I Came Home Early for My Son's Birthday Then Found My Wife Being Treated Like a Servant / Chapter 14 / 20

Chapter 14 - The SetupFriday night arrived with a torrential downpour, the rain lashing against the windows of the upscale hotel bar where Richard had demanded we meet.

This time, Amy came with me.

She wore a sharp, crimson blazer and a dress that made her look like armor. She walked into that bar with her spine completely straight, radiating power. I had never been more in awe of my wife.

Richard was sitting in a velvet booth, checking his gold watch. When he saw Amy, his eyes widened slightly, masking his surprise with a wide, fake smile.

"Amy! My darling girl," he stood up, moving to hug her.

Amy put a hand on his chest, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Sit down, Richard."

His smile faltered, but he slid back into the booth. I sat next to Amy, sliding a thick manila envelope onto the table.

Richard eyed the envelope hungrily. "I must say, I'm surprised. I thought Connor would try to play the tough guy again. But I'm glad you brought the cashier's check, sweetheart. It’s for the best. This keeps everyone safe."

"Open it," Amy commanded.

Richard chuckled, reaching for the envelope. "You know, once this is settled, maybe we can actually spend some time together. Get to know my grandson—"

He pulled the contents out of the envelope.

It wasn't a check. It was the photograph of him, Cynthia, and the two boys on the golf course. Beneath it was a detailed printout of his crypto losses and the impending audit of Cynthia’s trust fund.

The blood drained from Richard's face so fast he looked like a corpse. His charismatic mask completely shattered, revealing the desperate, pathetic old man underneath.

"Where did you get this?" he hissed, his voice dropping an octave.

"Did you really think we were just going to hand over our son's future without looking into you, Robert?" I asked, leaning forward.

"You're pathetic," Amy said, her voice dripping with absolute disgust. "You left Mom and me to drown. You let the FBI tear our house apart while you drove off with my college money. And now, you come crawling back to extort me just so you can play pretend with your new family in Florida?"

Richard's eyes darted around the bar, panic setting in. "Listen to me, Amy. You don't understand. If Cynthia finds out I lost that money, she'll divorce me. I'll have nothing. I'll be out on the street!"

"You mean you'll be exactly where you left me when I was sixteen?" Amy asked coldly.

"I'm your father!" he snapped, slamming a fist on the table. "You owe me!"

"I owe you nothing," Amy whispered. "But I did get you a present."

Amy reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She tapped the screen, ending an active phone call. The call duration was twenty-five minutes.

Richard stared at the phone. "Who... who was on the line?"

"Cynthia," Amy smiled, a ruthless, beautiful smile. "I called her right before we walked in. I put the phone in my purse. She heard the whole thing, Richard. The extortion. The fake mob threats. And most importantly, she heard exactly why you need half a million dollars by Monday."

Richard looked like he was going to have a heart attack. He grabbed his own phone from his pocket. He had fourteen missed calls and a text message from Cynthia that simply read: Don't bother coming back to Boca. My lawyers are changing the locks.