Chapter 2 - The scars beneath the silk
The scars were old.
Healed.
Permanent.
They crossed my collarbone, shoulder, and forearms in irregular pale lines.
I had spent years hiding them.
Long sleeves in summer.
High collars at business dinners.
Scarves at board meetings.
Carefully positioned photographs.
Richard had taught me to cover every visible piece of evidence and then convinced everyone that what remained invisible had never existed.
Judge Hayes leaned forward.
“Mrs. Vance…”
Her expression changed completely.
“Who caused those injuries?”
Richard shot to his feet.
“This is outrageous!”
A court officer immediately moved closer.
His attorney grabbed his sleeve.
“Richard, sit down.”
“She’s manipulating the court!”
I looked directly at him.
“Still want them to believe I imagined everything?”
“YOU’RE CRAZY!”
That word.
Again.
The word he had used whenever I remembered something he wanted forgotten.
Whenever I questioned a missing account.
Whenever I discovered another locked room.
Whenever I asked why security footage disappeared after certain nights.
Judge Hayes struck the bench.
“Mr. Vance, sit down immediately.”
Richard obeyed.
Barely.
His breathing had changed.
So had Chloe’s.
She reached toward my grandmother’s necklace.
Her fingers found the clasp.
“Don’t.”
My voice stopped her.
She stared at me.
“Don’t take that off.”
“What?”
“It’s evidence.”
Richard turned toward her so quickly his chair scraped the floor.
“I told you never to wear that here!”
The spectators erupted in whispers.
Chloe’s face drained.
“You gave it to me!”
“Take it off!”
Judge Hayes struck the gavel again.
“Enough.”
Arthur stood.
“Your Honor, I believe Mr. Vance’s reaction has become relevant.”
Richard’s attorney immediately objected.
Arthur ignored him.
He reached into his briefcase.
And removed a small black flash drive.
Richard froze.
For perhaps the first time in our fifteen-year marriage, I watched him experience genuine fear.
Arthur held it between two fingers.
“Your Honor, we request permission to introduce Exhibit A.”
Richard lunged.
“NO!”
Two court officers intercepted him.
“DON’T PLUG THAT IN!”
That reaction told Judge Hayes more than anything we could have said.
She stared at him.
Then at Arthur.
“Proceed.”
Arthur connected the drive to the courtroom computer.
A folder appeared.
VANCE RESIDENCE — PRIVATE ARCHIVE.
Hundreds of dated files populated the screen.
Richard stopped struggling.
I looked at him.
“I designed your security system, remember?”
And suddenly the arrogant billionaire sitting across from me understood the mistake he had made.
He had spent years trying to erase my memory.
May you like
But he had forgotten that before I became his wife…
I had built the system that remembered everything.
