She Yelled: ‘I Should’ve Married Sean!’ I Smiled: ‘Let’s Call Him.’ After One Speaker-Phone Convo…

Certainly not enough to justify the inflated budget they’d submitted to the insurance company. I found receipts in Shaun’s jacket pocket. He’d been in such a hurry to leave that he’d forgotten it. Receipts for materials that had never been delivered, labor charges for work that had never been done. It was a textbook case of insurance fraud with my wife’s real estate agency providing the inside information needed to make it work.

But insurance fraud was a federal crime, and federal prosecutors didn’t care about personal vendettas. They’d lock up Shawn and Naen for a few years, then release them to start fresh somewhere else with new identities and clean records. I wanted something more permanent. Back at the restaurant, I found Marty waiting with a pot of coffee and a grim expression.

Get what you needed? More than I expected. How’s your photography? He showed me the pictures he’d taken through the back windows. Nothing pornographic, but definitely incriminating. Shawn and Naen embracing, sharing wine, clearly comfortable in surroundings that were supposed to be off limits. What’s the next move? Marty asked.

We’re going to give them exactly what they want. A chance to explain themselves tomorrow night after closing. I think it’s time for a staff meeting. Marty’s grin was predatory. Should I invite the whole crew? Everyone who’s been here more than 2 years, they deserve to know what’s been going on. The next evening, I gathered my core staff in the restaurant’s private dining room.

Eight people total, all of them loyal employees who’d helped build McKinnons into what it was today. Marty had briefed them on the basics, but they were still shocked when I played the audio recording I’d made at the Victorian. Naen’s voice filled the room. This is going to work out perfectly. Trevor won’t know what hit him. The silence that followed was deafening.

Finally, Sarah, my head waitress, spoke up. What are you going to do? I’m going to give them a chance to do the right thing. And if they don’t, I’m going to make sure everyone in this town knows exactly what kind of people they really are. Count us in, said Miguel, my sue chef. Mrs.

McKinnon always acted like she was better than us, but you’ve always treated us fair. The others nodded agreement. In a small town like ours, loyalty was everything. Naen and Shawn had forgotten that, but they were about to get a very painful reminder. The confrontation came sooner than I’d expected. Naen stormed into the restaurant the next evening just as we were closing.

She’d clearly been drinking. Not drunk, but definitely fortified for battle. “We need to talk,” she announced, loud enough for the remaining customers to hear. “Of course. Why don’t we use the private dining room?” “No, right here is fine.” “Bad choice, but her call.” I gestured for Marty to stay close and let her have the floor.

I know what you think you saw yesterday, but you’re wrong. Shawn and I are working together on a legitimate business deal. That’s all. Really? What kind of business deal requires you to lie naked on a mattress? Her face flushed red. You have no right to spy on me. I have every right to document criminal activity on a property I’m considering purchasing.

That stopped her cold. What? The Riverside Victorian. I’ve been thinking about buying it for a second restaurant location. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was already being used for recreational purposes. Several of my remaining customers were openly staring now. Naen noticed and lowered her voice.

Trevor, please, can we discuss this privately? I think we’re past privacy, don’t you? You’ve been planning my downfall for months. The least you can do is have the courage to face the consequences publicly. I pulled out my phone and played a different recording. This one from her office the night I’d overheard her phone conversation with Shawn.

Her voice clear and unmistakable. Trevor won’t know what hit him. The color drained from her face. You recorded me in my own home. I recorded you plotting against me in the home we shared. There’s a difference. She looked around the restaurant, suddenly aware of all the eyes watching her. This isn’t over. Actually, it is.

You have until Monday to move out of the house. After that, I’m changing the locks. You can’t do that. It’s my house, too. Check the deed. It’s in my name only. Always has been. She stared at me for a long moment, then turned and walked out without another word. The remaining customers burst into excited conversation the moment the door closed behind her.

By morning, half the town would know that Naen McKinnon had been caught cheating on her husband. By evening, they’d know all the sorted details. But I wasn’t done yet. Shawn called me at home that weekend, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. You need to stop this, Trevor, right now. Stop what? Protecting my business interests.

