Chapter 9 - THE LIQUIDATION
The weeks that followed were a whirlwind of activity.
The news of Grant Whitmore’s arrest was the scandal of the century.
The "Mistress in the Stolen Robe" was a headline that appeared in every tabloid.
I didn't hide.
I stood on the steps of the courthouse every morning,
wearing my cream suits and a steady smile.
The board meeting went exactly as planned.
The members were horrified by the evidence of Grant’s crimes.
They voted unanimously to remove him and appoint me.
I began the process of liquidating Grant’s life.
The villa in Tuscany was sold,
and the proceeds were donated to water purification projects in Africa.
The apartment for Sienna’s mother was reclaimed and turned into a shelter for domestic abuse survivors.
I went through the company,
firing anyone who had helped Grant hide his tracks.
I purged the rot,
brick by brick.
Grant was denied bail.
Sienna took a plea deal,
agreeing to testify against him in exchange for a lighter sentence.
She told the world how Grant had manipulated her,
how he had used her as a puppet.
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
But then I remembered her in my robe,
with my white roses.
The "nine months" of my audit were finally over.
The company was stable.
The trust was secure.
And the patent for my father’s technology was safely back in the foundation’s hands.
I sat in my office on a Friday evening,
looking at the empty chair where Grant used to sit.
The desk was clean.
The air was clear.
I realized that for the first time in ten years,
I could breathe.
The phone rang.
It was Arthur Bell.
“Evelyn,
the final divorce decree just came through.”
“It’s official.”
“You are no longer a Whitmore.”
“Thank you,
Arthur,”
I said.
“I’ll see you on Monday.”
I hung up and looked at my hand.
The tan line where my wedding ring used to be was almost gone.
May you like
The past was fading.
The future was a blank canvas.
