Chapter 8 The truth hit Ashley and the other parents like a physical blow . Horror spread across their faces as they realized what they'd done . I turned to the officer , my voice arctic . " I need to get my daughter's injuries treated . But I want everyone involved charged to the fullest extent of the law . " " We'll handle it , " he assured me , already directing his team to take the perpetrators into custody . Before I left , he advised me to collect all documentation - medical reports , purchase receipts for the damaged items , and photo evidence . They'd need everything for the charges . After getting Emma's wound properly treated and the wire removed at Mount Sinai , I left her with our longtime nanny and headed to the precinct , files in hand . The scene at the station was a far cry from the schoolyard drama . The once - proud parents sat deflated in the harsh fluorescent light . Their entire worldview had shattered . They'd played up to Ashley thinking she was Mrs. Walker , CEO's wife , their ticket to the upper echelon . How quickly they'd groveled , desperate to curry favor with what they thought was power . Now their " queen bee " had been exposed as the very thing they despised - a mistress . And I , the woman they'd attacked and humiliated , turned out to be the real Mrs. Walker . The irony made them sick . They couldn't even look at Ashley now . She sat alone , a broken woman . The day's events had destroyed her carefully constructed reality . The financial ruin facing her wasn't even the worst part . She'd come to that school ready to destroy a homewrecker , proudly proclaiming her hatred for mistresses . Only to discover she was the mistress all along . And Tyler , her precious son whom she'd proclaimed the true heir , was now by her own definition an illegitimate child . The truth was a bitter pill she couldn't swallow . The officer reviewed my documentation carefully , tallying the damages . When he announced the total - $ 940 million- the room went dead silent . Then the denials started . " That's impossible ! No one has that kind of money ! " -11 - d for " Annles Times Oranges " -Come Now ! 9.8 % Спарте 8 " Officer , this has to be some kind of scam ! " " Where would a woman get assets like that ? You need to investigate her ! " " She must be running some kind of con ! " They were still trying to discredit me , unable to accept the reality of their situation . The officer just shook his head . " We've verified everything . She's the heiress to one of America's largest fortunes . Her wealth is beyond anything you can imagine . She chose to live humbly , and you mistook that humility for weakness . " His words hit them like sledgehammers . " The damages alone carry serious jail time . Instead of questioning her wealth , you should be figuring out how to pay restitution . And she's made it clear - no deals . " The number - $ 940 million - hung in the air like a guillotine blade . Unable to face the consequences , they started bargaining . " Come on , you're loaded ! Why punish us like this ? " " This is all just a misunderstanding ! We can work something out ! " " So we broke some stuff and got a little rough . You're the richest woman in New York - why be so vindictive ? " " Look , you're not even badly hurt . Can't you just let this go ? " The entitled arrogance in their voices was staggering . As if destroying nearly a billion dollars in property and assaulting someone in broad daylight were minor indiscretions to be waved away . Perhaps they thought my wealth meant I should just absorb the loss . Take the abuse and smile . I met their pleading eyes with a cold smile . " You were so brave earlier , weren't you ? Smashing my car , destroying my art , throwing punches? " " What happened to that confidence ? Big enough to destroy property but too small to pay for it ? " " You had plenty to say while you were kicking me . Why so quiet now ? " These sanctimonious parents had convinced themselves they were defending marriage , standing up for wronged wives everywhere . In reality , they were just social climbers , desperately trying to attach themselves to perceived power . If they'd only damaged property , perhaps we could have discussed alternatives . Como Now ! 10.0 % Chapter 8 But they crossed an unforgivable line . They hurt my daughter . Emma is my red line . Touch her , and all mercy vanishes . I would make them pay . Every last cent .