Chapter 2
At 7:10, Donna took off her apron and grabbed her old down jacket from the coat rack.
As she opened the door to leave, laughter drifted out from inside the house.
She didn't look back. The door closed softly behind her.
I watched that scene over and over, three times in total. Each time, I found myself lingering a little longer on her silhouette as she walked away.
Michael was silent on the other end of the line. Then he asked, "Mr. Sterling, do you want me to do something right now?"
"Do what exactly?" I replied.
"Go pick Donna up, or..."
"No need."
"But—"
"Donna's already been through enough. Bringing her back now won't change a thing."
I closed the video. "Michael, get me everything you can find on Adam, including his personnel file, salary records, project history, and every financial transaction he's had with Emily."
"Mr. Sterling, how much do you want?"
"Everything."
"Got it."
"And one more thing."
"I'm listening."
"I'll be back at the office tomorrow afternoon. Let all the department heads know we'll have a meeting."
"On Christmas Day?"
"On Christmas Day."
After hanging up, I walked back into the conference room.
The client was still waiting.
I sat down, opened the contract, and signed it. My pen didn't tremble one bit.
I was James Sterling, the chairman of Sterling Enterprises. My net worth was over a billion dollars.
When it came to managing the company's value and pulling off financial moves, I had every step down to a science.
But the one thing I could never figure out was people.
I always thought marriage was a partnership, a matter of responsibility, each of us doing our part.
Whatever Emily wanted, I gave her. She wanted to prove herself, so I entrusted her with the company's most important division.
Clearly, that wasn't enough for her. She had other things she wanted to prove.
Once I finished signing the contract, I stood up and left.
In the car, I texted Emily: [Flight's delayed. I won't be back tonight.]
She replied instantly: [Okay, take care of yourself.]
That was all she said, with no asking when I'd land, no checking if I'd eaten, and no mention of Donna. She probably figured Donna would spend Christmas alone in that little house, like every other year.
I didn't reply.
The car rolled through the empty streets. On Christmas Eve, the city was nothing but an empty shell.
I spotted Donna on the convenience store's security footage.
She grabbed the cheapest cup of instant noodles and sat by the window.
She added hot water and waited three minutes. Then she ate it slowly.
After she finished, she didn't get up right away. She just sat there, staring out the window for a long time.
Her phone buzzed.
She glanced down. It was a cash transfer from me, along with a text: [Mom, Merry Christmas. I'll be home tomorrow.]
She smiled and accepted it. Then she stood up and tossed the empty cup in the trash. She walked out into the chilly wind, hugging her jacket tighter.
I watched the whole video from start to finish. I didn't skip a single second.
The car pulled up to the hotel entrance. I stepped out, and the wind hit me hard.
The entrance hall was decked out with Christmas decorations. I could feel Christmas in the air everywhere.
And right then, I made up my mind.
For some people, forgiveness wasn't what they deserved. They deserved to pay the price.
Emily probably forgot that I was the chairman of Sterling Enterprises' board. She was only sitting in the CEO's chair because I put her there.
She forgot. But that didn't matter. I would remind her. And I would reclaim what was mine in my own way.
Back in my room, I fired up my laptop.
There was already an email waiting in my inbox. It was from Michael. The subject line was only one word: [Files.]
I clicked it open.
The attachment had all of Adam's info, neatly organized, including his birthday, hometown, education, employment record, pay details, projects he worked on, travel expenses, and where he'd been.
Every single thing was clear as day. One entry was highlighted in red.
Three months ago, Emily went to Seaside City for a business trip. Nobody else from the team went with her. Adam was the only one. The hotel booking showed only one room.
I stared at that entry for a few seconds. Then I closed it out.
Outside, fireworks burst in the night sky. Colorful lights reflected off the glass.
I picked up my phone and sent a message to the head of the audit department: [On the first workday after Christmas, launch a thorough audit of the CEO's office.]
He replied instantly: [What's the scope?]
[Every financial transaction, project approval, and personnel decision from the past year.]
[Got it, Mr. Sterling.]
[And during the audit, suspend all of Emily's access rights.]
There was a pause on the other end. [That'll need a board resolution.]
[I'll be at the office tomorrow afternoon. We'll handle it as a temporary measure for now.]
[Got it.]
I set my phone down.
The fireworks were still going off outside.
Some people were celebrating Christmas surrounded by warmth and laughter.
Some spent Christmas with nothing but a cup of instant noodles in a convenience store.
Some were settling scores alone in a hotel room.
Tomorrow, I would go home.
No, it was not home.
It was a battlefield.
I wasn't going back for a family reunion.
I was going back to clean house.