Chapter 8 Who Gave You the Nerve
Caleb went full psycho, choking Caroline out while getting in her face. “You done with this?! Giving up custody wasn’t enough; now you’re dragging your own kid through the mud? The same kid YOU raised!”
Caroline clapped back ice cold, “And? He’s still calling another woman ‘Mom‘ and practically begging her to play mommy.”
She took a measured breath, her tone deadly calm. “I’ve kept my mouth shut to save your precious family name. But if you wanna play hardball? Don’t act surprised when I start airing all your dirty laundry.”
“You really out here trying to nuke everything, huh? Ready to burn it all down?” Caleb went off, straight venom in his voice.
“Nah, to be more precise–it’s about cutting the cord clean. Already put everything on blast. Even if I stayed at Martin Group, it’d be mad messy. Do us both a solid and just let me go.” She gave a faint smile, meeting his frosty gaze. “BTW, thanks for this drama–perfect exit strategy from your company.”
Caleb’s temper flared up. “Don’t try to pin this on others. After all these years of marriage, I know you inside out. This resignation is just you being thirsty for attention, but you went loo far. Leave Dominic out of it. Just go home, get your head straight, then come back to work.”
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He tried to shut her down with that dismissive hand wave like
she was some kid.
Caroline rolled her eyes.
Since that’s the case, I’d fight for my own freedom.
She scoped the scene, looking for any way to finesse this. situation.
The car door was locked down tight, and when she low–key checked the window–same deal.
She was totally trapped for now.
And once they got away from the crowd, she’d be completely at Caleb’s mercy.
Then some wild idea popped into her head–she wasn’t going to back down.
Out of the blue, she snatched that headrest from the front scat and went full beast mode on the window, glass flying everywhere.
That crash made all the thirsty reporters, who’d been pushed to the back, jump out of their skin while scrambling for their money shots.
When they caught Caroline’s face in that busted window looking
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like some horror movie final girl, those cameras started clicking like crazy.
Caleb’s face twisted with rage as he lunged to grab her.
Caroline leaned back against the broken glass, holding one sharp piece to her neck. Her voice was cold and stern. “Pull over and let me out. Or I’m gonna start screaming kidnapping out this window. You won’t tank your whole rep and company over this, right, Mr. Martin?”
Caleb mean–mugged her hard, looking stone–cold. At first, he wasn’t trying to hear any of that.
But when Caroline got dangerously close with that broken glass, he knew she wasn’t playing around anymore. She meant it.
“Stop the damn car!” he snapped.
Edwin didn’t hesitate; he stomped on that brake like it owed him
money.
The next second, the doors unlocked with a soft click.
Caleb pinched his nose bridge, his patience hanging by a thread. “Get out!”
Caroline yeeted that glass piece, swung the door open, and hit him with the fakest smile. “Thanks a bunch!”
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Caleb’s hands were balled up tight, looking ready to throw down any second.
The media vultures were having a field day, eating this chaos up like it was prime–time drama.
He was about to explode but had to keep it together, spitting out through his teeth, “Drive.”
Caroline hailed a cab and headed home.
On the way, her mind went crazy while checking that sus payment receipt.
The thought was eating her alive. She’d rather believe some hacker got into her socials than think her own kid did this.
But the cops laid down the facts: no signs of anyone hacking her account or logging in from elsewhere. Looking like she did that transfer herself.
She was gonna let it slide, but realized as long as this stays unclear, Caleb’s gonna think she cooked up this whole scheme.
And that might end up being a card he could play against her.
After deep diving into her thoughts, Caroline pulled out her phone.
“I need some security footage from a place. Could you help me?”
Chapter 8 Who Gave You the Nerve
Meanwhile, Caleb skipped the office and went back home.
School was out, and little Dominic came flying at him like a rocket, arms wide open and grinning car lo car.
“Daddy!!!”
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He wrapped himself around Caleb’s legs, all snuggly and stuff. ‘Missed you so much! You won’t believe what happened today…”
While Caleb was taking off his jacket, looking at his kid, Caroline’s words hit his brain.
He got real serious. “On the 13th, did you take your mom’s phone and accept some money for her?”
No beating around the bush; Caleb just blurted the question out.
Dominic, still just a little kid and confused, froze up.
Guilt flashed across his face mad quick. “Daddy, what are you talking about?”
Caleb caught that flecting panic. His face was set like stone. He scooped up Dominic with ease, his voice turning cold. “Who gave you the nerve to do that?”
Knowing he was caught red–handed, Dominic stopped denying
- it.
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Instead, he tried to throw Caroline under the bus. “Did Mom rat
me out?!”
Caleb’s face clouded over. “So instead of manning up, you’re gonna point fingers? You even know what’s right and wrong anymore?”
“It wasn’t even that deep! And she went running to you. Mom’s the one in the wrong! I was just playing! What’s the big deal?” Dominic clapped back, salty as hell.
“You think that little ‘game‘ couldn’t get someone locked up or canceled online?” That question had Dominic straight stunned, like someone just pulled his power cord.
“For real? You mean… Mom could go to jail?” his eyes went wide.
“Who taught you to move like that? Listen, you either spill or you’re catching these consequences outside until you get it.” Caleb’s voice was straight ice as he pushed him toward the door.
Dominic was freaking out, caught between fight and flight.
He was about to speak up when the kitchen door banged open and Michelle bounced out, grinning like she’d won the lottery.
“Dominic, your dad… Caleb? You’re home already?”
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Chapter 8 Who Gave You the Nerve
Reading the weird vibes in the room, she swooped in and snatched Dominic up. “What’s going on here?”
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“He went sneaking around with Caroline’s phone and accepted 180 thousand dollars somehow. Now she’s catching heat for taking dirty money and almost caught a case.”
Michelle’s face did a complete 180. That smile disappeared faster than free food at a party. “What?!” she exclaimed.
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