The room grew completely dark, but I did not turn on the lamp.

I reached out and picked up the paper.

I unfolded it under the pale light coming from the hallway.

The terms were exactly as he had said.

It was a financial execution.

He was offering me a fraction of what I was legally owed, using a fabricated crime to force my hand.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

I scrolled through my contacts until I found Lila Parker’s name.

I had obtained her personal phone number from the firm’s directory a week ago.

I had not used it yet.

I looked at the screen, thinking of the young woman who was currently sharing Ethan’s bed.

She was twenty-four, ambitious, and completely out of her depth.

I wondered if she knew what kind of man she was protecting.

I dialed her number.

The phone rang four times before a soft, hesitant voice answered.

“Hello?” Lila said.

“Lila,” I said. “This is Clara Lawson.”

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

“Mrs. Lawson,” she whispered.