Family secrets, painful betrayal, and a powerful comeback drive this emotional and addictive short drama.#drama #romance #love #movie #lovestory #truelove #relationship #heartbreak #betrayal #couple
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Short filmTranscript
00:02Shut up!
00:03My billionaire father kept a secret mistress and told my mom,
00:07accept it or I'll divorce you and leave you with nothing.
00:10But he forgot one tiny detail.
00:12My clueless housewife mother was actually the most ruthless CPA in the state.
00:16She didn't just file for divorce.
00:18She froze his accounts, exposed his $18 million fraud,
00:22and sent him straight to federal prison.
00:25Richard's phone buzzed on the kitchen island, still plugged in to charge.
00:28He shouted for me to get it.
00:30I picked up the phone from the charger and glanced at the closed bathroom door.
00:34Hello, is this Mr. Sterling?
00:36He's in the shower. I'm his daughter. Who is this?
00:38This is guest services at the Grand Elisham Resort.
00:40We're just doing a routine follow-up about your stay in our family suite last night.
00:44We just wanted to check in.
00:46Did the three-year-old boy with your party have any more allergic reactions
00:49to the peanut-free pastries we provided?
00:51My stomach dropped. The phone felt like a block of ice in my hand.
00:54My dad is 55. My mom is 52.
00:57I am an only child. I just turned 24.
01:01And last weekend, my dad told my mom he was flying out to San Francisco
01:05for a closed-door real estate summit.
01:08Who was on the phone?
01:11My pulse hammered against my throat.
01:13I shoved my trembling hands into my pockets.
01:16Telemarketer, I hung up.
01:17I forced the words past the lump in my throat.
01:20He walked over to the mirror and casually smoothed some moisturizer over his face.
01:24Where's your mother?
01:26Ran to the butcher for some rib-aise.
01:28She said you had a brutal week traveling and wanted to grill steaks tonight.
01:31I stared at the back of his head.
01:35She always takes good care of me.
01:38Three days of back-to-back meetings in San Francisco really took it out of me.
01:43The Grand Elysian Resort wasn't in San Francisco.
01:47It was a 20-minute drive away, right here in the local coastal hills.
01:51Dad.
01:54Yeah?
01:56Where did you stay in San Francisco?
01:59My company has an off-site there next month.
02:01Thought I'd ask for hotel reps.
02:04His hand froze on his cheek for a fraction of a second.
02:08Just some standard business hotel the organizers booked.
02:11Nothing special.
02:12When you go, I'll book you a five-star place.
02:14Don't stay in those dumps.
02:16He was lying.
02:18I didn't push it.
02:19I turned and walked out of the master bedroom.
02:21Back in my room, I pulled up the statement for the authorized user card on my dad's account.
02:25I majored in finance.
02:26Most of the family's electronic statements were routed to my email.
02:29I opened last month's transaction history and scrolled down line by line.
02:33Last Saturday, $8,800.
02:35Merchant.
02:36The Grand Elysia Resort Dining and Entertainment.
02:38It wasn't just last week.
02:40On the 14th of last month, Valentine's Day, a charge of $23,000.
02:44Merchant.
02:44Lumimico Fine Jewelry.
02:45The gift my mom received that day was a $20 bouquet of grocery store carnations.
02:51My legs gave out, and I collapsed into my desk chair.
02:57Richard!
02:58Chloe!
02:59Come help me with these bags!
03:02Come help me with these bags!
03:05A second later, I heard the front door unlock.
03:08Mom was home with groceries.
03:10I took a deep breath and forced myself out of the room.
03:13Why'd you buy so much?
03:14You're gonna throw your back out!
03:17Next time, wait till I'm home to carry this stuff for you.
03:20Richard had already beaten me to it, taking the heavy paper bags from her hands.
03:25You had a long trip.
03:27Besides, Chloe loves grilled ribeye.
03:30Watching this picture-perfect marriage play out, bile rose in the back of my throat.
03:35I had to look away.
03:36The air in San Francisco is so dry.
03:39I picked up that limited edition Fleur de Lis skincare set you like.
03:42Try it tonight.
03:44Eleanor patted his arm and told him he shouldn't have spent so much.
03:48During dinner, Richard kept refilling my mom's wine glass.
03:51After dinner, Richard went to his home office to check emails.
03:54Using a cup of coffee as an excuse, I pushed open the door to his home office.