You know damn well what I’m talking about. The rumors, the gossip. You’re destroying both our reputations. I’m not destroying anything. I’m just letting people know the truth about what you’ve been doing. It’s not what you think. Naen and I are committing insurance fraud. I have the receipts, Shawn. The ones you left in your jacket at the Victorian.

Very sloppy work for someone who’s supposed to be a professional contractor. The silence stretched out for nearly a minute. When Shawn spoke again, his voice was different. Harder, more desperate. What do you want? I want my wife back the way she was before you poisoned her against me. But since that’s impossible, I’ll settle for making sure you both get exactly what you deserve.

And what’s that? Public humiliation, financial ruin, the complete destruction of everything you’ve built. The same way you destroyed my marriage. You’re insane. Maybe. But I’m also very thorough and I have a lot of friends in this town. Friends who don’t like people who cheat and steal and lie. I hung up before he could respond. Monday morning brought the first real test of my plan.

Naen’s belongings were packed and waiting on the front porch when she arrived with a moving truck. She’d brought Shawn and two of his workers to help with the heavy lifting. I watched from the kitchen window as they loaded her furniture and boxes. 22 years of marriage, reduced to a truck full of stuff. It should have made me sad, but mostly I just felt empty.

Naen came to the door when they were finished. I need to get some things from my office. I’m afraid that’s not possible. I’ve had the locks changed. Those are my files, Trevor. My client information. Actually, they’re not. According to the partnership agreement you signed when you started using the house as your office, any business conducted on my property becomes joint property in case of divorce proceedings.

She stared at me. We’re not getting divorced. We will be. The papers are being filed this afternoon for the first time since this whole thing started. Naen looked genuinely frightened. Trevor, please. We can work this out. No, we can’t. You made your choice. Now you get to live with the consequences. Shawn appeared behind her.

This is harassment, Trevor. I’ll have you arrested. For what? Protecting my own property. Feel free to call the police. I’m sure they’d be very interested in those insurance receipts I found. Shaun’s face went pale. He grabbed Naen’s arm and pulled her toward the truck. Come on, we’re done here. I watched them drive away, then went inside to call my lawyer.

It was time for the next phase of my plan. The divorce proceedings moved faster than I’d expected. Naen had hired a lawyer, but her legal position was weak. The house, the restaurant, even the car she’d been driving. Everything was in my name. Her affair with Shawn had been thoroughly documented, and the insurance fraud evidence made it impossible for her to claim any moral high ground.

More importantly, the town had turned against both of them. Shaun’s construction company was hemorrhaging clients as word spread about his illegal activities at the Victorian property. Naen’s real estate career was effectively over. Nobody wanted to work with an agent who couldn’t be trusted. But I still wasn’t satisfied.

They’d hurt me. And I wanted them to understand exactly what that felt like. The opportunity came when Shaun’s fiance, yes, he’d been engaged this whole time, found out about the affair. Jennifer Walsh was the daughter of the town’s wealthiest family, and she did not take betrayal lightly. She confronted Shawn at his office in front of his employees and several clients, and the screaming match that followed made the local paper.

That’s when I made my move. I called Jennifer and offered to buy her lunch. She was hurt, angry, and looking for revenge of her own. “Perfect. I have some information you might find useful. I told her over coffee at a restaurant across town from mine. About Shaun’s business practices. I showed her the insurance receipts, the falsified work orders, the evidence of bid rigging that Marty had uncovered.

Jennifer’s family had connections throughout the state government, including the insurance commissioner’s office. “What do you want me to do with this?” she asked. “Whatever you think is appropriate. I just thought you should know what kind of man you were planning to marry. She studied the documents for a long time.

This is enough to put him in prison. Probably, but that’s not my decision to make. Jennifer made her decision the next day. She turned over all the evidence to the state insurance fraud division along with a detailed statement about Shaun’s illegal activities. The investigation that followed was swift and thorough. Shawn was arrested on a Tuesday morning right in front of his office building.