Liam’s True Colors

Diane's POV 

I sat at Joan's dining room table, surrounded by mountains of paperwork and my laptop. The beach home had become our unofficial war room in the fight against Liam. As I sifted through financial records and emails, I couldn't help but feel like we hadn't even scraped the surface of Liam's dishonesty. 

"Diane, come look at this," Joan called from the living room, "Diane, come look at this." I forced myself to stand up, dismissing the feeling of nausea that had been all too common lately. I put it down to stress, but I reminded myself to get checked out right away.

Joan had her head bent over her laptop, her forehead creased with focus. "I think I found something interesting in Liam's credit card statements."

 I scanned the screen as I leaned over her shoulder. Nothing seemed out of the norm at first glance—business meals, travel costs, the typical accoutrements of a successful executive's life. However, I soon saw a pattern.

"Hold on, please go back," I murmured, gesturing to the laptop screen. "These charges at the Ritz-Carlton are not one-time incidents. each month on the second Tuesday for the past twelve months." 

With a gloomy expression, Joan nodded. "And always for the penthouse suite." The implications dawned on me, and my heart dropped dramatically. "You don't think..." "There's only one way to find out," Joan stated, grabbing her phone.

We were seated in the luxurious Ritz-Carlton lobby an hour later. Joan had performed her magic, getting the manager to agree to a meeting with us while claiming to be organizing a business function. I was feeling a mixture of determination and anxiety as we waited. 

The manager, a polished lady in her forties, gave us a cordial welcome. "Mrs. Ashton, Ms. Joan, how can I assist you today?"

Joan took the lead, her voice gentle and professional. "We're actually here for a very delicate situation. We have grounds to believe my client's husband, Liam Ashton, has been a frequent visitor here." 

The manager's smile faded slightly. "I'm afraid I can't discuss our guests' private information..." 

I leaned forwards, my voice low and urgent. "Please, this is very important. We are in the middle of a divorce, and I have reason to believe he has been unfaithful.

After a moment, she nodded, clearly struck by something in my look. "Come with me."

She showed us to a separate office and used her computer to access certain documents. "It is true that Mr. Ashton has visited frequently. Every month on the second Tuesday, the same suite is always available."

 With the confirmation of my assumptions, a chilly rage began to build within of me. "Was he ever... accompanied?" 

The management appeared to pause once more before making a choice. Indeed. By the same woman each time. Mid-twenties, brunette. The staff found them to be...quite memorable."

I fought back tears of anger and shame as I closed my eyes. Liam had not only cheated on me with my sister, but he had been having an extramarital affair in plain sight. My head was spinning as we walked out of the hotel. Joan gave me a tight squeeze. "Are you okay?" Taking a deep breath, I braced myself. "No, but I'll make sure to. Joan, this alters everything. We must delve further. We poured ourselves into the investigation with increased zest over the course of the next few days. We discovered a web of lies with the assistance of a private investigator Joan knew, which left me speechless.

Liam's infidelity was not confined to Sophie and the mysterious brunette at the Ritz. There were other women, including models, actors, and friends of some of his business acquaintances. Each affair was methodically compartmentalized, concealed under a ruse of business travels and late hours at work.

But it wasn't simply the affairs that astounded me. We uncovered offshore accounts, sham corporations, and a pattern of financial deception that left my mind spinning. Liam had been siphoning money from our joint accounts for years, building a secret fortune, which he clearly meant to withhold from me after the divorce.

A peculiar serenity descended upon me as I sat on Joan's porch and watched the waves break against the coast. The man I believed I knew and had loved had never truly existed. A cold-blooded, cunning, and completely heartless stranger took his place. 

"What are you thinking?" Joan inquired, joining me with two steaming mugs of tea. 

I took a sip and allowed the warmth soak into my bones. "I'm thinking that I no longer recognize my own life. "Joan, how could I have been so blind?"

She shook her head, her eyes full of sympathy. "You were not blind, Diane. Liam is a superb manipulator. "He deceived everyone, not just you." 

I nodded, feeling yet another wave of nausea. I pushed it aside and concentrated on the task at hand. "We need to use this," I added, keeping my voice steady. "All of it." The affairs, the secret funds, everything. Liam believes he can walk away from this marriage with everything, but he's mistaken.

Joan's eyes gleamed with purpose. "We will bury him, Diane. He won't know what hit him by the time we're done.

I noticed a change in myself when the sun sank and covered the shore in a golden glow. Even while the pain and betrayal lingered, they were overshadowed by an intense, unwavering resolve.

Liam had revealed his true colors, the extent of his deception and manipulation. However, he had also given me the weapons I needed to fight back. He thought he understood me and could predict my every movement. But he had no idea of my capabilities.

 I rose up and stretched my arms towards the sky. "We'll start planning our next move tomorrow." Since Liam want to play dirty? Fine. But he is going to realize that I am not the pushover he believes I am.

Joan grinned and raised her mug in a faux toast. "To the fall of Liam Ashton, and the rise of Diane Ashton." 

I clinked my cup against hers, a smile forming on the edges of my mouth. "To justice, and to new beginnings." 

As I stared out over the ocean, I felt a sensation of calm sweep over me. The journey ahead would be difficult, with battles both inside and outside of the courts. But, for the first time since this nightmare began, I felt fully prepared to face whatever happened next.

Liam had exposed his true self, and in doing so, he had reawakened something within me - a power and tenacity I was unaware I had. He wants to go to war? Well, I'd make sure to give him one.