Chapter 6 - The Unraveling
Ethan looked around the room, frantically searching the faces of his board members for support, but every single director stepped away from him as if he were carrying a contagious disease.
"Arthur... please," Ethan pleaded, his arrogance completely evaporating into desperate panic. "It’s a domestic dispute! The money... the money was just an internal transfer for strategic investments! I can explain everything!"
"Save your explanation for the federal prosecutors, Mr. Sterling," the senior SEC agent stepped forward, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from his jacket pocket. "Ethan Sterling, you are under investigation for federal securities fraud, bank fraud, and identity theft."
"Wait! You can't arrest me!" Ethan screamed, backing away toward the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. "I am the majority owner of Crestview Holdings!"
"Not anymore," I said, pulling out a SECOND document from my briefcase. "According to section four of our original founding charter, any executive officer facing active federal indictments for financial fraud against the firm has their voting rights immediately suspended and transferred to the secondary founding partner."
I set the document down on the table, looking at the horrified directors.
"I hold seventy percent of the operational voting rights as of one o'clock today," I stated cleanly. "As my first act as Chairwoman of Crestview Holdings, I am terminating Ethan Sterling from all executive duties without severance. Effective immediately."
Chloe gasped, letting go of her sling entirely—revealing that her wrist was completely fine—as she grabbed Ethan’s arm in terror. "Ethan! Do something! You told me you owned this company! You said she was just a housewife!"
Ethan didn't even look at her. He pushed her hand off his arm with disgust, staring at me with wide, terrified eyes.
"Mabel..." Ethan choked out, tears finally welling up in his eyes. "Mabel, please... we were married for seven years! We built this together! You can't do this to me over a mistake!"
"It wasn't a mistake, Ethan," I said, leaning over the table, looking into his pale, trembling face. "You told me last night that if I pretended not to know, I could keep being your wife."
I paused, letting the room hear my words.
"I decided I'd rather be your boss."
The SEC agents stepped forward, grabbing Ethan’s arms and pulling them behind his back. The metallic SNAP of the handcuffs locking around his wrists sounded like a final judgment in the quiet room.
Chloe tried to sneak out through the rear exit door, but two police officers standing outside intercepted her, grabbing her shoulders.
"Miss Chloe Vance," the officer stated coldly. "You are being detained as an accomplice to corporate fraud and asset concealment."
"No! I was just an employee! Ethan paid for everything!" Chloe shrieked, struggling against the officer's grip as her designer bag dropped to the carpet, spilling its contents across the floor.
As the agents dragged Ethan past me toward the exit, he stopped, looking at me through a blur of desperate, pathetic tears.
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"Mabel... please... what about our home? What about our life?" he sobbed.
"The home was bought with company capital, Ethan," I said, without a trace of pity in my heart. "And as Chairwoman, I’ve already listed it for sale. You have two hours to clear your personal belongings from the holding cell."