03:58I pushed open the door to his home office.
04:00He was typing away at his computer.
04:06Dad, brought you some coffee.
04:10Dad, I saw a crazy story online today.
04:13What kind of story?
04:17Some guy kept a mistress behind his wife's back.
04:19Even had a secret kid.
04:21The wife found out and completely destroyed his life.
04:24Chloe, what is your point?
04:25Secrets don't stay buried forever.
04:27Right, Dad?
04:28I locked eyes with him.
04:30Richard looked up at me.
04:31I didn't back down.
04:34These click-ate brogs love making up this kind of garbage.
04:37You're fresh out of college, Chloe.
04:39Stop reading that internet trash and focus on your career.
04:43But...
04:44His jaw tightened.
04:46Enough!
04:47Adults handle their own business.
04:49You don't get a vote.
04:51Are we clear?
04:51You don't get a vote.
04:53Are we clear?
04:54Crystal clear.
04:56I stared at him.
04:57I muttered.
05:04Saturday morning, Richard claimed he had to head to the office.
05:06The second his car pulled out of the driveway, I called an Uber and headed straight to Grand Elysium Resort.
05:17Hi, I need some information about Richard Sterling's stay here last weekend. I'm his daughter.
05:23He thinks he may have left something behind in the room.
05:25Then can you at least tell me who else was registered to the room?
05:28I'm sorry, miss.
05:29That would violate guest privacy policy.
05:34Can you at least tell me what the woman with him looked like?
05:38Can you at least tell me what the woman with him looked like?
05:42She was young, late 20s maybe, dressed very bogo chic, like an artist type.
05:48Late 20s. An artist type.
05:53I walked out through the revolving doors and pulled out my phone, pulling up the address for the Luna Co.
05:59boutique I'd found last night.
06:01I took a cab straight there and flagged down an older sale associate.
06:05Hi, was there a necklace purchase under Richard Sterling on the 14th of last month?
06:10Yes, of course.
06:11Mr. Sterling is one of our VIP clients.
06:14He came in that day with a very charming young woman and purchased our limited edition diamond necklace.
06:19Do you happen to know the woman's name?
06:22Do you happen to know the woman's name?
06:25Serena, I believe.
06:26He kept calling her his sweet Serena.
06:28They were very affectionate.
06:31She kept insisting the necklace was too expensive, but he absolutely refused to take no for an answer.
06:35When I got home, Eleanor was out on the balcony watering her potted hydrangeas.
06:43Hey, Chloe. What do you want for lunch? I can whip something up.
06:47Her hair was tied back in a loose bone.
06:57Mom!
06:59What's this? You're a grown woman and you're still acting like a little kid.
07:05Mom, have you ever thought of getting back out there? Getting a job?
07:09A job?
07:10I'm in my 50s, honey. Besides, Richard won't hear of it. He says he makes enough to take care of
07:15us and I should just relax at home.
07:17I stared at the green leaves on the balcony. My chest felt like someone was sitting on it.
07:21I couldn't just drop the bomb on her. She had high blood pressure. A shock like this could put her
07:25in the hospital.
07:26I needed hard proof. I needed to find this Serena. I needed hard proof. I needed to find this Serena.
07:33I searched through hashtag after hashtag on pictogram.
07:36Finally, I found an account called Serena slash soul art.
07:40Her grid was a curated gallery of over-filtered, aesthetic lifestyle shots.
07:45I started scrolling. A post from the 14th of last month.
07:48The photo was a tight shot of the Lumina necklace against a woman's colobine.
07:51The caption read,
07:52He says traditional marriage's cage built for the world and I am the only safe harbor his soul has ever
07:56know.
07:56I let out a harsh bark of a laugh.
07:59Sanctuary for his soul?
08:00Swiping my family's credit card for a $23,000 piece of jewelry and you're talking about a fucking soul?
08:06Further down.
08:07A post from last weekend.
08:09Location tag. The Grand Elysian Resort.
08:13The photo showed a small hand resting on a larger man's hand.
08:17The caption.
08:18A weekend escape from the city with my little guy.
08:22Forever grateful to the man behind the scenes who takes care of everything for us.
08:26I stared at the phone screen.
08:28The carpet pattern in the background was a perfect match for the family suite on the Grand Elysian's website.
08:32And in the corner of the frame, strapped to the man's wrist, was a Kronos watch.
