Chapter 3
Of course, I understood perfectly.
Hector wanted to increase his stake in the company.
But if he tried to do it through normal business channels, the other two minority shareholders wouldn't agree.
However, if Lionel and Julia joined forces, the Mitchell family could use that relationship to indirectly control Lionel's 35% shares.
Add that to Hector's own 35%, and they'd control 70% of the shares.
That meant they'd have absolute control.
And I, as Lionel's wife, was the biggest obstacle standing in their way.
While Lionel and I were married, any increase in the company's share value counted as marital property.
If Lionel wanted to hand over the profits to the Mitchell family, he'd have to deal with me first.
He could either divorce me, or somehow make me walk away on my own.
It seemed that pot of soup and his "Don't be out too late" were just ways to lull me into a false sense of security.
He was waiting for the right time to cut me loose.
Maybe it'd happen right after his trip to Artonwood.
I hung up Emilia's call and sat alone in my office until it was dark outside.
As night fell, the city outside was aglow with countless lights.
Lionel and I were married for four years.
Was there ever anything real between us?
I wasn't sure.
But there was one thing I was sure of.
He wanted to kick me out with nothing to my name.
Like hell I'd go along with that.
*****
On the weekend, Lionel said he had a company team-building event and wouldn't be coming home that night.
I told him, "Alright, have fun."
About half an hour after he left, I got changed and went out.
I wasn't about to trail him. That'd be way too obvious.
Instead, I went to a local service center near the business bureau and looked up all the companies registered under Lionel's name.
There were three.
The first was the tech company he co-owned with Hector, which I already knew about.
The second was Julia's trading company, the one Emilia had found.
The third one was new to me.
It was registered in April this year, and its business scope was listed as "information technology consulting services."
The shareholders were Lionel, with 60%, and Julia, with 40%.
The registered capital was 3 million.
I got back to my car with the paperwork and sat there, thinking for ages.
The company got registered in April.
Lionel's first trip to Chanwell was in March.
The timing couldn't be more of a coincidence.
So, their relationship wasn't simply about romance. Lionel and Julia were business partners, too.
Lionel was moving assets from the main company, channeling them bit by bit through this new venture.
The travel expenses charged to the company card were just small potatoes.
The real cash was flowing out disguised as payments for "tech consulting."
I opened my phone's notes app and started listing everything out.
The main company: Four shareholders—Lionel with 35%, Hector with 35%, and two minority shareholders, Joseph Bailey and Troy Cox, each holding 15%.
The new company: Lionel owned 60%, and Julia had 40%.
The trading company: Julia was the sole owner, but Lionel was the one really calling the shots.
If these three companies were doing business with each other, money could keep circulating within the group.
Money flowed out of the main company, got funneled through the new one, and landed in Julia's trading company.
Was Hector in on this?
Of course he was.
This whole scheme was cooked up by the Mitchell siblings from the very beginning.
Suddenly, I remembered something.
At last year's company party, Hector had brought Julia along.
He introduced her as his cousin, saying she was in the import-export business and just happened to drop by.
Julia was dressed in a creamy cashmere coat, her makeup flawless, and her smile showed off a perfect set of teeth.
She walked right up to me and clinked her glass with mine.
"Hi, Shannon. First time meeting you. Hope we get along," Julia said, flashing a sweet smile.
I grinned and replied, "Sure."
Cousin?
In reality, Julia was Hector's sister.
And when she spoke to me, hoping we'd get along, she'd already been having an affair with my husband for at least half a year.
I felt like I'd swallowed a fly.
I started the car, but I didn't go home.
Instead, I drove to the entrance of a residential area on the east side of the city.
It was a three-bedroom apartment with a spacious living room, facing south on the top floor. The rent was $600 a month.
I'd had my eye on this place for about a month.
Originally, I was considering it as a retirement spot for my parents.
But now, I planned to move in myself.
I called the landlord and arranged to sign the lease tomorrow.
*****
On Monday, Lionel came home.
His clothes had a faint floral scent, not one of mine.
I didn't ask.
He dropped his bag and flopped onto the couch.
"There's a client coming to check out the company this week. Could you iron my dark gray suit?" he said.
"Sure," I replied.
I headed to the walk-in closet to grab his suit.
As I pulled it out, a shopping receipt slipped out of the pocket.
It was from a women's boutique on the second floor of a mall, totaling 5 thousand dollars.
The receipt was under Julia's membership.
Lionel had used his phone to pay for Julia's purchase.
I slipped the receipt back into the pocket, ironed the suit, and hung it up by the bedroom door.
On Tuesday night, Lionel and I had dinner together.
He picked up some food and placed it on my plate.
"Next week when I'm away on business, don't push yourself too hard. If you feel like it, just order some takeout," he said.