Chapter 3
"Sell the assets, then!" Verda snapped.
The CFO said, "But—"
"Follow my orders!" Verda's voice was nearly a roar, her eyes red with emotion.
The chief financial officer had no choice but to comply, reluctantly beginning the process of selling off some of the company's assets.
Watching from the shadows, I felt a mix of emotions.
She used to be so calm and collected, but she had changed so much, all because of Alexander.
I felt that maybe she had never been the person I thought she was.
As news of the asset sales spread, the Richardson Group's stock price plummeted once again.
The media began to question Verda's ability to manage the company. Dissenting voices started to arise within the board of directors.
"Mrs. Richardson, I think your decisions are getting too risky," one of the older directors couldn't help but speak up.
"Yeah, if we keep selling off assets like this, the company won't be able to hold on much longer," another director chimed in.
Verda looked a bit flustered as she faced everyone's doubts. "I know what you're all worried about, but this is a special situation. We have to—"
The chairman's assistant cut her off, "Special situation or not, you can't just act recklessly!
"Mrs. Richardson, do you really think you're honoring Mr. Richardson's memory by doing this?"
That sentence was like a needle, stabbing right into Verda's heart.
She shot to her feet, her face ashen with fury. "Who dares to question my decisions?
"Pierce Richardson handed this company to me because he believed in my abilities!"
"But the way you're acting now makes us wonder if that trust was ever deserved," another director said.
The room fell silent.
Everyone was looking at Verda, waiting for her response.
She looked around the room, a flicker of despair flashing in her eyes.
Just then, I had Rolf deliver an anonymous tip-off to the board.
The letter laid out in detail all of Verda's questionable conduct over the past few days.
It included unauthorized transfers of huge sums, reckless decisions, and actions that were damaging the company's interests.
Most crucially, it exposed her ties to Alexander.
The letter read: [Dear directors, I have reason to suspect that Mrs. Richardson has been diverting company funds to bail out her ex-boyfriend.
[This already constitutes a serious breach of trust and misappropriation of company assets.]
As the letter made its way around the boardroom, everyone's expression changed.
A director asked, "Mrs. Richardson, is this true?"
Verda's face turned deathly pale, her lips trembling. She couldn't get a word out. "I..."
She wanted to explain, but she had nothing to say.
The fact was undeniable. She did give the company's money to Alexander.
"Mrs. Richardson, if this is true, then you are no longer fit to hold a management position in this company," one of the directors said.
"No!" Verda suddenly burst out. "This company was left to me by my husband. You have no right to take away my right to inherit it!"
"Inheritance doesn't equal management rights," the chairman's assistant said coldly, "For the future of the company, we have to make the right choices."
The vote was 7 to 2. Verda was suspended from her position.
She left the boardroom like a loser, walking away from the office that had once belonged to her.
When she reached the company entrance, she turned back to look at the Richardson Group building.
Tears blurred her vision.
She remembered what I told her three years ago when I brought her there for the first time.
I said, "From now on, this will be our home. Together, we'll turn it into a business empire."
But now, all of that had fallen apart.
This was just the beginning of my scheme for revenge.
Once Verda lost her grip on the company, her whole life was thrown into chaos.
She spent every day at the hospital, watching Alexander grow weaker with each passing day. She felt like a knife was twisting in her heart.
The cost of the imported medicine kept climbing higher and higher, so she sold off everything she could.
She sold her house, her car, her jewelry, even her purses and handbags.
But all that money was just a drop in the bucket compared to the crushing weight of the medical bills.
"Verda, I don't want to drag you down with me," Alexander said weakly while gently squeezing her hand, "Maybe it's time we stopped fighting this."
"Don't say things like that." Verda's eyes were rimmed with tears. "I will save you. I promise I will!"
Out of options, she started borrowing money wherever she could.