08:36It was the same watch I'd bought Richard for his birthday last year with my first internship paycheck.
08:40I screenshot everything and dumped it into an encrypted folder.
08:43Most of her location tags hovered around Oak Roll Estatants.
08:48Houses there started at $10 million.
08:52Richard was just a partner at a real estate firm.
08:55Where was he getting that kind of cash?
08:58How's the job hunt going, Chloe?
09:00If nothing's biting, I can set you up with a junior analyst position at the firm.
09:04That night, Richard came home and immediately slipped back into his good husband, good father routine.
09:12No thanks, dad. I want to figure it out on my own.
09:15Stubborn. Just like your mother.
09:18Looking at him, my stomach turned.
09:22Hey dad, I drove past Oak Brook States today. Those mansions look incredible.
09:29What were you doing over there?
09:34Just driving through. Heard a lot of indie artists live there. Must be nice.
09:40Richard slammed his fork down.
09:42The metal scraped against the ceramic with a harsh grating sound.
09:45Chloe, why are you so fixated on this shallow crap all of a sudden?
09:50Always obsessing about how much money other people have.
09:53What about your own life?
09:54I just made a comment. Why are you snapping at me?
10:01I'm trying to teach you some values. Keep your feet on the ground.
10:06And don't start acting like some money hungry gold digger.
10:12All right, all right, Richard.
10:15She just made an observation. Why are you getting so worked up? Drink this.
10:19Cool off.
10:20Eleanor quickly stepped in. Richard picked up the glass.
10:24His hand was shaking slightly.
10:25The next day, the next day, I blew off my afternoon plans and drove straight to Oak Brook Estates.
10:31Security was posted at the front gate, and there was no way I was getting past it.
10:34So I parked outside a coffee shop across the street, grabbed a seat by the window, and watched for three
10:39straight hours.
10:40At 2 p.m., a white stallion V8 SUV pulled out of the gates and parked next to a florist
10:45on the corner.
10:46The door opened. A woman stepped out wearing a linen maxi dress.
10:48She was very thin, with long hair down to her waist. She definitely had that airy, artistic vibe. It was
10:54Serena, no question.
10:56She went into the shop and came out holding a massive bouquet of white roses.
10:59I tossed some cash onto the table, walked out of the coffee shop, and followed her from half a block
11:03behind.
11:04She didn't go back to the SUV. Instead, she carried the flowers half a block further and walked into Elite
11:09Montessori Academy.
11:10Ten minutes later, she walked out holding the hand of a little blonde boy, maybe three years old.
11:17He was dressed in a tailored prep school uniform, clutching a toy fire truck.
11:23Mommy, is Daddy coming to see me today?
11:28Daddy's busy making lots of money to buy Leo more toys.
11:32The boy asked, looking up at her.
11:35Serena ruffled his blonde hair. I stepped right into the middle of the sidewalk, blocking her path.
11:41Serena stopped, a slight frown forming.
11:46Excuse me, can I help you? You're Serena, right?
11:49I'm Richard Sterling's daughter.
11:50Excuse me, can I help you? You're Serena, right?
11:54I'm Richard Sterling's daughter.
11:55I don't know any Richard.
11:58Bullshit. Want me to post the receipts from the Grand Elysium all over Pingram?
12:01Or the purchase receipt for the Lumina Diamond necklace you're wearing around your neck right now?
12:05What do you want?
12:06A chat.
12:14Crack me down, I'll play it straight.
12:16Your dad and I? It's true love.
12:18True love? Maxing out my family's credit cards and living in a multi-million dollar mansion? That's your definition of
12:22love?
12:23Little girl, what do you know about love?
12:25To your mother, Richard is just a walking ATM. A tool.
12:28But with me, he actually feels alive. I'm his soulmate. The only one who truly gets him.
12:33You're disgusting. Fucking pathetic. Disgusting.
12:35Richard buys me houses. He buys me cars. He begs to spend his money on me.
12:40You know why? Because I make him feel like a king.
12:43While your mother? She's just a desperate housewife smelling of cheap vanilla extract and cleaner.
12:48Her words twisted at the knife and cut.
12:49Eleanor raised her entire life to build this family.
12:52And this homewrecker had the nerve to reduce her to a punchline.
12:55The Oakmore house?
12:57Richard bought it? The Oakmore house?
12:59Richard bought it? Yep.
13:01My name is on the deed. Paid in full. Cash.
