Chapter 5
I stared at the TV screen.
Margot was standing in front of the police station, surrounded by reporters.
She was wearing my engagement ring.
The one Bennett had proposed with.
The one that had been in my jewelry box just days earlier.
She was crying.
Performing for the cameras.
"I had no idea," she told the reporters, her voice trembling. "I had no idea Bennett was doing these terrible things. He told me he was getting a divorce. That he loved me. That we were going to start a family together. I'm just as much a victim as Tessa is."
I wanted to throw something at the TV.
She was lying.
She knew everything.
She'd been part of it from the beginning.
But she was playing the victim perfectly.
And the public was buying it.
"Poor Margot," one commentator said. "She was manipulated by a powerful man. She had no idea what he was doing."
"She's pregnant with his child," another said. "She's the real victim here."
I turned off the TV.
I couldn't watch anymore.
Sarah was still standing in my living room, looking nervous.
"She's lying," Sarah said quietly. "Margot knew everything. She helped Bennett plan the money laundering. She helped him choose you. She was the one who suggested he marry someone from a wealthy family."
I stared at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Margot has always wanted power. Always. She didn't just want Bennett's money. She wanted to be the one in charge. She's been manipulating him this whole time. Making him think everything was his idea. But it was really her. She's the dangerous one, Tessa. Not Bennett."
I thought about everything that had happened.
Margot pushing me in the hospital.
Margot wearing my necklace.
Margot now wearing my engagement ring and playing the victim.
She was smart.
Cunning.
And she was getting away with everything.
While Bennett was going to prison.
Margot was going to walk free.
And she was going to keep the baby.
And she was going to get a huge child support payment.
And she was going to try to take everything Bennett had left.
She was going to win.
"She can't get away with this," I said, my voice cold.
Sarah nodded.
"She won't. Not if we have the evidence on this USB drive. It has everything. Emails between Margot and Bennett. Plans. Conversations. She's just as guilty as he is."
I looked at the USB drive in my hand.
This was it.
The evidence that would take down Margot too.
"Call the police," I said to Uncle Robert. "And tell them Sarah is here. She's ready to testify. And she has evidence."
Sarah was taken into police custody that night.
She agreed to testify against Bennett and Margot in exchange for immunity.
The police wanted to arrest Margot immediately.
But my lawyers advised against it.
"Let her think she's won," my lead lawyer said. "Let her get comfortable. Let her start spending Bennett's money. Let her make mistakes. And then we hit her with everything. All at once."
I agreed.
I wanted Margot to feel safe.
To feel like she'd gotten away with it.
And then I wanted to watch her fall.
Hard.
Over the next few days, Margot continued her media tour.
She gave interviews.
She cried on camera.
She talked about how she was going to raise her baby alone.
How she was going to overcome this tragedy.
She set up a GoFundMe page for "single mothers in need."
It raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
All while she was living in Bennett's penthouse.
Driving his cars.
Wearing my jewelry.
It was sickening.
But I stayed quiet.
I let her have her moment.
Because I knew what was coming.
My lawyers and the police were building a case against her.
The evidence from the USB drive was damning.
Emails proving she knew about the embezzlement.
Texts proving she helped plan the money laundering.
Conversations proving she'd known Bennett was married when she started the affair.
And most damning of all:
Emails between Margot and the cartel.
She'd been communicating with them directly.
Making deals.
Moving money.
She wasn't just Bennett's accomplice.
She was his partner.
And in some ways, she was more involved than he was.
The police were ready to arrest her.
But we were waiting for the right moment.
And that moment came a week later.
Margot had organized a charity event.
A "single mothers' gala."
She was going to be the guest of honor.
She was going to give a speech about overcoming adversity.
About being a strong single mother.
About rising above tragedy.
It was going to be televised.
Hundreds of people would be there.
Reporters.
Celebrities.
Politicians.
It was the perfect moment.
The night of the gala, I put on a beautiful blue dress.
Not the faded maternity dress from the hospital.
