Chapter 4 - The Boardroom Coup
Monday morning arrived with a torrential downpour, washing the streets of Seattle in cold gray water. I dressed in a tailored maternity suit, pinned my hair back, and walked into the glass-walled conference room of Apex Solutions like I owned the building. Because I did.
Julian was already there, sweating through his designer shirt. The board members—mostly investors I had personally vetted—sat silently around the mahogany table.
"Let's bring this meeting to order," I said, taking the seat at the head of the table. Julian was relegated to the side, looking like a chastised schoolboy.
"Clara, this is insane," Julian pleaded, leaning over the table. "I built the software! I secured the clients! You don't know the first thing about running a tech firm."
"I know how to hire people who do," I countered flawlessly. I opened my folder. "Item one on the agenda: the termination of Julian Hayes as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, citing gross misuse of company funds for personal expenses."
I threw a stack of glossy photographs onto the table. They were security stills and receipts. Expensive dinners, diamond jewelry, and luxury vacations—all expensed to the company, all used to woo Victoria while I was at home, pregnant and alone.
The board members flipped through the evidence, their expressions hardening.
"Julian, you didn't just cheat on your pregnant wife," one of the board members, an older man named Richard, said with disgust. "You embezzled from us to do it."
"All in favor of termination?" I asked.
Every single hand in the room went up.
May you like
Julian stood up, his chair scraping violently against the floor. "You're going to ruin this company without me! You’re nothing but a bitter, vindictive ex-wife!"
"Security will escort you out, Mr. Hayes," I said without looking up from my notes. "Leave the company laptop on the desk."