13:03I stood frozen. Every muscle in my body shook.
13:08That evening, Richard walked through the front door right at 7 p.m.
13:13A rarity.
13:15You went to see Serena today?
13:18Yes.
13:22Richard! Are you insane?!
13:24Ask her what she did!
13:25Showing up at an elite private school to cause a scene like some street trash!
13:30You completely humiliated me!
13:32Caused a scene? Caused a scene?
13:34I just wanted to see what kind of soulmate you stash in a 20 million dollar cash house!
13:39Chloe, what are you talking about?
13:40Shut the hell up, Chloe! One more word out of your mouth and you can pack your bags and get
13:44the fuck out of my house!
13:45I'm not the one who should get out! You are! You're the one keeping a mistress behind our backs!
13:49You even have a fucking three-year-old bastard child!
13:53Fine. Since it's out in the open, I won't bother hiding it.
13:57Yes. Leo is my son. Serena is my woman.
14:02Helen, I planned to handle this after Chloe got married and moved out.
14:06Since she blew the lid off, let's set the rules!
14:09I'm not filing for divorce. You'll still be Mrs. Stray.
14:12The status quo remains.
14:14Keep paying your credit card limits and household expenses.
14:17But moving forward, I'll be spending three nights a week at Hope Pro.
14:20Don't interfere. Don't cause a scene. Let's handle this like adults.
14:23Number five, refuse.
14:26Refuse. Then go get a lawyer and file for divorce.
14:29But I promise you, you won't get a dime.
14:31You'll walk away with absolutely nothing.
14:33You're in your fifties with health issues.
14:36Without me, how exactly are you going to survive?
14:38You sick fuck!
14:40You sick fuck!
14:42Chloe, you're off the knife!
14:43Mom! He doesn't get to treat us like this!
14:47Are you done with the hysterics?
14:49I'm sleeping at Oakwood tonight.
14:51Call me when you're ready to be reasonable.
14:55Mom, I'm sorry. I'm useless. I don't know how to help you.
14:59Silly girl, why are you crying?
15:07Mom, why do you have-
15:09Did you think that follow-up call from the concierge was actually random?
15:13I paid the concierge to make that call.
15:15It was time you saw exactly what kind of piece of shit you've been calling dad.
15:20Chloe, Richard really thought I spent the last 30 years as some brainless housewife who only knows how to bake
15:25cookies.
15:25He forgot one detail.
15:2730 years ago, I was the youngest senior CPA in the state.
15:31Did you really think his shell companies and offshore trusts could slip past me?
15:35Mom, you've known this whole time?
15:37Six months before you did, I knew the exact day he made his first attempt to wire funds to a
15:41Cayman Islands account.
15:43Why didn't you just confront him?
15:45Because that wasn't enough-
15:46Why didn't you just confront him?
15:48Because that wasn't enough to nail him to the wall.
15:50I was waiting, waiting for him to cash out the largest smump and put the asset directly in that woman's
15:55name.
15:56Eleanor walked straight to the bookshelf.
15:58She smoothly pulled out a heavy copy of Principles of Corporate Vance tucked away in the back of the third
16:03row.
16:04The center of the book was hollowed out.
16:07Inside lay a black encrypted flash drive.
16:09She plugged the drive into a USB port, the screen lit up, and her fingers flew over the keyboard as
16:15she entered a long, complex passcode.
16:17A hidden encrypted directory popped up.
16:19A hidden encrypted directory popped up.
16:22It was packed with Excel strep sheets, bank statements, and scanned PDFs of signed documents.
16:27He's a control freak who trusts no one.
16:30Every illegal wire transfer he made, he kept the master ledger himself.
16:34Mom, with this, we can absolutely destroy him in divorce court, right?
16:37Not enough. That's not what I want.
16:38Then what do you want?
16:40I want him in a jumpsuit, rotting in a cell.
16:45Half the money he wired to those offshore accounts was company funds.
16:49He used Serena's gallery as a front.
16:51Fake invorses, cooked books, and nearly $18 million laundered out of the company.
16:56That's corporate embezzlement and wire fraud, clear-cut federal felonies.
17:01There are two other senior partners at his firm.
17:04Those two old men barely check the ledgers, they just collect their dividend checks at the end of the year.
17:09But if they find out Richard hollowed out their retirement funds to act as a sugar dad to his mistress,
17:14what do you think they'll do?
