Chapter 14 - The Last Drive in the Desk Drawer
Vanessa arrived at the Franklin house with her attorney and a neutral third party present for the property exchange.
Ryan was not there.
That was intentional.
He spent the afternoon at the apartment with Emma.
At 3:40, his attorney called.
“They found the drive.”
Ryan stood beside the kitchen window.
“And?”
“Vanessa initially said it was blank.”
Ryan closed his eyes.
“Initially.”
“When her attorney reminded her that making inaccurate representations could create more problems, she changed her answer.”
“What was on it?”
“Project backups.”
Ryan waited.
“Emma?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“We don't know yet.”
He looked toward the living room.
Emma was sitting between two couch cushions, trying to pull off one sock.
Ryan had spent weeks imagining a final piece of evidence that would make him feel something clean.
Vindication.
Relief.
Justice.
Instead, he felt tired.
His attorney continued.
“Vanessa is willing to provide the drive intact through counsel.”
“Why now?”
“I can't answer that.”
Ryan could.
Because the launch was dead.
The marriage was ending.
Brooke had preserved communications.
The project could no longer be saved by deleting one folder.
Truth had finally become cheaper than another lie.
That evening Vanessa sent a message through the agreed channel.
I should have told the truth the first day.
Ryan stared at it.
Then another arrived.
I kept thinking if I could make you understand why I did it, it would sound less horrible.
He put the phone down.
Five minutes later:
It doesn't.
Ryan did not reply.
The following morning, his attorney asked what outcome mattered most to him in the separation negotiations.
Ryan surprised himself.
“Not revenge.”
“What, then?”
“No contact with Emma unless professionals decide it's appropriate. Permanent prohibition on using her image commercially. Full accounting of the money spent from joint funds. And I want the house sold.”
“You're sure?”
Ryan thought about the bedroom.
The dresser.
The carefully folded blanket in the background of those clips.
“Yes.”
Selling meant losing money.
Moving again.
Explaining his life to neighbors.
Letting go of a house he had spent years paying for.
But Ryan no longer wanted to preserve expensive things merely because losing them would hurt.
His attorney nodded.
“Then that's what we'll pursue.”
Before leaving, Ryan asked one more question.
“If Vanessa admits everything, does that mean this becomes easy?”
His attorney gave him a tired smile.
“No.”
Ryan nodded.
May you like
For once, that answer didn't frighten him.
Easy was how he had missed it the first time.
