0927 Was Her Birthday, Not Ours Chapter 05
For every file I opened, Larry’s face got a shade darker.
When he finished the last one, he looked up.
“He took money from you and your parents under the guise of bankruptcy. If we can prove the
funds were misused, we can demand restitution.”
“And the fake appointment page?”
“Forged page, designed to mislead you about a marriage expectation. Civil damages are possible. The person who made it is also liable.”
I opened Paige’s third consultation recording.
She asked, “If a fiancée sells her house to pay the guy’s debts, but he actually used the money to
invest and buy me a condo, can she get it back?”
Larry glanced at me. “That section is critical.’”
I opened a new text from a friend. A screenshot of Paige’s feed from that morning.
Breakfast photo.
Men’s slippers.
Matching mugs.
Caption: [A real home doesn’t need a certificate.]
I pulled up the delivery address history.
Dylan’s account had been linked to my phone once.
He was lazy, too lazy to change the password to anything but his birthday.
Delivery address: Paige’s new condo, Harborview Condos.
Recipient: D.
Notes: No cilantro. Paige doesn’t eat it.
Larry closed the file. “We can prove cohabitation.”
“I’ll take the case.”
“Mr. Montgomery, you might be going up against the entire Reese Group legal team.”
Larry smiled and extended his hand. “Let me reintroduce myself. Larry Montgomery. I trained
the Reese Group legal team.”
“Your case is mine. Pleasure doing business.”
“Pleasure doing business.”
I cleared out everything from the rental. Everything Dylan had ever given me went into the
trash.
Finally, I left the key on the coffee table and walked out without looking back.
That night, Dylan called.
“Sienna, are you for real?”
“You fake a license appointment. I file a real lawsuit.”
He laughed. It was the laugh he used when someone opened a negotiation too high.
“The transfers were voluntary on your part.”
“Your parents sold the house voluntarily.”
“The baby, the hospital couldn’t save it.”
He threw each sentence like a punch, aiming for the most tender spots.
you a way out.”
“Sienna, I’m giving
“Drop the suit. Apologize to Paige. Come back home. We’ll pretend this never happened.”
“Take this public, and you’re the one who gets hurt.”
“Paige is your best friend. Your parents aren’t getting any younger.”
“What do you think people will say? That you spent five years chasing a guy who wouldn’t even
marry you.”
“The guy who made the fake link. That’s Todd Simmons, isn’t it?”
His breathing quickened.
Todd was his childhood friend.
Five years ago, the first time a ‘creditor’ showed up at the door, Todd was the one who brought
the crew.
I was so scared I wired Dylan eight grand that same night.
Todd even slammed the table and said, “Pay up or we take a finger.”
That night, Dylan held me and said, “Don’t be scared, Sienna. I’ve got you.’
Looking back, his shoulders were shaking that night.
I thought he was crying.
He was holding in a laugh.
“Sienna, you’ll regret this.”
“Without me, you have nothing.”
I hung up and sent the recording of that call straight to Larry.
Paige sent a dozen texts.
[What the hell are you trying to do? Leave me out of this.]
[Dylan loves me. I didn’t do anything wrong.]
[What does your house sale have to do with me?]
[It’s not like I pushed you into the hospital and made you lose the baby.]
I didn’t answer. Then she switched to voice messages.
“Sienna, stop playing the victim.”
“You held on for five years because you wanted a piece of the Reese family money.
“Dylan told me a long time ago, women like you will endure anything if you think there’s a ring
at the end.”
