Chapter 5 - THE MAN WHO WANTED TO OWN MY FUTURE
Julian Duval had spent years telling me I was incapable of giving him a future.
Now he wanted a court to declare I was incapable of managing my own.
The petition arrived at 8:06 the following morning.
Rachel read it aloud over a secure video call.
Julian claimed I'd been emotionally unstable following our divorce.
He cited my decision to avoid public events.
My withdrawal from several social organizations.
And, most cruelly, my past grief over fertility treatments.
"He included photographs of you leaving medical appointments," Rachel said.
My hands went cold.
"Those were private."
"I know."
"He had someone follow me?"
"It appears so."
I stared out the window.
For two years, I'd avoided Julian because every encounter left me feeling smaller.
Now he was using that avoidance as evidence that something was wrong with me.
Gabriel sat nearby, saying nothing.
I appreciated that.
Everyone else seemed to have an opinion about my life.
He was the only person who waited to hear mine.
"What happens next?" I asked Rachel.
"We challenge the petition. The evidence is weak, but the fraudulent account complicates matters."
"Because it's in my name."
"Exactly."
I placed a hand over my stomach.
"Will this affect my baby?"
Rachel's expression softened.
"The petition concerns finances, not parental rights. We'll fight it on the facts."
I nodded.
Then asked the question I'd been avoiding.
"Could Julian be doing this because he knows I'm pregnant?"
Gabriel looked up.
Rachel hesitated.
"Possibly. But we need evidence."
That afternoon, Julian called.
I almost ignored him.
Instead, I recorded the time and answered with Rachel listening on a separate line.
"Khloe."
His voice sounded tired.
Almost gentle.
I hated that I remembered loving it.
"What do you want?"
"I want to help you."
I laughed.
"You filed a petition claiming I can't manage my own money."
"Because you're making reckless decisions."
"Such as?"
"Showing up at the gala with Gabriel Lancaster."
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
This was still about control.
"You don't get to decide whom I spend time with."
Julian exhaled.
"Khloe, you're carrying a child. You need stability."
My heart stopped.
"How do you know how far along I am?"
Silence.
Then he said, "Everyone saw you."
"That isn't what I asked."
He didn't answer.
I continued.
"How do you know my due date?"
A long pause.
Then Julian whispered, "You should be careful who you trust."
The call ended.
Rachel immediately began investigating how he'd obtained my pregnancy information.
Three hours later, she called back.
"Khloe, we found a request for your prenatal records."
My stomach turned.
"Who made it?"
"A private investigator working for Duval Holdings."
"Did they get anything?"
"Your clinic refused to release the records. But someone accessed your old medical profile."
I closed my eyes.
Then Rachel added something unexpected.
"The login came from an address registered to Dalia Fontaine."
My hands trembled.
But that wasn't the biggest surprise.
The accessed file contained an old laboratory report.
A report I had never been shown.
Rachel read the date.
It was from the final month of my marriage.
May you like
Then she whispered:
"Khloe, according to this record, you were pregnant before Julian divorced you."
