Chapter 3 - The Ambush at the Bedside
|
Vanessa let out a low, arrogant chuckle, stepping closer to the foot of my bed. With a deliberate, theatrical motion, she loosened the belt of her overcoat and pulled the lapels wide open.
She was completely naked underneath.
Red lipstick was smeared across Mark’s collar, matching the shade on Vanessa’s lips. She stood there in the harsh hospital light, smirking down at my paralyzed form while Mark stood beside her, showing no shame whatsoever.
"Do you like it, Claire?" Vanessa taunted, leaning over the footboard. "Mark bought me this coat yesterday. With your company card, of course."
"You disgusting cow," I whispered, my blood running cold.
"Don't bother getting emotional," Mark interrupted, stepping around Vanessa to look down at me. "Vanessa and I have been together for two years. Did you really think a workaholic like you could keep a man satisfied? You spent every weekend managing job sites while I was left holding the bag."
"I built Whitmore Development!" I choked out, fighting the rage threatening to suffocate me. "My father started it, and I rebuilt it from four bankrupt properties into forty million dollars! You were just a mid-level manager until I made you COO!"
"And you made a mistake keeping everything in your name," Diane interjected, her harsh voice cutting through the room.
Diane unclasped the binder and pulled out a stack of crisp, legal documents. She dropped them directly onto my chest, the weight pressing against my bruised ribs.
"What are these?" I asked, refusing to look down at the pages.
"Your surrender," Diane said coldly. "A medical power of attorney naming Mark as your primary guardian, voting proxies transferring full control of Whitmore Development to him, and a deed of gift transferring your lake house into his personal name."
May you like
"You're out of your minds," I said. "I will never sign a single page."
Mark leaned over my face, his warm, liquor-laced breath brushing against my skin. "You don't have a choice, Claire. Look at your legs. You're broken."
