Chapter 4 - The Great Unmasking
Seraphina took a step closer to Grant,
looming over him even though they were the same height.
The power dynamic had shifted so violently that the air felt thin.
"I washed the dishes because I wanted to see if there was a man underneath that ego,"
she said,
her voice dropping to a deadly whisper.
"But all I found was a coward who needs a mistress to feel important and a mother to fight his battles."
She turned to the stage and signaled to the MC.
The man handed her a microphone.
"Good evening, everyone,"
Seraphina said,
her voice amplified throughout the museum.
"My name is Seraphina Bellamy."
"I am the founder and Chairwoman of Bellamy Holdings."
"For the past five years, my company has been the silent partner of Holloway Meridian Group."
"I have funded their projects, covered their losses, and kept their reputation intact."
"I did this because I believed in the sanctity of marriage."
"I believed that a wife should support her husband."
She paused,
looking directly at Delaney,
who was trying to hide behind Grant.
"But I have learned that some people do not deserve support."
"Some people mistake kindness for weakness."
"And some people forget who actually holds the keys to the kingdom."
The investors in the room began to murmur frantically.
The board members of Grant’s company,
who were all present,
looked at each other in terror.
They knew what this meant.
If Bellamy Holdings pulled out,
Holloway Meridian would be bankrupt by morning.
Grant was shaking now,
tears of frustration and fear welling in his eyes.
"Seraphina, honey, let’s talk about this privately,"
he pleaded,
his voice cracking.
"I didn't know."
"I swear, I didn't know it was you."
Seraphina laughed,
and the sound was like breaking glass.
"That’s the point, Grant."
"You never looked at me long enough to see who I really was."
"You only saw what you wanted to see: a servant."
She turned back to the microphone.
"Effective immediately, Bellamy Holdings is severing all ties with Holloway Meridian."
"We are calling in all outstanding loans, totaling four hundred million dollars, due by midnight."
"Furthermore, I am filing for divorce on the grounds of adultery and emotional abuse."
"I have the photos, Grant."
"I have the messages."
"And I have the bank statements showing every penny you spent on Delaney with my money."
The room erupted into chaos.
Reporters began snapping photos at a furious pace.
Mavis fainted into a nearby chair.
Brielle began to cry,
realizing her designer lifestyle was evaporating in real-time.
Grant fell to his knees on the grand staircase,
looking up at the woman he had treated like trash.
She looked like a goddess,
untouchable and vengeful.
"You can't do this,"
he sobbed.
"I'll lose everything."
Seraphina looked down at him one last time.
May you like
"You already lost everything, Grant."
"You just didn't realize it until I stopped letting you win."
