Chapter 3: Ugly Truths

I contacted someone at Marcus’s company—Zeta Tech. The contact was Lillian, head of the HR compliance department.

I introduced myself as the lawyer representing Marcus’s family and asked to discuss the case.

Lillian agreed to meet.

I asked, "Ms. Evans, can I bring a family member?"

"Family member?"

"His wife."

Lillian hesitated. "Derek, you’d better come alone. Some things aren’t suitable for his wife to hear."

I was puzzled but agreed.

Rachel had already taken leave, eager to know about the case, but when she heard only I could go, she sounded disappointed. "Oh."

"Derek, please talk to them. See what they want—compensation or whatever. As long as it can reduce Marcus’s punishment, I’ll do anything."

"Don’t worry, Rachel. I’ll pass on your message."

That afternoon, I went to Zeta Tech. Lillian had someone take me to a quiet meeting room.

I thanked her—after all, once a case is with the authorities, the company doesn’t have to talk to us.

"Ms. Evans, Marcus’s family is very anxious since his detention." I paused. "Let me be direct—what exactly did Marcus do?"

Lillian explained, "Marcus isn’t actually that senior here, but he manages an outsourced team and controls their bonuses. His position isn’t high, but he has real power."

I was surprised. Marcus always told me he was a director. Turns out he exaggerated.

I rolled my eyes a little. Typical Marcus, I thought. Making himself out to be more important than he really was.

Lillian continued, "It started when a woman from the outsourced team reported that Marcus abused his power, messed around with women, dated five outsourced female employees at once, and gave them raises outside the proper process."

Five at once?

My jaw dropped. I was stunned. Was this really the Marcus I knew?

"Yes, the woman who reported him was one of his girlfriends." Lillian glanced at me. "He told all those women he was single, dated them like normal, even met some of their parents. If his wife knew... what would she think?"

Uh... what would she think?

Any normal person would lose it.

If I were Rachel, I’d want to kill him.

"The company isn’t his dating playground. This is serious, so we reported him to the police. And finance found he’d embezzled over $120,000, not including the unauthorized raises for those women."

I said, "Ms. Evans, his family is willing to compensate and ask for your forgiveness in hopes of leniency."

She spread her hands. "We’re a business. If Marcus can return the money and prevent our losses, we’ll issue a letter of forgiveness for the authorities. As a lawyer, you know how important that is for sentencing."

She was clear—they wanted the money back.

"How much time do we have to raise it?"

"That’s up to you." She paused. "The facts are clear, and the evidence is solid. It’ll likely go to the prosecutor by the end of the month."

The longer it dragged on, the worse for us.

I left and met with Rachel, telling her about the compensation demand. Of course, I didn’t mention Marcus’s affairs with other women.

Maybe that was wrong, but as Marcus’s friend, I couldn’t bring myself to hurt him. Still, I felt sick to my stomach—how could I look Rachel in the eye after this?

She muttered, "$120,000? Where did it all go? I never saw any of it."

"Only Marcus knows."

I had a strong hunch—he probably spent it on those women.

She asked, "Derek, legally, if we pay back the money, how much will it help Marcus?"

"It’s an economic crime in a private company. If the company issues a letter of forgiveness and doesn’t pursue criminal responsibility, we can apply for non-prosecution. I’ve seen similar cases—it’s likely to work."

She stared at her hands, knuckles white, before finally looking up. She made up her mind. "Then I’ll do whatever it takes to raise the money. If I have to, I’ll sell the house."

I looked at her and fell silent.

Rachel was clearly in over her head—doing everything possible to hold her world together, even when the foundation was crumbling. I admired her resolve, but a part of me ached for how alone she must’ve felt.