Chapter 2 - The Paper Trail of Deception
The collective gasp from three hundred people was deafening.
Miranda’s face turned from a smug mask of victory to a pale sheet of terror.
She looked at me,
then at my father,
and then back at the divorce papers I had just signed.
“Daughter?”
she squeaked,
her voice failing her.
I took the folder from Marcus and opened it.
I didn't look at Ethan.
I didn't look at the woman who had called me a parasite.
I looked at the documents inside,
each one a nail in the coffin of Ethan’s empire.
“You told everyone I was a broke parasite,
Ethan,”
I said,
my voice steady and clear,
carrying to the very back of the room.
“You told them I contributed nothing to your success.”
I pulled out the first document.
“This is the deed to the headquarters of Caldwell International,”
I said,
holding it up for the cameras to see.
“It isn't owned by your company.
It is owned by an Evans subsidiary.
A subsidiary that I personally manage.”
Ethan reached out,
his fingers twitching.
“Olivia,
wait,
let's talk about this privately.”
I ignored him and pulled out the second document.
“This is the master loan agreement for your recent expansion in London.
The one that was approved by an anonymous lender when every bank in New York turned you down.”
I looked him dead in the eye.
“I am that lender,
Ethan.
My father provided the capital,
but I was the one who signed the approval.”
The investors in the front row began to murmur,
their faces darkening as they realized the stability of the company they had invested in was a lie.
“And these,”
I said,
pulling out a stack of receipts and bank statements,
“are the records of every cent I’ve funneled into your accounts over the last three years to keep your lifestyle afloat while you were busy spending your profits on jewelry for your mistress.”
Miranda stepped back,
nearly tripping over her own heels.
“That's not true!”
she cried out,
desperate to save herself.
“He said he earned it all!
He said she was just a stay-at-home trophy wife who couldn't even have kids!”
The mention of my miscarriages caused a cold chill to fill my chest.
My father’s eyes narrowed,
and for a moment,
I thought he might actually strike Ethan.
“My daughter stayed silent to protect your ego,
Ethan,”
my father said,
his voice low and dangerous.
“She wanted to see if you loved her for who she was,
or for what she could do for you.”
He looked around the room,
his gaze lingering on the board members.
“It seems we have our answer.”
He turned back to Marcus.
“Initiate the recall.”
Ethan’s eyes went wide.
“Recall?
What recall?”
Marcus stepped forward,
checking his watch.
“As of thirty seconds ago,
Miss Evans has exercised her right to call in all outstanding debts owed by Caldwell International.
Since the company does not have the liquidity to pay,
May you like
we are beginning the process of asset seizure.”
The room exploded into chaos.
