Chapter 11 #2
"Reid, this is a misunderstanding," she stammered, her voice suddenly breathless and frantic. "I have private investments that aren't reflected in these files. My financial portfolio is incredibly complex?—"
"Your portfolio is a Ponzi scheme built on high-interest loans," I corrected her, my tone devoid of any emotion.
"You targeted me. You manipulated my schedule, you attempted to seduce me in my own home, and when that failed, you drove to the island and fed my wife a fabricated story to destroy my marriage.
You thought you could clear the board and secure your access to my capital before your creditors called in your debts. "
"She didn't appreciate you!" Victoria fired back, abandoning the lie and launching into a desperate, cornered defense.
Her voice shrilled, echoing against the acoustic panels.
"She was holding you back! I understand the business, Reid.
I understand what you need. We belong together.
I was doing you a favor by getting rid of her! "
"You are terminated, effective immediately," I stated, completely ignoring her outburst. I kept my voice low, forcing her to strain to hear her own execution. “As a consultant, you aren’t entitled to severance or anything like that. The rest of your contract will be paid out, but I’m afraid it won’t be nearly enough to pay off your debts. You’re done here.”
Victoria gripped the armrests of the guest chair, her chest heaving.
The realization that her gamble had failed catastrophically was visibly tearing her apart.
"You can't do this. I built the expansion models for the Tacoma plant.
You need me for the launch next week. The board will push back if you terminate me without cause. "
"The board works for me," I reminded her coldly. "And you are easily replaceable. And as you aren’t actually an employee here, I don’t have to show cause.”
I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the desk, bringing my face closer to hers. The absolute, unvarnished hatred in my eyes finally silenced her.
"You made a fatal error when you targeted my wife," I told her, measuring out every single word. "I don't just want you out of my company. I want you out of the industry."
Victoria swallowed hard, shrinking back into the leather chair. "What does that mean?"
"It means that during the last hour, I made three personal phone calls," I explained, watching the terror bloom in her eyes.
"I called the executive vice presidents at the three banks currently holding your leveraged debt.
These are banks that desperately want to acquire Mitchell Energy's corporate accounts.
I used my leverage. I explicitly flagged your financial files for immediate internal review. "
Victoria gasped, a genuine sound of horror. "No."
"Yes," I confirmed, my voice entirely devoid of mercy.
"Your grace periods are revoked. Your extensions are denied.
Your loans are being called in today, Victoria.
All of them. By the time you reach the lobby, your accounts will be frozen, your leased cars will be flagged for repossession, and your penthouse will be entering foreclosure.
You are financially ruined. You are blacklisted from the energy sector, and your con is permanently over. "
She sat completely paralyzed, her mouth opening and closing without producing any sound. The confident consultant had been entirely eradicated, leaving behind a terrified, drowning woman who had finally run out of runway.
I pressed a button on my intercom. “Franken. We are finished here."
The glass door opened instantly. Franken stepped into the office, his presence a silent, looming threat. He walked over to Victoria’s chair and waited.
"Get out of my building," I instructed, breaking eye contact and turning my attention to a blueprint on my desk, dismissing her existence entirely.
Victoria didn't argue. She didn't scream or beg. The sheer magnitude of the destruction I had just unleashed upon her life left her entirely mute. She stood up on shaky legs, her face completely pale, and allowed Franken to escort her out of the executive suite.
The glass door clicked shut.
I was left alone in the quiet office.
The threat had been successfully neutralized. I had executed a scorched-earth defense. I had dismantled the saboteur, protected my company, and eliminated the parasite that had tried to feed on my life.
But as I sat in the silence, staring at the empty leather guest chair, the victory felt entirely, profoundly hollow.
Destroying Victoria’s life didn't fix a single thing.
It didn't undo the damage she had inflicted. It didn't erase the look of absolute devastation on Gwen’s face when she walked into this office and demanded a divorce.
I stood up from my desk and walked back over to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Seattle skyline stretched out before me, a jagged landscape of steel and glass that I had spent years conquering.
I had built an empire. I had amassed billions in capital.
I held enough power to ruin a person's life with three phone calls.
And yet, looking at the city, I had never felt more powerless.
Eliminating Victoria didn't instantly make me a good husband.
It didn't erase months of neglect: the missed dinners, the canceled weekends, and the profound emotional distance I had forced upon my marriage.
I had allowed Victoria into the foundation of my life because I hadn't been paying attention to the cracks in the masonry.
The saboteur was gone, but the failure was entirely my fault.
I rested my forehead against the cool glass of the window, squeezing my eyes shut.
I had absolutely no idea how to fix this.
I had no algorithm, no verifiable data set, and no corporate strategy that could repair a shattered heart.
I didn't know how to prove to Gwen that I could be the partner she actually needed, a man who prioritized her above the relentless hum of the manufacturing line.