Chapter 9 - THE DOCTOR’S NOTE
Dr. Elaine Porter had kept a note Mason never knew existed.
Seven weeks before the assault, Mason accompanied Natalie to a routine prenatal appointment.
Natalie had mentioned difficulty sleeping.
Nothing unusual.
Pregnancy.
Stress.
Back pain.
Mason interrupted.
“She’s been paranoid.”
Dr. Porter remembered Natalie turning toward him.
Not shocked.
Observant.
Mason continued.
“She thinks people are following her.”
Natalie said calmly:
“No, I think your girlfriend is following me.”
Mason laughed.
Dr. Porter did not.
Afterward, Mason asked to speak privately.
Dr. Porter refused to exclude Natalie from her own medical discussion.
Mason then asked whether stress during pregnancy could cause “confusion” or “unreliable memories.”
Dr. Porter documented every word.
Now the note sat in front of Detective Morales.
“So he was establishing instability?”
“I can only tell you what occurred medically.”
“Did Mrs. Whitaker display confusion?”
“No.”
“Paranoia?”
“No.”
“Delusional thinking?”
“No.”
“Did you ever diagnose a psychiatric disorder?”
“No.”
Morales closed the file.
“Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Natalie met with a family-law attorney named Rachel Monroe.
Rachel had represented executives, athletes, heirs, and one governor’s spouse.
She did not care who Mason was.
That was why Natalie hired her.
“The prenup is strong,” Rachel said.
“I know.”
“But strength isn’t the same as invincibility.”
“What changes it?”
“Fraud.”
Rachel turned a page.
“Coercion.”
Another page.
“Failure to disclose.”
Another.
“And potentially the misuse of your separate assets.”
Natalie nodded.
“I don’t want his money.”
Rachel studied her.
“Good.”
Natalie looked surprised.
“Why good?”
“Because revenge makes clients stupid.”
Rachel leaned back.
“You want control of what belongs to you.”
“Yes.”
“You want protection for your daughter.”
“Yes.”
“You want him unable to manipulate the company into insolvency.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Natalie looked toward the window.
“I want the truth written somewhere he can’t rewrite it.”
Rachel nodded.
“That I can work with.”
Then she slid across a document.
Temporary protective order.
Exclusive use of the Belle Meade residence, if Natalie wanted it.
She shook her head.
“He can keep the house for now.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Rachel looked curious.
“Why?”
Natalie remembered Vivian saying the house would be hers.
May you like
Because sometimes the sharpest punishment was not taking something.
It was letting people discover it had never belonged to them.