17:17The next day, Eleanor acted like nothing had happened.
17:20She went to the butcher for steaks as usual, and smiled at the neighbors across the street.
17:26Richard didn't set foot in the house for three straight days.
17:29On the afternoon of the fourth day, Eleanor suddenly called me.
17:33Eleanor suddenly called me.
17:35Chloe, drop what you're doing. Get to Memorial Downtown Hospital right now.
17:40I found her in a crowded hallway outside the ER.
17:43She stood like a statue, her eyes locked on the billing counter down the hall.
17:47Richard was standing in line, anxiously checking his watch over and over.
17:51Serena was clutching her stomach, her face as white as a bedsheet.
17:54The little boy, Leo, was yanking on her dress and wailing loudly.
17:58What happened?
17:59Serena's showing signs of a miscarriage.
18:01Richard bailed on a major board meeting and sped here to get her to the ER.
18:05She's pregnant again? She's pregnant again?
18:07Yep. What do you think Richard's most desperate for right now?
18:12He's out of cash flow.
18:13He drained all the liquid assets and dumped them into the Oakmore house and her gallery.
18:18The firm's accounts are empty.
18:19If he doesn't plug the hole by next week, he can't even make payroll.
18:23So how is he going to cover it?
18:25He wants to take out a second mortgage on our house.
18:28He texted me yesterday, telling me to get the original deed ready.
18:31Said the firm had a minor cash flow hiccup and needed my signature.
18:36You didn't sign it, did you?
18:39Of course not.
18:41Not only will I not give him the deed, I'm going to hand him a generous gift.
18:46Arthur, it's Eleanor. Is Richard at the office?
18:48I can't reach him anywhere.
18:50No, Eleanor. Richard said he had to meet a key developer.
18:53He won't be back in the office this afternoon.
18:55A developer? That's strange.
18:57I just bumped into him in the maternity world at Memorial downtown.
19:00He was holding up a pregnant young woman.
19:02I assumed it was one of the firm's employees having an emergency.
19:05Eleanor, are you absolutely sure he was in the maternity world?
19:08Yes, I even snapped a quick photo to ask him about it later.
19:10Oh, well, maybe my eyes are doing tricks on me.
19:13Arthur, please don't mention I called.
19:15You know how much he hates me crying into his business.
19:22Richard, is our baby going to be okay?
19:25Don't worry, sweetheart. The doctor said it's just minor cramping.
19:28A few days of bed rest and you'll be fine.
19:30I watched them walk toward the elevators,
19:32wrapped in each other's arms, and my stomach heaved.
19:35For the next few days, the house was quiet as a tem.
19:38Richard bombarded Eleanor with texts every day, demanding she get the deed ready.
19:42Eleanor brushed him off with vague excuses every time.
19:45Finally, Richard snapped. Friday night, he stormed through the front door.
19:51Eleanor, what the fuck is taking you so long?
19:54Eleanor, what the fuck is taking you so long?
19:56The firm is bleeding out and you can't even produce one damn piece of paper.
20:00What's the rush? The house is in both our names.
20:02A second mortgage requires my signature in person with a notary.
20:05My blood pressure has been spiking. I'm not going anywhere.
20:08Eleanor, I know you're still throwing a tantrum over Serena, but business is business.
20:12If the firm goes under, we'll all end up on the street.
20:15Richard, doesn't the firm have over 10 million in cash sitting in the operating account?
20:19How could you possibly not make next week's payroll?
20:21How do you know that?
20:22That money's been tied up in a new development project for months.
20:24I can't just pull it out.
20:25Oh? Is that so?
20:27I thought you pulled that cash out to buy that mansion in Oakwood.
20:30You've been investigating me? You've been investigating me?
20:32You left a trail a mile wide.
20:34Don't push your fucking luck, Eleanor! You won't sign!
20:36Let the firm burn to the ground! We'll all go down together!
20:39Bullshit! Those debts are in your name! They have nothing to do with my mom!
20:42Nothing to do with her! Go look up marital debt, Chloe!
20:45You think you're so smart, the two of you combined couldn't outplay me if you tried!
20:48Mom, is he telling the truth?
20:50Calm down, Chloe. I don't start a war unless I know I've already won.
20:54Saturday morning, Eleanor drove us out to Oakwood Estates.
20:57We didn't try to get past the gates.
20:59She parked across the street in the lot of an exclusive private golf club.
21:02Mom, what are we doing here?
