Chapter 5 - The Morning After
The sun rose over my estate the next morning, casting a warm, golden light through the massive windows.
For the first time in ten years, I woke up in the center of the master bed.
The house was completely silent, completely clean, and completely mine.
I brewed a cup of expensive coffee, walked into my home office, and opened my laptop.
Arthur had not wasted a single second.
By 8:00 AM, the forensic accountants had officially locked down every single financial asset tied to Marcus Sterling.
My phone began ringing incessantly.
The caller ID flashed Marcus’s name, then Eleanor’s, then Marcus’s again.
I ignored all of them, sipping my coffee in absolute peace.
Eventually, I received a frantic text message from David.
"Clara, they showed up at my house last night in towels. Marcus tried to use his credit card to book a hotel this morning and it was declined everywhere."
I smiled, typing back a quick response.
"I suggest he gets used to the word 'declined'."
Marcus was currently experiencing the brutal, unfiltered reality of a life without my financial protection.
His sports car was parked in my locked garage.
His expensive watches were in my safe.
He had to borrow David’s old college sweatpants just to have clothes on his back.
But the financial ruin was only the first phase of my operation.
Now, it was time to systematically dismantle his professional life.
Marcus was a senior PR executive. His entire career relied on his pristine public image and his ability to manage crises.
I picked up my phone and dialed the personal cell number of the CEO of Marcus’s PR firm.
The CEO, Richard Sterling (no relation, ironically), was a man who valued integrity and despised public scandals.
“Clara? Good morning,” Richard answered warmly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Good morning, Richard,” I said, keeping my voice steady and professional.
“I am calling to formally withdraw my culinary institutes from your firm's client roster.”
Richard gasped. My three massive businesses accounted for nearly twenty percent of their annual revenue.
“Clara, wait! Why? Did Marcus do something wrong on the account?”
“Marcus did a lot of things wrong, Richard,” I replied coldly.
“I am divorcing your senior executive for extreme infidelity and financial fraud. And I refuse to do business with a company that employs a man who tried to steal my empire.”
The line went dead silent.
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I knew exactly what Richard was thinking. If this scandal leaked, it would destroy the firm's credibility.
“I understand, Clara,” Richard said, his voice turning deadly serious. “Consider the situation handled internally.”
