She told me that her own company was conducting a major investigation into them because Mark was her direct supervisor and they had intentionally hidden their relationship.
She said he had promised her a luxury apartment, job security, and even a business together.
But the most chilling part came at the end of the conversation.
“I found a document, Jessica. It has your signature on it, or at least something that looks exactly like your signature.”
I felt the blood drain from my face down to my feet.
“What kind of document are you talking about?”
Melanie took a deep, shaky breath.
“I think he tried to put your house up as collateral for a very large private loan.”
That was the moment I finally understood that the betrayal was not over.
It was only just beginning.
PART 3
We met the following day at a quiet coffee shop near the city center.
Melanie arrived looking exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes, and her expensive beach dress had clearly become nothing more than a ridiculous souvenir.
She pulled a yellow folder out of her bag and slid it across the table toward me.
Inside was a copy of what appeared to be a notarized private contract.
