Chapter 5

"And you?" Victoria spun on Chloe. "You're my best friend, but you started sneaking around with my husband at my own wedding?"

Chloe's face turned pale with fear. "Victoria, I didn't do that. We're in love—"

"Love?" Victoria sneered. "Do you know how much money he's stolen from me over the past three years to support you?"

Chloe was stunned.

Victoria continued, "You think he's nice to you because he loves you? Chloe, you're so naive. He's just using my money to win you over."

Chloe stammered, her voice trembling, "N-No, Richard really does love me—"

"He loves you?" Victoria pulled out her phone and played a recording. "Then listen to this."

Richard's voice came through the speaker. "That woman is so naive, so easy to fool. All I have to do is act a little sweet and she believes anything. Once I've got all Victoria's money, I'll kick her to the curb."

Chloe's face drained of color. "W-When was this recorded?"

"A month ago, while you were at the salon. He was at a bar with his buddies," Victoria said, tucking her phone back into her purse. "Chloe, to him, you were nothing but a pawn."

Chloe looked at Richard in disbelief. "Richard, is this true?"

Richard opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but under Victoria's cold stare, he couldn't say a word.

"Alright, enough with the drama. Let's get back to business," Lucas said, taking control of the meeting. "Mr. Grant, when do you plan to pay the 1.5 billion dollars in compensation?"

"I-I need some time," Richard stammered.

"How much time?" Lucas pressed.

"Well, at least a month," Richard replied.

Lucas glanced at Victoria, who thought for a moment and then nodded.

"One month is fine, but we'll need to secure the assets. Starting now, all of Mr. Grant's assets will be frozen until the compensation is paid in full," Lucas said.

Richard felt like the room was spinning. Freezing his assets meant his company would grind to a halt. He would lose everything.

"One more thing," Victoria suddenly said. "Richard, do you remember our prenuptial agreement?"

He froze for a second at her words, and then his face turned even paler.

They really had signed a prenup when they got married. If Richard ever cheated, Victoria could sue him for emotional damages.

Back then, he thought it was just a formality. He never imagined Victoria would actually hold him to it.

But now it seemed different.

"Emotional damages, 300 million dollars," Victoria stated, her tone icy and calm.

"300 million dollars for emotional damages? This is pure blackmail." Richard's lawyer slammed his hand on the table, furious.

Victoria calmly pulled out a document and slid it to the center of the table. "This is the prenup we signed. It's all here in black and white: if the husband cheats during the marriage, he owes the wife 300 million in emotional damages.

"Richard, you signed this yourself. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Richard stared at the agreement, his face shifting from pale to ashen.

Back when he signed it, he barely gave it a second thought. He figured Victoria was just paranoid, wanting some reassurance.

He even laughed to himself about how naive she was, convinced she'd never have a chance to use that clause.

But now, it was like a noose tightening around his neck.

"This agreement is illegal. 300 million dollars for emotional damages is outrageous," Richard's lawyer protested.

Lucas sneered, "Illegal? Both parties signed it of their own free will, and it's been notarized. It's rock solid in the eyes of the law.

"And let me remind everyone, our investigation shows Mr. Grant's affair went on for three full years, cheating, lying, and funneling money behind her back. Frankly, 300 million is more than fair."

Chloe was shaking uncontrollably. She finally understood how deep she had sunk into this nightmare.

It was not the recording that exposed Richard's true colors; it was the fact that her affair was now out in the open, and she could end up paying the price too.

"Victoria, I really had no idea things would turn out like this," she sobbed, begging for forgiveness.

Victoria shot her a look, her eyes cold as ice. "Now you're scared? Why didn't you figure this out when you seduced my husband?"

"I didn't seduce him. Richard made the first move," Chloe protested.

"Oh? Is that so?" Victoria pulled out her phone and played another recording.

This time, Chloe's voice rang out. "Victoria is such an idiot, thinking I actually treat her like a real friend. The more she trusts me, the easier it is for me to manipulate her.

"Richard, we need to figure out a way to make her ask for a divorce herself so she won't make a fuss over the money when we split everything up."