Chapter 5 - The Fallout
The arrest of Trevor Richardson hit the Charlotte local news by 11:00 PM and went viral on social media by Monday morning.
Under the hashtag `#SundayDinnerJustice`, TikTok videos, Twitter threads, and Facebook news pages exploded with the dramatic details of the takedown. Anonymous sources leaked the audio recording of Trevor laughing on speakerphone while discussing his wife's three-million-dollar payout. The internet had a new villain, and Trevor became the ultimate cautionary tale of corporate greed and marital betrayal.
Naomi watched the chaos unfold from the safety of a high-end penthouse suite downtown, courtesy of her legal team.
Her phone buzzed incessantly. News outlets, estranged relatives, mutual friends, and reporters flooded her lines. She ignored them all, except for Marcus Vance.
"The PR team is handling the media narrative," Vance said over the phone on Tuesday morning. "Public sentiment is entirely on your side, Naomi. The board of directors at Trevor’s firm has already ousted him as CEO, frozen all corporate assets, and initiated a forensic audit. He has no money left to pay his defense attorneys."
"Good," Naomi said, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window at the sprawling Charlotte skyline. "Let him feel what it’s like to have nothing."
"There’s more," Vance continued, his tone cautious. "Vanessa’s lawyers are cooperating with the prosecutor. She’s throwing Trevor under the bus to save herself. They’re offering a plea deal, but Trevor is refusing to cooperate. He’s claiming entrapment."
"Entrapment?" Naomi let out a cold laugh. "I didn't force him to wish me dead. I didn't force him to forge my signature on an insurance policy. He dug his own grave. Now he has to lie in it."
"What are your plans for the house? And the company assets?"
"Liquidate everything," Naomi said without hesitation. "Every car, every bank account, every stock option. Transfer the proceeds into a trust fund under my maiden name."
"Consider it done."
That afternoon, Naomi released a brief, carefully crafted statement through her legal team:
*"I am deeply saddened by the betrayal of the man I dedicated fifteen years of my life to. However, I am grateful for the swift action of law enforcement and my legal counsel. Justice will be served, and I am looking forward to turning the page on this painful chapter."*
The internet loved it. Comments poured in by the tens of thousands: *“Queen behavior!” “Leave him with nothing, sister!” “This is why you never trust a man in finance!”*
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Naomi closed her laptop, walked over to the mirror, and smiled. For the first time in fifteen years, she wasn't playing a role. She was finally herself.
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