Chapter 14: The Counter-Attack
219 words
The high from the gala didn't last. By morning, Preston’s counter-offensive hit us like a tidal wave. His legal team flooded Vance’s office with motions to dismiss, burying us in paperwork that would take years to sort.
But the real attack was on me. The news channels ran stories about my "history of financial irresponsibility," painting me as a gold digger trying to scam a philanthropist. A slander lawyer would cost a fortune I didn't have.
"Ignore the noise," Vance told me over the phone. "They're trying to break your spirit."
I tried, until I went to visit Mark. I needed to talk to him, to tell him I was fighting. But when I reached his plot, I fell to my knees.
The headstone was spray-painted neon pink. PAY YOUR DEBTS, it read.
I traced the paint with shaking fingers. This wasn't just vandalism; it was a message. Cemetery vandalism legal codes didn't matter right now. This was personal warfare.
"He did this," I sobbed into the cold grass. My chest heaved with emotional distress damages that no check could ever cover. Preston didn't just want to win; he wanted to erase me.
My phone buzzed. An unknown number. I wiped my eyes, mud smearing my face. I knew who it was before I answered.
End of Chapter 14
