah handed him
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one last paper his face drained of color
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as he read it susan explained "This
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contract which you signed 3 years ago
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makes Sarah a 50% owner of the family
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business in exchange for her work on the
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Thompson merger you didn't even read it
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did you?" Michael swallowed hard "50%?"
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Richard snatched the paper muttering
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Emma finally spoke her voice shaky
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"michael you said this would be simple."
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Sarah let out a small laugh
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nothing about this has been simple for 8
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years I watched and documented
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everything susan and my mom taught me to
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always be ready karen's tone shifted
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desperate we can make a deal name your
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price sarah gathered her things you
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already tried to name my price a small
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settlement some rent money but I don't
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think you can afford me now michael's
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voice was hollow what do you want sarah
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looked at him everything I'm legally
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entitled to half the house the business
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the assets and you can explain to the
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board why I now own part of your
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company." Karen shrieked "you're
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destroying our family." Sarah stared her
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down "no Karen you destroyed your family
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when you built my marriage on a lie i
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just refused to be your victim."
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She walked out Michael calling her name
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3 months later Sarah sat in her new
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corner office co-CEO of the Harrison
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family business the board shocked at
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first saw her value her connections her
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business smarts and knew they couldn't
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lose her michael had moved out taking
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Emma to a cramped apartment across town
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a far cry from the mansion she'd dreamed
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karen she'd taken up a sudden love for
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long cruises dodging the society gossip
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about Sarah's rise one day Richard
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stopped by Sarah's office looking older
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than his years he clutched a folder
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quarterly reports we're up 20% since you
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took over the international division
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sarah nodded taking the folder
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anything else richard hesitated then
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sank into a chair i owe you an apology
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we all do i should have seen your
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intelligence your dedication instead I
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let Karen convince me you were a threat
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sarah leaned back the irony is I would
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have built that legacy willingly all I
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richard opened up about Michael's
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struggles emma had ditched him
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unimpressed with his reduced trust fund
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lifestyle karen was still finding
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herself on cruise ships hiding from the
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sarah picked up a magazine from her desk
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her face on the cover harrison
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Industries new leadership a story of
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my mom always said success is the best
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revenge that night over dinner with
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Susan Sarah sipped her wine was I too
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harsh taking everything they tried to
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deny me susan set down her glass you
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took what you earned Sarah every share
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every position every bit of respect
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sarah thought about the young woman
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she'd been 8 years ago so eager to prove
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herself to the Harrisons that woman was
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gone replaced by someone who knew her
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worth wasn't given it was claimed karen
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texted her recently wanting to talk
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about a buyout offer sarah didn't reply
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she just bought out the Harrison
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family's remaining shares except for
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Richard's advisory role michael's trust
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fund shares were hers now their plan to
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leave her with nothing had backfired
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pushing her to protect herself in ways
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that gave her more than she'd ever
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imagined as Sarah looked out at the city
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lights she raised her glass to new
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beginnings Susan grinned to karma sarah
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clinkedked her glass feeling at peace
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sometimes life's greatest victories come
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from being prepared when others show
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their true colors michael and his family
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had taught her that she'd lost a husband
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but gained an empire
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in the end she couldn't have planned it
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thanks for listening folks if this story
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catch you next time for another Wild
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here's to karma and a good night's