Chapter 3 - The Boardroom Eviction(Focus: Clara addresses the professional side of the betrayal; Owen tries to salvage his job at Clara’s firm, only to find out who really calls the shots.)
Two days passed. I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, but I didn't stop moving. I spent forty-eight hours locked in a conference room with the city's top divorce attorney, slicing through Owen's financial life like a surgeon.
On Friday morning, I walked into the headquarters of Aegis Marketing, the corporate firm where I served as the Senior Vice President of Operations. Owen was a junior partner there—a position he had obtained largely because of my influence, though the board of directors didn't know the full extent of my leverage.
When I pushed open the doors to the main executive office, Owen was already there, sitting at his desk, frantically typing on his laptop. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and wrinkled clothes. When he saw me walk in wearing a sharp black blazer and heels, he stood up defensively.
"Clara, we need to talk," he muttered, trying to keep his voice down so the other partners wouldn't hear. "You can't bring our personal problems into the office. I have a major presentation with our primary investor, Mr. Sterling, in ten minutes. If you interfere with this, I will sue you for professional sabotage."
"I’m not here to sabotage you, Owen," I said, standing by the glass window, looking out over the city. "I’m here to attend the meeting."
Before he could argue, the door to the boardroom opened, and Mr. Sterling himself walked in, followed by the Managing Director of the firm.
"Ah, Clara, glad you could make it," Mr. Sterling said, shaking my hand warmly. He glanced at Owen with a cold, professional indifference. "Owen, let's get started. We don't have all day."
Owen nervously took his place at the head of the table, turning on the projector screen. "Thank you, Mr. Sterling. Today, I am presenting the expansion strategy for the Sterling account. Over the past six months, I have personally managed—"
"Actually, Owen, you haven't managed anything over the past six months," I interrupted smoothly, sitting back in my chair.
The boardroom went silent. The Managing Director frowned. "Clara? What do you mean?"
"I mean that an internal audit of Owen's corporate expense reports was conducted yesterday morning," I said, pulling a leather folder from my briefcase and sliding it across the table to Mr. Sterling. "It appears that Owen has been billing our primary accounts for private luxury hotel rooms, weekend getaways, and expensive jewelry purchases."
Owen’s laptop nearly slipped from his hands. "That’s a lie! Those were client entertainment expenses!"
"The jewelry was purchased at Tiffany & Co. on a Tuesday afternoon while you were supposedly at a marketing conference," I continued, staring him down. "And the hotel rooms were booked under the name of an external contractor... Marissa Vance. My cousin."
Mr. Sterling opened the folder, his eyes scanning the receipts and the accompanying security logs from the corporate credit card. His face turned to stone. He looked up at Owen. "You used my company’s investment funds to finance an affair with your wife's cousin?"
"Mr. Sterling, please, it’s a personal dispute! Clara is framing me because we are getting a divorce!" Owen panicked, sweat pouring down his neck.
"Owen," Mr. Sterling said, closing the folder with a sharp snap. "Your wife is the reason this firm retains my business. You are a liability. Effective immediately, your partnership is revoked, your employment is terminated, and we will be turning these financial records over to the district attorney for corporate fraud."
May you like
Owen fell back into his chair, staring at the screen as his corporate access was remotely disconnected by IT. He looked at me, his eyes filled with a desperate, venomous hatred. "You planned this. You destroyed my life."
"No, Owen," I whispered as I stood up to leave the room. "You destroyed it. I just turned on the lights so everyone could watch."
Related Stories