21:04We're waiting for someone.
21:05A few minutes later, a black Mercedes S-Class pulled into the lot and parked next to us.
21:09Eleanor, you said on the phone yesterday you have hard proof that Richard has been sifling corporate assets?
21:14Arthur, let's talk in the car. It's all in there. Every wire transfer and forged invoice Richard routed through Serena's
21:20gallery over the last six months.
21:21It totals 18 million dollars.
21:23That son of a bitch. I treated him like a partner for years and he treated me like his fucking
21:26ATM!
21:27No wonder he swore up and down the accounts were dry when the contractors demanded payment last month!
21:31Arthur, he's currently trying to take out a second mortgage on my house to plug this exact hole.
21:35If he gets that mortgage, the books will balance.
21:38Come the year-end audit, you won't find a single trace of this.
21:40Over my dead body, Eleanor! What's your play?
21:42Over my dead body, Eleanor! What's your play?
21:45I want him ruined. I want him to spit out every cent he swallowed with interest.
21:48But I need your board authority to launch an internal audit and call the feds.
21:53Consider it done, Eleanor. There is nothing I despise more than a fool who burns down a company with her
21:57mistress.
21:58Monday morning at 9 a.m., right after Richard Luck, two black SUVs pulled into our driveway.
22:09Mrs. Eleanor Sterling, we're court officers acting on behalf of the State Supreme Court.
22:12This is an asset freezing order. We need your signature.
22:17Arthur moved faster than I anticipated.
22:20Mrs. Sterling, we now need to confiscate all deeds and title documents related to this property. Please cooperate.
22:30Mom, didn't you say we were going to wait? How is this happening so fast?
22:37If I waited any longer, he'd have mortgaged this house to cover the hole he created.
22:42My legal team secured an emergency asset freezing order.
22:46Right now, every bank account, trust fund, and property in his name, including that house in Oak Rook, is frozen.
22:57Just how massive was the net my mother had woven over the last six months?
23:06Chloe! Has your mother lost her fucking mind? She had the court freeze my corporate accounts?
23:13Where is she? Put her on the phone.
23:16Eleanor! What the fuck are you doing?
23:18Do you realize the firm's entire operating capital is frozen?
23:21Every project has ground to a halt. If the developers sue me for breach of contract, I'll be ruined!
23:27That's the point.
23:29Richard, I filed against you for infidelity, marital dissipation of assets, corporate embezzlement, and wire fraud.
23:36The court has officially accepted the filings.
23:40What did you say?
23:41I said, I want a divorce. But not your let's handle this like adults version.
23:48You are going to walk away with zero.
23:51You're crazy! On what grounds do you think you can take everything?
23:55On the grounds that you illegally transferred $23 million in marital assets.
24:00On the grounds that you embezzled $18 million from the company.
24:07And on the strength of every piece of evidence in my possession.
24:11Eleanor! You think you can beat me? Let me tell you!
24:15Chloe, listen to me. From this second forward, do not believe a single word out of Richard's mouth.
24:24The day after the assets were frozen, Serena showed up at our house.
24:29Chloe, tell your mother to drop the lawsuit!
24:32Why the hell should I?
24:33If Richard goes to federal prison, what good does that do you to?
24:36He is your flesh and blood! Are you just going to stand by and watch his life get destroyed?
24:40My dad? He's a serial liar, not my father.
24:43Don't you understand? The baby inside me can't grow up without a father!
24:47Please just beg your mother to drop it!
24:51Serena, let me ask you a question.
24:54Is Leo actually Richard's biological son?
24:56Of course he is! What kind of bullshit are you talking about?
24:59Oh really? Then let's just wait for the-
25:01Oh really? Then let's just wait for the court order DNA paternity test.
25:05It'll all be there in black and white.
25:07Serena looked like she had seen a ghost. She spun around and practically stumbled away.
25:11Arthur went to the authorities. The district attorney and the FBI have officially opened a case.
25:16Brand corporate embezzlement. By tomorrow, Richard will be in handcuffs, sitting in the county jail.
25:22Mom, just how many more cards are you hiding up your sleeve?
25:26Chloe, the biggest regret of my life was letting my CPA license expire to take care of this family.
25:32I don't regret marrying Richard.
25:35But I do regret trapping myself in the shell of a housewife whose only value was tied to the kitchen.
25:41Mom, you are the most badass, ruthless woman I have ever known.
