Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Hayes couldn’t remember how he left the law firm.
He wandered the streets like a lost soul, the sunlight stabbing at his eyes. The surrounding clamor seemed to come from another world.
Chelsea’s final words kept echoing in Hayes’ mind like an inescapable curse.
This was what he deserved?
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, but he was too numb to feel any pain.
The injustice choked him.
Why? After all these years of hard work, he ended up with nothing, while Chelsea, that woman he never took seriously, could just waltz in and take everything from me without breaking a sweat.
Rage, humiliation, and despair-the emotions roiled in his gut like poison.
Somehow, his feet carried him back to the office.
The employees shot him strange looks-some pitying, some gloating, but most just didn’t give a damn.
He used to be the company’s CEO-the one everyone looked up to and went out of their way to please.
But now, everyone knew he had completely fallen from grace.
“Mr. Quinn.” His assistant approached gingerly, stammering, “Ms. Stewart just sent down the memo. Y-you’ve been relieved as CEO.”
Hayes swayed slightly. He’d seen this coming, but that didn’t make it hurt any
less.
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“Got it,” he rasped, waving his assistant away.
His once-spacious, sunlit office now just felt empty.
On the desk still sat that stupid photo of him and Vivian. Their big smiles now looked like they were laughing at him.
Seething with anger, he grabbed the photo frame and smashed it to the floor.
The sound of shattering glass cut through the deathly silence of the office like a gunshot.
Rage gave way to utter emptiness and defeat.
He collapsed into his chair and stared blankly up at the ceiling.
What now?
He’d lost the company and his home. And his bank account? What little savings he had left wouldn’t last long.
Then Vivian’s name burst from his lips like a prayer.
She was still with him.
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She’d been distant lately, but what they had was real. She wouldn’t just abandon him now, would she?
Clutching at his last hope, Hayes grabbed his phone and dialed Vivian’s number.
The phone kept ringing, each second stretching Hayes’ nerves tighter. Just when he was about to hang up, the line finally clicked open,
“Hey, Vivian…” Hayes’ voice trembled with barely concealed pleading.
“Hayes? What do you want?” Vivian’s tone could’ve frozen hell. “I’m in the middle of something.”
“Vivi, I…” Hayes struggled to speak. “I might need your help.”
2
Vivian scoffed, “Help? Help with what-pay off your debts? Hayes, I told you ages ago, you should always have a backup plan. If you’d listened to me and secured Chelsea’s shares earlier, would you have ended up like this?”
“What’s the point of saying this now?” Hayes snapped, his voice cracking with,frustration. “Vivian, we-”
“We what?” Vivian cut him off sharply. “Hayes, let’s be clear. I only got with you because I was drawn to your potential and the company’s prospects. Now that you’ve lost everything, you actually expect me to stick with you through hard times? Don’t be ridiculous!”
“H-how could you say that? We-” he stammered, unable to believe what he was hearing.
“Wait, you seriously thought we had something? It was just a fling,” Vivian sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’ve already found a better catch-someone richer and more capable than you. Good luck surviving on your own.”
She hung up without hesitation.
Hayes stood frozen, phone in hand.
Just a fling? And she’d found a better catch?
So what he called love turned out to be nothing but a complete sham. He was just being used the whole time.
He’d given up everything-his wife, his family, and his career-for a woman who called it “just a fling.”
Hayes suddenly choked-a sudden gush of blood spewed from his mouth, splattering across the gleaming floor.
Crushed by the devastating blows, he blacked out and fell like a log.
*****
Chelsea’s return rocked the company.
She was no longer the quiet engineer who used to stay in Hayes’ shadow. Instead, she made a powerful comeback as the company’s absolute controlling shareholder and newly appointed chairwoman.
She called an all-hands meeting.
Standing at the front of the conference room in a tailored power suit, she exuded calm authority as her piercing gaze swept over everyone present.
“I’m Chelsea Stewart.” Her voice rang clear and firm. “As of today, I’m taking full operational control.”
She made no mention of Hayes, nor did she offer any explanation regarding the divorce or share transfer details. These
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Chapter 5
were footnotes in her story now.
She cut straight to the chase and laid out several key decisions.
First, she gutted the bloated company structure-axing redundant departments and cutting dead weight, especially Hayes’ pet hires. In their place, she promoted several capable key technical staff and mid-level managers who had long been quietly dedicated behind the scenes.
Next, she announced a new bonus program that will substantially raise pay for top technical staff and high performers. And she promised to issue all back pay and bonuses owed ASAP.
Then, she unveiled several upcoming cutting-edge tech projects that she had been secretly developing-each with serious profit potential-offering employees a vivid and hopeful vision for the company’s future.
Finally, her voice turned stern as she laid down the company’s policies, especially financial compliance and confidentiality agreements. “Let me be clear,” she stated, “any actions against the company’s interests will not be tolerated. Violators will face consequences. No exceptions.”
Her entire address showcased clear organization and airtight logic, perfectly balancing reassurance with firm authority—a leadership masterclass that left no doubt about her capabilities.
The employees’ initial skepticism and hesitation gave way to stunned silence, then murmurs of approval, and finally anticipation.
They realized that this new boss might actually pull the company from the brink and guide it to new heights.
Above all, the technical talent who had long been sidelined by Hayes finally saw a glimmer of hope.
As soon as the meeting ended, Chelsea dove straight into a whirlwind of urgent tasks.
Wasting no time, she immediately rounded up the heads of key departments, assessed the situation, and assigned tasks.
She personally called several key clients to smooth things over. She gave realistic timelines and offered compensation where needed. Her professionalism and genuine attitude won back more than a few skeptical clients.
She thoroughly audited the company’s financial landscape, plugged leaks, and sought new investments.
The company finally functioned like a real business under Chelsea’s leadership.
Just then, her assistant called. “Ms. Stewart, Mr. Quinn collapsed in his office and was rushed to the hospital.”
Chelsea’s finger hovered over her phone for a moment before she quickly regained her composure.
“I see,” she said coolly. “Per company policy, contact his family to handle it. Deduct any medical advances from his severance package.”
She showed zero sympathy-no hesitation as well.
Hayes had no one to blame but himself.
That was how these things worked.
When Hayes lost his power, those who once surrounded him for their own benefit vanished like rats abandoning a sinking ship.
And Chelsea? She wasn’t about to play the forgiving saint, not for the man who’d betrayed and hurt her.
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Her path was clear: She’d salvage this wreck, protect what belonged to her, and then march forward without a backward glance.
8.03 pm DJD.
