Chapter 9 - The Mistress's Downfall
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While Graham was being publicly executed in the boardroom, Tessa Ward was experiencing her own private hell on the thirty-second floor.
She arrived at the corporate communications department at 8:30 a.m., ready to draft a press release spinning Avery’s actions at the gala as a "tragic consequence of severe pregnancy complications."
She swiped her keycard at the glass doors. The reader beeped red.
Access Denied.
Frowning, Tessa tried again. Red.
“Having trouble, Ms. Ward?” a voice asked behind her.
Tessa turned to see two imposing security guards flanking a woman from Human Resources. The HR representative held a cardboard box containing Tessa’s personal desk items—a framed photo, a coffee mug, and a pair of spare heels.
“What is this?” Tessa demanded, crossing her arms defensively. “I need to get to my desk. Graham is waiting for my crisis management strategy.”
“Mr. Cole is no longer the CEO of this company,” the HR representative said flatly. “And you are no longer an employee. You have been terminated for gross misconduct and violation of the company’s morality and ethics clause.”
“You can't fire me!” Tessa shrieked, the polished corporate facade completely dissolving in the hallway. “I am the director of this department!”
“Your severance package is voided due to the nature of your termination,” the HR woman continued, entirely unfazed by the outburst. “Please take your belongings. Security will escort you out of the building immediately.”
Tessa grabbed her phone, frantically dialing Graham’s number. It went straight to voicemail. She opened her news app to see if there was a glitch.
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The top headline on the Wall Street Journal glared back at her in bold black letters: COLE MERIDIAN CEO OUSTED AMID MASSIVE FRAUD AND EMBEZZLEMENT SCANDAL.
Tessa dropped the cardboard box. The coffee mug shattered on the marble floor. Graham wasn't just fired. He was broke.
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