Chapter 4
I stumbled home, completely drained, and they were still nowhere in sight.
I opened my phone and saw that Melissa had flooded my feed with posts.
The latest photo was taken at an amusement park. Jeffrey was in the middle, holding hands with Richard and Melissa.
They looked like a happy family.
"Enjoy it while you still can," I muttered.
I locked my phone, took out the results of the DNA test and the signed divorce agreement, and slipped them into a folder.
The folder also held years of evidence of Richard's tax evasion, along with documents proving the company's takeover.
After handling all these things, I collapsed onto the bed and drifted straight into a deep sleep.
I was a light sleeper, and at one in the morning, I felt the bed dip beside me.
Richard was warm from sex, smelling of it, and the clothes under him were wet with the sticky white mess.
The stench hit me like a punch, and I instantly felt sick. With no hesitation, I shoved Richard right off the bed.
He just finished having sex with Melissa, and now he was here for me. That was gross.
He stared at me, completely wasted, his eyes darting in the low light.
"Claire, why did you shove me off?" he mumbled, awkwardly trying to crawl back onto the bed.
I pulled on my clothes, grabbed the folder, and waved it right in front of his face.
Richard's gaze sharpened a little.
"Tomorrow is your birthday. Consider this your early gift," I said.
Richard's eyes lit up with excitement. He took the folder like it was the most precious thing in the world, cradling it in his hands.
"Is this the share transfer documents?" he asked, his voice trembling with anticipation.
I nodded.
Richard rolled over, his eyes full of longing as he looked at me. His hand started wandering, sliding around my waist.
"Honey, I'm grateful that you trust me so much. I swear I'll take the company to new heights," he said.
I looked at him, all pleased with himself and grinning like he'd just won the lottery, and for a second, I couldn't wait to watch his reaction tomorrow.
The thing he had spent years chasing was finally right under his nose—but too bad for him, because what waits inside was nothing but a deep hole he couldn't ever climb out of.
I just gave him a smile, nudged his hand away, and scooted further from him.
Richard still stank from sex, and honestly, I couldn't stand it, so I excused myself and spent the night in the guest room.
The next morning was the share transfer meeting, and Richard arrived at the office ahead of me.
He was clutching the folder with excitement and planted a kiss right on my forehead.
He said reassuringly, "Thanks, honey. I'll wait for you to get here before I open this folder."
I smiled softly and nodded, watching his back as he walked away.
"Mrs. Evans, you must really love Mr. Evans—a whole empire handed over just like that. You guys make a perfect couple. Honestly, I really envy you," Melissa said, her eyes full of smugness and spite that she couldn't even hide.
I stayed silent, just flashed her a cool smile. Melissa caught the hint, sulked, and backed off before she could embarrass herself further.
She had no idea what was coming.
Once they had left, I took out my phone and made a call. "Richard is already at the office. Everything's in place. You can kick things off."
The response came quickly. "Ms. Dawson, rest assured. We're on top of it. Richard is never going to forget what happened today."
After I hung up, I shot a look at the wedding photo on the wall and let a sly smile slip across my lips.
The curtain was finally rising. I wondered if Richard would appreciate this birthday gift I'd prepared for him.
The car sped through the streets, and when I finally arrived at the office, the receptionist stopped me at the entrance.
She said, "Excuse me, ma'am, but we've got something important going on today. No one who's not involved is allowed in."
She gave me a once-over, and a flicker of disdain flashed in her eyes.
"No offense, but you don't seem like anyone related. Mr. Evans told us not to let any outsiders in for the event. You might as well leave now," she said, her tone dismissive.
With that, she went back to her work, completely ignoring me.
No way I was going to waste my energy arguing with her, so I just called Richard.
"Richard, come downstairs. I'm here," I said.
The receptionist overheard me and let out a laugh, looking at me like I was a joke.
She would be out of the company with Richard soon enough, so I didn't want to argue with her.
Richard didn't make me wait at all. He came jogging over, grinning from ear to ear, and pulled me right into the elevator.
The receptionist's eyes widened in shock.
When we entered the conference room, all the shareholders sat upright—faces stiff, posture perfect, looking every bit the serious boardroom big shot.
I kept my cool, picked up the folder from the desk, and claimed the seat of power at the head of it all.
A few of them looked scheming. Since they were tied to Richard's interests, they were probably thrilled.
Their eyes burned as they stared at me, flickering like hungry wolves on the brink of a successful hunt.
Seeing their looks, I just smiled.
They were in for a big disappointment.
I cleared my throat and said slowly, "I thank all of you for developing the Dawson Group for the past six years, especially my husband, Richard, who has contributed greatly to its growth.
"Therefore, starting today, I have decided—"
I paused deliberately, let my eyes sweep across their greedy, expectant faces, then smiled and cracked open the folder in front of everyone.
"I'm making all of you spit out every dirty dollar you've gobbled up," I announced, letting my voice cut through the greedy silence like a whip.
Suddenly, the door flew open and police officers charged in, locking down the board before anyone could even react.