25:47Silly girl, I'm not a badass. I just couldn't let you grow up thinking that when a woman gets betrayed,
25:53her only option is to suffer in silence.
25:56Word spread fast. Arthur called Eleanor within the hour.
25:59Eleanor, they got him. He broke down in the interrogation room and confessed to everything fogging like a baby.
26:04The Oakmiot house is in Serena's name, but the down payment and the mortgage were pages in corporate funds.
26:09Arthur, I've already compiled the paper trap.
26:11Don't worry, Eleanor. Serena isn't getting away either.
26:14The DA is nailing her as an accomplice for money laundering and receiving stolen property.
26:21Grab your coat, Chloe. You're taking a drive.
26:23Grab your coat, Chloe. You're taking a drive.
26:26To Oprah? To see Serena?
26:30No. To county jail.
26:33I'm handing your father the divorce settlement myself.
26:38Eleanor, I messed up. Please drop the charges. I can't do prison time.
26:42Richard, the property settlement is finalized. You sign and you walk away with nothing.
26:46The house, the bank accounts, the cars, they all go to me.
26:49You don't have to sign.
26:5118 million in wire form will get you at least 10 years in federal lock-up.
26:56I can just finalize the divorce while you're rotting in the cell.
27:00Eleanor, you can't be this cold.
27:0330 years of marriage.
27:05Cold?
27:06When you were screwing another woman in the family suite at the Grander List
27:09and dropping 23 grand on her diamond necklace. Did you think about our 30 years then?
27:19Son.
27:21You have zero leverage here.
27:26Shh.
27:30Eleanor, can you arrange for me to see Leo? He's my son.
27:37Richard, there is one last thing you should know.
27:41The police raided Serena's place.
27:44They confesseded her phone. It had all your texts and bank transfers.
27:53But they also found some records you didn't know about.
27:56What records?
27:58While she was playing house with you, Serena was sleeping with three other men.
28:02Two of them she's known since before she even met you.
28:07What the fuck are you talking about?!
28:11The DNA test on Leo came back yesterday.
28:14The DNA test on Leo came back yesterday.
28:17He is not your son.
28:20Bullshit! You're lying to me!
28:25This is the official lab report. Want to read it?
28:28She swore... She swore Leo was mine.
28:32She also swore you were the sanctuary for her soul.
28:35You got played, Richard.
28:37From day one, you were nothing but a walking ATM.
28:46Serena!
28:48Enjoy yourself, Richard.
28:5030 years of marriage and this is the absolute last thing I will ever do for you.
29:00Three months later, the court handed down the verdict.
29:03Richard was convicted of corporate embezzlement and wire fraud.
29:08The judge handed him 15 years in federal prison.
29:11But that wasn't all.
29:12He caught an additional charge for aggravated assault.
29:16After the DNA results came back, he had his lawyer arrange a face-to-face visit with Serena at the
29:20jail.
29:21The two of them got into a vicious argument.
29:24Richard snapped, launched across the table and wrapped his hands around her throat.
29:28She suffered severe trauma and lost the baby.
29:30The aggravated assault charge stuck.
29:33The judge tacked it on, bringing his total sentence to 50 years.
29:38Serena was convicted of receiving stolen property and money laundering.
29:41She got three years in prison, suspended for four years of probation.
29:46But her karma went way beyond that.
29:48She lost the baby.
29:49She lost the Oak Brook mansion.
29:51She lost every single dime Richard spent on her.
29:54As for Leo's real father, she couldn't even name the guy herself.
29:58The three-year-old ended up in the foster care system.
30:05Mom, what's gonna happen to Leo?
30:06Mom, what's gonna happen to Leo?
30:08He's Serena's problem, not ours.
30:10Eleanor eventually opened her own boutique CPA firm.
30:13The client list was small, strictly word of mouth.
30:15She swore she would never kill her career for anyone ever again.
30:19I quit my corporate job and passed the CPA exam.
30:23Now, I'm working as her junior partner.
30:25The two of us are living better than we ever did before.
30:29As for Richard, a 50-year sentence means he's going to die in a cage.
30:34Sometimes I wonder if the regrets keep him awake at night.
30:37But mostly, I just don't think about him at all.
30:41He isn't my father anymore.
30:43Eleanor was right.
30:45The one thing a woman can never afford to give up on is herself.
30:48Lesson learned. I will never forget it.
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