Chapter 4
Chapter 4
The next few days had Hayes backed into a corner.
The company was barely functioning.
The core technical team was completely out of reach, leaving several key projects at a standstill. Complaints from clients flooded in by phone and email like a blizzard-their tone shifting from initial dissatisfaction to outright fury. Some even threatened to terminate their contracts and sue for damages.
Money was even tighter. With large sums frozen, the company was barely scraping by on daily expenses. As payday approached, Hayes was horrified to discover that there wasn’t even close to enough cash to cover payroll.
He desperately tried to use his personal savings, only to find his account nearly empty. Over the years, most of his earnings had gone straight into the company, not to mention the fortune he’d splurged on Vivian. He’d gotten so used to spending company money that he never really saved much for himself.
As for Vivian-the woman Hayes had pinned all his hopes on-her attitude subtly changed after she got wind of the company’s trouble and his mess.
She no longer clung to him or fussed over him like she used to. Instead, she began to persistently probe whether Hayes could get any money, her voice now dripping with complaints and impatience.
Vivian always urged, “Hayes, if we don’t pay down the deposit soon, our dream house is gone!”
“Hayes, I just spotted a limited edition designer bag. When are you getting it for me?” she pouted.
And she kept nagging. “My mom won’t stop asking when we’re setting a wedding date…”
What once sounded like playful demands now hit Hayes like final judgment, each word tolling in his mind like a funeral bell.
No way could he afford any of that when he couldn’t even scrape together enough to pay his employees next month.
What really froze Hayes’ blood was catching Vivian’s secret phone call by accident. Her flirtatious tone made it clear she was already sizing up her next man.
Besieged from within and without, Hayes was on the verge of collapse.
He realized that he couldn’t just sit there and wait for everything to fall apart. He had to find Chelsea and have it out with her, even if it meant swallowing his pride or begging for mercy. He got to save the company and hold on to what little he had left.
But Chelsea had ghosted him completely-no calls answered, no messages replied.
Desperate, he tried waiting for her at their old apartment, only to find the locks had been changed. Then he went to Chelsea’s parents’ place, but they chased him out with a broom, hurling vicious insults at him.
Just when Hayes hit rock bottom, William’s summons arrived: A mandatory meeting tomorrow morning to finalize the terms of the divorce agreement.
The notice specifically mentioned that Chelsea would be present.
Hayes’ heart skipped a beat-a nervous flutter mixed with an indescribable anticipation.
They were finally going to meet.
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He barely slept a wink that night, endlessly debating what to say and how to act tomorrow. He wondered if he should stand his ground or just beg. Playing the nostalgia card might work, or he could just get straight to business.
The next morning, Hayes made a special effort to groom himself, put on a fairly decent suit, and, mustering his resolve, walked into William’s law firm.
As he entered the spacious, well-lit conference room, he finally saw Chelsea.
She sat by the window, dressed in a crisp white business suit, her hair immaculately pinned up in a neat bun. With light makeup and a calm expression, her gaze was sharp and penetrating.
She seemed to have lost some weight since the divorce, but she carried herself with new energy, radiating an unprecedented confidence and a palpable air of detachment.
When Hayes entered, she merely cast a fleeting, indifferent glance his way before averting her gaze, as if he were just another irrelevant stranger.
This utter indifference cut Hayes deeper than any accusation or insult.
William gestured for Hayes to sit. “Mr. Quinn, we’ve asked you here today to finalize the divorce terms. Regarding the property transfer and equity restructuring, we’ll need your signature.”
Hayes didn’t answer immediately. Staring at Chelsea, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice. “Chelsea, is this really necessary?”
Chelsea finally looked up at him, her eyes utterly calm. “Mr. Quinn, the agreement is signed, and legal proceedings are underway. Is there really any point in discussing this now?”
“This matters!” Hayes blurted out desperately. “Chelsea, I admit I was wrong. I never should’ve gotten involved with Vivian. I never should’ve forced the divorce. Give me one more chance-let’s start over, please. We built the company together; we can’t just let it fall apart like this.”
He played the emotional card, his voice even cracking with a hint of desperation.
Chelsea simply shook her head, and her lips twitched ironically.
She said, “Start over? Hayes, do you really think that’s possible? The moment you wrapped your arms around another woman and kicked me out with nothing, chances were off the table.”
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“As for the company,” she paused, her tone turning icy. “It’s not going anywhere. But it’s mine now. You will no longer have anything to do with it.”
Hayes shot up from his seat, his expensive suit suddenly feeling like a cheap costume. “On what grounds? I’ve bled for this company! You can’t just cut me out!”
“Oh, have you?” Chelsea stood too, her eyes blazing as she stared him down. “Funny way to show it-stealing company funds to buy your mistress cars and condos, and hiring your idiot buddies to run us into the ground. Hayes, did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”
She then pulled a stack of documents from her bag and slammed them onto the table.
Chelsea said, “Here’s a complete record of every dollar you’ve stolen from the company accounts over the past three years- 580 thousand dollars. Every transaction is documented, with a clear paper trail for each.”
She added, “Here’s evidence that you misused company resources to benefit Vivian’s family-including fabricating job positions and reimbursing their personal expenses.”
Then came the kill shot. “And here’s the smoking gun-your email records proving you secretly leaked our core tech secrets
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to your so-called ‘friend,’ who just happens to be our potential competitor!”
Each document hit Hayes like a sledgehammer, crushing him under the weight.
His face went deathly pale, his lips trembling uncontrollably. Not a single word could escape him.
He thought his plan was flawless, but it turned out Chelsea had seen through it all along.
Chelsea’s voice was as cold as ice. “According to the shareholder agreement and company bylaws we signed, Hayes, your actions have seriously harmed the company’s interests, which constitutes breach of contract and misappropriation. It means I can demand compensation for the company’s losses and reclaim all your shares at zero consideration.”
She was taking back all his shares-for nothing?
Hayes staggered back like he’d taken a bullet.
This meant not only would he get nothing, but he might even be buried under a mountain of debt.
“No way… This is blackmail! Extortion!” he stammered incoherently, panic evident in his voice.
“If you think this is blackmail, go ask a lawyer,” Chelsea said, gesturing to William beside her. “Or we can meet in court. This evidence is enough to ruin your reputation and could even lead to criminal charges.”
Hayes slumped into his chair, utterly defeated.
Chelsea’s ice-cold, unrelenting face told him he’d lost in every way.
Not only had he lost his wife and his family, but now even the career he took such pride in was about to vanish into thin air.
He had brought all of this upon himself.
“I’ll sign,” Hayes whispered, his voice thick with despair. “I’ll cooperate…”
With a nod, Chelsea signaled William to produce the prepared documents.
Share transfer agreements, property deeds-one after another.
Hayes mechanically scrawled his signature across each document.
Each signature he scrawled carved away another piece of his former life.
With the last document signed, Chelsea collected all the paperwork with practiced efficiency. Without looking at Hayes, she turned on her heel and strode out.
At the door, she paused mid-step. Without turning around, she said coolly, “Hayes, now you’ve lost everything. This is exactly what you deserve.”
The door clicked shut behind her.
In the conference room, the broken Hayes sat alone, swallowed by silence.
Outside, the sunlight remained as brilliant as ever, yet it could no longer reach his heart that had been lost in darkness.
The showdown was over.
At this very moment, he had nothing left.
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