Chapter 4
4
The day of the anniversary gala.
At 7:00 AM, I dropped Poppy off at my mother's house.
She ran into her grandmother's arms, laughing without a care in the world.
I stood there and watched her for a long time before getting back into my car.
At a private styling studio in SoHo, my old friend Avery James stared at me, barely recognizing me.
"Nora? How did you—"
"How did I let myself go like this?"
I sat down in front of the mirror.
"Bring me back today."
Three hours later, the woman in the mirror was a stranger.
Softly waved hair, razor-sharp eyeliner, a bold crimson lip.
The black velvet gown clung to my waist, demanding perfect posture.
Avery's eyes were red.
"You've always been this beautiful."
I met my own gaze in the glass.
"I just haven't dressed up in a long time. But tonight, it's necessary."
6:00 PM. The Astoria Grand.
Outside the Celestial Ballroom, employees in formal wear were taking selfies, excitedly buzzing about raffle prizes and the European getaway for two.
I caught snippets of hushed voices.
"Vanessa is definitely the center of attention tonight. That dress alone is four grand."
"Mr. Vance spoils her. I heard the whole schedule was rewritten for her."
I pulled the collar of my coat up, adjusting the angle of the brooch.
Ethan sent a text.
Feed is live. Good luck.
Received.
I pushed past the heavy curtains of the side entrance and stepped into the ballroom.
Crystal chandeliers, champagne towers, the flow of music and people—it was like another world.
And then I saw them.
Dominic was standing near the stage in a silver-grey suit.
Vanessa was in her champagne gown, the skirt covered in crystals.
He was leaning down to talk to her, his eyes blindingly tender.
He clearly knew this would spark rumors, yet he still treated the entire room as a stage he completely controlled.
The MC took the stage.
"Welcome to the BrightVance Technologies Tenth Anniversary Gala!"
The applause washed over the room.
"The past ten years wouldn't have been possible without the guidance of an extraordinary leader—"
A spotlight hit Dominic.
He walked up and took the mic.
"Ten years is a long time. Long enough to turn a dream into reality. But it also feels like just yesterday we were celebrating our very first order."
Laughter and applause rippled through the crowd.
"But the person I want to thank the most on this journey... is someone who has always stood by my side."
He looked directly at Vanessa.
The massive screens instantly cut to her face.
"Vanessa, come up here."
A few tables of employees started a hesitant applause, which quickly spread.
Not because they were giving their blessing.
But because no one wanted to look like a buzzkill on the CEO's camera.
Vanessa lifted her gown and walked up the steps.
Dominic took her hand and led her to the center of the stage.
"Many of you know Vanessa as our Director of Operations," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "But what you don't know is that she is also the one who stayed by my side through the hardest times."
The screens played a highly produced tribute video.
A cramped office, late-night overtime, launch parties.
Vanessa was in every single photo.
And the person who was actually supposed to be there—me—had been wiped clean.
The voiceover said:
"She walked with him through every storm."
Five years.
So while I was pregnant, nursing, and staying up all night coaxing our child to sleep, his "partner in the trenches" had already been replaced by her.
Dominic squeezed Vanessa's hand.
"I wouldn't be here today without you."
Vanessa's eyes welled up.
"Dominic..."
Someone cheered for the "new couple."
Dominic smiled and kissed her forehead.
The applause grew louder.
Then, Vanessa took the microphone.
"Actually, we have one more piece of good news tonight."
She placed a hand over her stomach, smiling sweetly.
"I'm three months pregnant."
After a brief, dead silence, someone started clapping.
More applause followed.
Dominic pulled her into a hug.
The screens magnified their faces.
The absolute devotion in his eyes. The diamond ring on her ring finger—the exact same design as my wedding band.
So this was his grand reveal.
He wasn't going to confess to me.
He was just going to delete me from his world completely.
I pulled out my phone.
Claire had already emailed me the cleared evidence packet.
It contained only undeniable, public-facing facts: the timeline, the joint financial logs, the verified wire transfers, and the suggestive posts from Vanessa's social media.
I selected all the files and opened the company-wide Slack channel.
I hit send.
The screen flashed:
Sent.
Almost instantly, phones across the ballroom began to vibrate.
Heads dropped. Expressions morphed from confusion to sheer shock.
Whispers spread like a tidal wave.
Dominic was still basking in the blessings, completely oblivious to what was happening.
I dialed Claire's number.
"Start."
"The emergency TRO on marital assets is filed. The Board's legal counsel and external auditors are on their way up."
I hung up, slipped out of my coat, and handed it to a waiter.
Then, in my stilettos, I stepped onto the red carpet.
The ballroom gradually quieted down.
One person turned.
A second.
A third.
Until every single eye was locked on me.
Dominic finally looked up.
His smile froze on his face.
I walked right up to the stage and took the microphone from his hand.
He let go of it like he had been burned.
I looked out at the hundreds of faces in the crowd.
"Good evening."
"I'm Nora Hayes."
"Dominic Vance's legal wife. And Poppy Vance's mother."
I paused for a second, looking at Dominic's suddenly bloodless face.
"I also hold a 51% controlling interest in BrightVance Technologies."