She retained an attorney.
Then returned to her beautiful house near the lake.
Her husband was waiting.
He had watched the video.
So had their adult children.
Several longtime friends.
Most of the neighborhood.
And apparently a large part of the country.
The president walked into the living room with her jaw clenched.
Her husband stood beside the fireplace.
“What happened?”
She threw her handbag onto a chair.
“You saw the video.”
He nodded.
“I did.”
“Then you know.”
He stared.
“Why did you grab her hair?”
The president's expression hardened.
“She was provoking me.”
Her husband looked toward the television.
The paused image showed the younger woman standing beside the police officers before the assault.
He shook his head.
“She wasn't touching you.”
The president's face reddened.
“You don't understand what she's been doing.”
He sighed.
“Then explain it.”
She began pacing.
“The notices. The board meeting. The residents gathering behind my back.”
Her husband remained quiet.
She continued.
“She thinks she can take over this neighborhood.”
The man looked toward her.
“She's asking for documents.”
The president stopped.
Her husband continued.
“Documents you should already have.”
She stared.
“What are you implying?”
He looked toward the development agreement on the coffee table.
Then back at her.
“I'm asking whether this has something to do with the access road.”
The room became silent.
The president's expression changed.
Her husband walked toward the table.
“I looked at the contract.”
She stared.
“You had no right.”
His face hardened.
“It's connected to our family business.”
He lifted the document.
“And it promises a lot of money if the access rights are secured.”
The president looked away.
He continued.
“Did you tell the developer you could get the woman to sign?”
She said nothing.
“Did you?”
The president's voice became sharp.
“I told them I could coordinate community approval.”
Her husband stared.
“That's not the same as owning her land.”
She turned.
“You think I don't know that?”
“Then why were you trying to force her out?”
The president's eyes filled with angry tears.
For several seconds, she couldn't speak.
Then she whispered.
“Because if this deal fails, we're going to lose everything we've worked for.”
Her husband looked toward the fireplace.
The words settled heavily.
They had debts.
That was true.
Their lifestyle was expensive.
Their investments had suffered.
But he hadn't realized how much of their financial future she had attached to one development agreement.
He looked back at her.