Chapter 17 - The Boardroom Coup
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The boardroom went dead silent as I walked in, followed by the most feared divorce attorney in Manhattan.
Richard froze halfway to his chair, his eyes widening in absolute, paralyzing shock as he saw me standing there, and then shifting to see his estranged father sitting at the head of the table.
“Victoria?” Richard gasped, his voice cracking, the polished CEO facade instantly crumbling. “What the hell are you doing here? Arthur, what is this?”
Arthur Vance smiled, a cold, predatory expression that mirrored my own.
“Take a seat, Richard,” Arthur commanded, his voice echoing with absolute authority. “We have some urgent corporate matters to discuss. Specifically, the eight million dollars you embezzled from this company at midnight last night.”
The board members gasped, tearing open the sealed envelopes sitting in front of them.
Richard’s face drained of all color, turning a sickly, ashen gray. He looked at the documents, then at me. The realization hit him like a physical blow. The quiet, obedient wife he thought was busy organizing playdates had just dismantled his entire financial architecture.
“This is a setup!” Richard shouted, slamming his hands on the table, his panic flaring into desperation. “I didn't authorize any transfer! Victoria, tell them! She stole my authorization codes! Clare can prove it!”
“Clare Mitchell resigned this morning, Richard,” Arthur stated flatly. “She boarded a flight to London at 6:00 AM. And the digital forensics confirm your personal IP address authorized the transfer to an offshore shell company. You stole from this board.”
“That’s a lie!” Richard roared, looking wildly at the board members, who were staring at him with undisguised disgust.
“The board has already voted, Richard,” Arthur announced, standing up, reclaiming his empire with a single sentence. “You are hereby terminated as CEO of Horizon Prime Developers, effective immediately. Security will escort you to your office to collect your personal belongings, and then you will be removed from the premises.”
“You can't do this to me! I built this company!” Richard shrieked, security guards already stepping forward to grab his arms.
He locked eyes with me across the massive glass table. The hatred and betrayal in his gaze were absolute, but they were entirely eclipsed by the terror of a man watching his life burn to ash.
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“You did this,” Richard hissed, straining against the guards.
“I just filed the paperwork, Richard,” I replied, my voice perfectly calm, echoing through the silent boardroom. “Consider it my resignation as your wife.”
