He Demanded a Divorce While I Was Recovering in the Hospital—He Didn’t Know I Was the True Power Behind His Empire

“And as the majority shareholder, I called an emergency board meeting at 4:00 AM this morning. We voted.”

She looked Mark in the eye.

“You are terminated, Mark. Effective immediately. For Cause.”

“Cause?” Mark whispered.

“Gross misconduct,” Anna listed, ticking them off on her fingers. “Misappropriation of company assets to fund a personal affair. Public reputational damage. And moral turpitude.”

She turned to Chloe.

“And you, Chloe. You are fired for facilitating the embezzlement of company funds. Security will escort you to your desk to collect your personal items. You have five minutes.”

Mark looked around. He saw the faces of the employees. He saw the IT guys he had yelled at. He saw the receptionists he had ignored. They weren’t looking at him with envy anymore. They were looking at him with scorn.

“You can’t do this!” Mark screamed, the reality finally cracking his delusion. “I built this company!”

“You didn’t build it,” Anna said. “You just stood on top of it and shouted.”

Mark lunged. It was a desperate, animalistic move. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted to erase the woman who had just erased him.

“I’ll kill you!” he screamed.

Jameson moved faster than a man his size should. He tackled Mark, slamming him into the polished marble floor. The sound of Mark’s expensive suit hitting the ground was satisfyingly heavy.

“Stay down!” Jameson roared, pinning Mark’s arms.

Anna didn’t flinch. She simply looked down at him.

“Bailiff,” she said. “The keys.”

A security guard reached into Mark’s pocket. He took the Aston Martin key. He took the penthouse key. He took the corporate credit card.

“You have nothing,” Anna said. “Just like you wanted.”

CHAPTER 7: THE EXILE

Mark was hauled to his feet. His nose was bleeding. His hair was a mess.

“Anna,” he begged, tears streaming down his face mixed with blood. “Please. The twins. I’m their father. Don’t do this.”

Anna’s expression didn’t soften.

“A father protects his family,” she said. “A father doesn’t throw divorce papers at a bleeding mother. You aren’t a father, Mark. You’re a donor.”

She gestured to the door.