Patricia tracked a pattern: Victoria’s first husband, a businessman in Savannah, had filed a sealed civil suit years ago involving financial misrepresentation. The details were hard to access, but Patricia had a contact—someone who knew the story from the inside.
Her name was Helen Briggs.
Helen was the ex-wife of one of Victoria’s former husbands. She lived in Savannah, and when I called her, she answered like she’d been waiting for this moment for years.
“I wondered when she’d get bold enough to do it again,” Helen said. Her voice was tired, not bitter—like someone who’d already burned through anger and come out the other side with blunt truth.
“She did this to you?” I asked.
Helen laughed once, humorless. “She did it to any man who trusted her,” she said. “She’s not a wife. She’s a strategy.”
My stomach tightened. “Will you testify?” I asked.
Helen paused. “If it helps stop her,” she said slowly, “yes. But you need to understand—she will fight like a cornered animal. She will charm. She will cry. She will accuse.”
“I know,” I said. “I’ve lived with her.”