Chapter 4 - Unraveling the Web
For three weeks, I did not sleep more than four hours a night. Armed with access to public tax records, property registries, and financial disclosures filed during our short-lived marriage, I began tracing the money flow of Villarreal Development Corp.
What I found was astounding.
Beatrice and Alex had been inflating the value of their commercial properties in River Oaks to secure massive loans from private equity firms. They were using new loan money to pay off old debts—a classic, high-stakes Ponzi-style scheme wrapped in real estate development. Worse, they had forged my signature on several loan guarantee documents during our honeymoon, attempting to make me the financial fall-guy if the system collapsed.
"Look at this," I pointed out to Evelyn during a late-night strategy session in her office. "This shell company—Villarreal Holdings LLC—claims to own a $40 million commercial tower on Westheimer. But the title was never properly transferred from Arthur Sterling's original firm in 2006. They’ve been using a fraudulent deed as collateral for a $15 million credit line."
Evelyn stared at the screen, her eyes wide. "Mariana... this isn't just a bitter divorce. This is federal bank fraud."
"And look who signed as the primary notary," I added, zooming in on the document. "Regina Villarreal."
While we quietly gathered evidence, Alex and Beatrice launched a smear campaign against me. They released leaked statements to local tabloids, depicting me as a gold-digging psycho who attacked her loving husband for money. Photos of Alex’s bandaged neck were published, making him look like an innocent victim.
The public scrutiny was intense. Reporters hovered outside my parents' hardware store. Passersby hurled insults. But I kept my head down and continued auditing.
One evening, my phone rang from an unknown number. I answered it.
"Mariana."
It was Alex. His voice was raspy, damaged from the trauma and medication.
"Alex," I said coldly. "You shouldn't be calling me. My lawyer—"
"I don't care about the lawyers!" he snapped, though his tone quickly shifted into a desperate, manipulative whimper. "Mariana, please. You ruined my face. I have scars that will never go away. But... I know my family pushed you too far. My mother and Regina... they controlled me. If you drop the civil claims and sign the non-disclosure agreement, I'll drop the civil lawsuit against you. We can end this quietly."
"You hit me, Alex," I said, my voice cutting through his act like a blade. "You sat there while your sister stole my grandmother's memory, you let your mother treat me like a maid, and then you laid your hands on me."
May you like
"It was one mistake!" he yelled, dropping the act. "You threw burning oil on me! You belong in a cage!"
"I'll see you in court, Alex," I said, and hung up.
