He had seen me leave the store carrying a box.
He had seen Karen smile at me through the window.
And he had decided that I was going to become a problem.
A problem he intended to eliminate.
Michael’s Little Plan
Two weeks later, Karen received a letter from Michael’s attorney.
He was challenging the proposed division of their marital assets.
That wasn’t unusual.
What was unusual was the allegation buried in the paperwork: Michael claimed Karen had been diverting money from their joint accounts to finance a secret relationship.
The accusation was completely false.
Karen had used a small amount of her own savings to pay the bookstore’s initial expenses, and every transaction was documented.
But Michael had done something clever.
He had taken legitimate transfers between their joint accounts and presented them without the surrounding records, making ordinary financial activity look suspicious.
Karen’s attorney was furious.
“This is a pressure tactic,” she told Karen. “He wants you frightened enough to accept an unfavorable settlement.”
