Chapter 5 - The Man Before Julian
Julian did not speak for almost a minute.
Then he stood so quickly his chair struck the wall.
“That’s impossible.”
Martin stayed on speaker.
“I handled a business dispute for Andrew Mercer afterward.”
“Are you sure it was the same woman?”
“I’m sending you a photograph.”
My phone buzzed.
I opened the image.
Chloe stood beside a tall blond man at a charity gala.
Her hair was darker.
Her makeup was different.
But it was her.
Julian stared at the photograph.
“She told me she had never been engaged.”
Martin sighed.
“Andrew believed they were getting married.”
“What happened?”
“She persuaded him to combine several accounts in preparation for buying a home.”
“Then the money vanished.”
“Did he call the police?”
“Yes.”
“But most of the transfers had been authorized.”
Julian sank back into the chair.
“She stole from him?”
“He claimed she manipulated him.”
“Was she charged?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because he settled privately.”
That bothered me.
“Why would he do that?”
Martin paused.
“Because Chloe had information about his family.”
“What information?”
“I never knew.”
I thought about the humiliation in the foyer.
Chloe had chosen a powerless target because she believed cruelty had no consequences.
People like that rarely begin with a bucket.
They begin smaller.
Then they learn what they can get away with.
Julian picked up his phone.
“I’m calling her.”
I stopped him.
“No.”
“She lied to me.”
“Yes.”
“I want to hear her explain it.”
“She will explain exactly what you want to hear.”
He looked at me angrily.
“You already proved your point.”
“This isn’t about proving anything.”
“It feels like it.”
That hurt.
But I understood.
He had loved this woman yesterday.
Today, everyone around him was asking him to believe his future was built on lies.
I stood.
“Then don’t believe me.”
Julian looked up.
“Believe evidence.”
His phone rang.
Chloe.
He stared at the screen.
Then answered.
Her voice came through softly.
“Julian, I need to tell you the truth before your mother poisons you against me completely.”
He looked at me.
“What truth?”
Chloe began crying.
“Andrew Mercer abused me.”
Julian’s face changed.
She continued.
“I ran because I was afraid he would kill me.”
Then she whispered something that made Julian turn away from me.
“I didn’t tell you because your mother would use it exactly like she’s using it now.”
I knew then that Chloe had found the one weapon stronger than evidence.
She had made herself the victim.
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And Julian wanted desperately to believe her.
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