A designer dress my uncle had bought for me.
I wore my mother's diamond earrings.
I styled my hair.
I put on makeup.
I looked like the powerful, confident woman I was becoming.
Uncle Robert escorted me to the gala.
We walked the red carpet.
Reporters shouted questions.
"Tessa! What are you doing here?"
"Are you here to confront Margot?"
"Do you have a statement?"
I smiled and kept walking.
No comment.
We went inside.
The room was beautiful.
Decorated with flowers and lights.
Hundreds of people were there.
All talking.
Laughing.
Celebrating.
And then Margot made her entrance.
She walked in wearing a beautiful white dress.
Her blonde hair perfectly styled.
My engagement ring sparkling on her finger.
She was glowing.
She thought she was the belle of the ball.
She thought she was untouchable.
She walked to the stage.
The room went quiet.
She smiled at the crowd.
And she began her speech.
"Thank you all for being here tonight," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "As many of you know, the last few weeks have been the hardest of my life. I found out that the man I loved, the father of my unborn child, was not who I thought he was."
She wiped a fake tear from her eye.
"But I'm not here tonight to talk about what happened to me. I'm here to talk about all the single mothers out there who are struggling. Who are fighting every day to give their children a better life. I want you to know that you are not alone. That you are strong. That you can overcome anything."
The crowd applauded.
Margot smiled.
She thought she'd won.
And that's when I stood up.
I walked to the stage.
The room went quiet.
Everyone turned to look at me.
Margot's smile faded.
Her face went white.
I stepped onto the stage.
I stood next to her.
And I looked out at the crowd.
"Margot is right," I said, my voice clear and strong. "Single mothers are strong. They can overcome anything. But Margot is not a victim. And she's certainly not a hero."
I turned to look at her.
"She's a liar. A manipulator. And a criminal."
Margot's mouth opened and closed.
"What are you talking about, Tessa? You're just bitter—"
"I'm talking about this," I said.
I signaled to the back of the room.
The lights dimmed.
And the screen behind us came to life.
Emails between Margot and Bennett.
Texts between Margot and the cartel.
Bank records.
Photos of Margot counting stacks of cash.
And then audio recordings.
Margot's voice, clear as day.
"Bennett, you need to get Tessa out of the way. She's asking too many questions."
"Tell the cartel the money will be there by Friday. I've already moved it through the hospital accounts."
"Once Bennett is in prison, the company will be mine. And so will everything else."
The room was dead silent.
Everyone stared at the screen.
Shocked.
Disgusted.
Angry.
Margot stood frozen.
Her face as white as a sheet.
The audio ended.
The lights came back up.
I looked at Margot.
"You told the world you were a victim. But you were never a victim. You were the mastermind. You manipulated Bennett. You helped him steal millions. You helped him launder money for criminals. And you knew exactly what you were doing when you pushed an eight-month-pregnant woman in a hospital hallway."
I paused.
"You wanted to be powerful, Margot? You wanted to be admired? Well, now everyone knows the truth about you."
Two police officers walked onto the stage.
They approached Margot.
"Margot Voss, you're under arrest for conspiracy to commit money laundering, fraud, and assault."
They cuffed her.
She started screaming.
"This is a setup! Tessa is lying! These are fake! I'm innocent!"
The officers led her off the stage.
She was still screaming.
Still protesting.
But nobody was listening.
The crowd was staring at her in disgust.
The reporters were shouting questions.
The cameras were flashing.
Margot's moment was over.
Her empire of lies had crumbled.
And I was still standing.
Stronger than ever.
Uncle Robert came onto the stage and put his arm around me.
The crowd started applauding.
At first, it was just a few people.
Then it grew.
And grew.
Until the entire room was standing and cheering.
I looked out at them.
And for the first time in years, I felt truly proud.
I had faced my abusers.
I had told the truth.
And I had won.
But as I stood there, basking in the applause, I felt a sharp pain in my belly.
And then a warm trickle down my legs.
May you like
My water had broken.
The baby was coming.
