Brad Maddaford Scott Powell

🔥💔I caught him cheating hours before signing… so I changed everything overnight.💣💥 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1 The night before the signing ceremony,someone sent me a surveillance video from the CEO's top-floor office. This was the office where,after the company secured its first round of investment,he had spun me around in his arms,promising,"Our business empire will be born here." I assumed it was a commemorative surprise he had prepared for tomorrow's success. But when I clicked on it,I saw him entangled with Zoe Quinn behind the desk. The video ended,and the door opened. Mick Mason walked in,showing no embarrassment at being caught. "You saw it?Good,saves me the trouble of finding a chance to tell you." He swirled the wine in his glass,his tone dismissive. "Don't worry,the CTO position is still yours.You've been with me for seven years;your youth,talent,connections—aren't they all tied to me?" "Without me,do you think your abilities are still worth what they once were?" "Everything will proceed as usual tomorrow,except—" He took a sip of his wine,his gaze falling on the draft to be used for tomorrow's ceremony. "The signing ceremony is yours,but control and the future of the new company belong to her." He looked down at me with a confident yet pitying gaze,as if he knew I wouldn't dare resist. I didn't argue or make a scene.Instead,I picked up the draft document,folded it in half,and tore it in two. I folded it again,and continued tearing it until it became a pile of unrecoverable fragments. "You can handle your own ceremony." He didn't know that I had already joined forces with Karl Henson. The next day,under the huge backdrop at the signing ceremony,Mick ，dressed in a bespoke suit,waited for me. I faced all the media and partners,arm in arm with Karl Henson,and walked straight to the VIP seats. "The signing ceremony is yours,but my technical team and the company's future are all his." —— The car carried me toward the Hillcrest International Convention Center. The signing ceremony for Mick Mason's new company had been hyped for weeks, and the entrance was already choked with reporters who'd staked out their spots since dawn. Our car got stuck outside the crush of bodies, which looked almost absurd. The driver glanced back at me and offered an explanation. "Mr. Mason was discussing the partnership with Miss Quinn until late last night, then rushed straight here this morning. That's why he couldn't come pick you up." I gave a flat little "Mm" and pushed open the door, stepping out. I knew exactly what this was. The driver was afraid I'd lose my temper, so he was dressing it up as gently as he could. The truth was probably that Mick had stayed up too late with Zoe Quinn the night before. No time to come for me, the partner who'd built all this. And no desire to, either. I let out a long, heavy breath, unclenched my fingers, and walked into the venue with a calm I didn't feel. Under the spotlights, Mick stood in a custom-tailored suit, wearing his usual smile, the one that said he had everything under control. His good buddy Hilary Whitney, the company's VP, was the first to sidle up, eyebrows wagging. "Mick, you dog! 'Worked' yourself half to death last night, and still standing here looking this sharp. Where's the wife? Not here yet? Don't tell me she's too mad to show." The other partner, Stewart James, laughed too. "No chance! Our sister-in-law knows how to read the room. Seven years she's been with Mick, this company is her whole life. You think she'd skip it? Worst case she throws a little tantrum, then comes crawling over to sign like a good girl." The corner of Mick's mouth lifted, his tone carrying an unshakable certainty. "Victoria Fox's been with me seven years. Nobody understands better than her what's best for her. Where else does she have to go besides me?" He turned to glance at the assistant beside him. The assistant was holding a backup copy of the same draft I'd torn to shreds the night before. "Knew she'd throw a fit. The one she ripped up last night was just one of the backups." "If she wants to tear up another, fine. In the end, she'll still come over and sign this agreement like a good girl." "She has no choice." A round of suggestive laughter rolled through the crowd. A few of the company's executives gathered close, throwing Mick a thumbs-up. "You've always got the moves, Mick. But speaking of which, on a big day like today, where's Karl Henson?" Karl Henson. One of Mick's good buddies. And one of the company's partners. I reached the venue just in time to hear them talking about Karl. And, badly timed, the message I'd gotten from him last night surfaced in my mind. 【Victoria, I hear Mick plans to hand the control that should be yours over to Zoe Quinn?】 【I still hold fifteen percent of the sh@res. Combined with yours, we can absolutely force him out.】 【Victoria, do you want to team up with me?】 Hilary's startled cry cut through the memory. "Our sister-in-law is here!" In an instant, every pair of eyes in the room swung to me. A pearl-white skirt suit. Fine stilettos set with chips of diamond. Something dazzled flickered, clear and unmistakable, in Mick's eyes. Almost on instinct, he started toward me, ready to wrap an arm around my waist from behind the way he always had. He'd taken one step when his phone began to buzz. Seeing the name "Zoe" flash across the screen, Mick pulled his foot back, planted himself where he stood without a hint of hurry, and answered the call. "What is it? Didn't I tell you to call after the ceremony?" Zoe's voice came through the line. "My dad's had his eye on one of the company's new projects lately and wants me to push it forward fast. Mick, are you interested in coming over to talk it through with us right now?" "Right now?" Mick paused, and his eyes flicked to me on reflex. The sunlight fell across my face, blurring my expression. He drew his gaze back. "Fine. I'll come right over." The moment he hung up, Hilary leaned in. "Mick, who was that? What's the rush?" "Zoe. You know how it is, her father's an investment partner of the company. He's got his eye on a new project and wants Zoe to get control of it as soon as possible. She wants me to bring the papers over and sign now." Hilary raised a brow. "But what about the ceremony here?" Mick brushed it off. "What's the hurry? You and I both know this ceremony is just for show, a formality. The real power belongs to Zoe." "Whether I'm here or not, does it even matter?" Seeing how sure of himself he was, Hilary took the hint and shut his mouth, saying nothing more. After pulling on his coat, Mick walked over to me and pressed a perfunctory kiss to my face. As he leaned in, I caught it clearly, the trace of perfume on him that wasn't mine. So cloyingly sweet it turned my stomach. A touch that had once filled me with happiness now brought me nothing but endless revulsion. I turned my head aside, and his kiss landed on nothing. Mick froze for a moment, then laughed like a man who'd already won. "Mr. Quinn made it clear, the company can only go public on the condition that Zoe holds power." "Victoria, you have to understand me." With that, he strode off toward the exit. Watching his retreating back, my heart lurched and the words came out before I could stop them. "Mick Mason!" His steps halted. He didn't turn around. He was still wrapped in that same self-evident certainty: that even the biggest thing in the world had to step aside for Zoe Quinn. After all, this was the man I'd weathered seven years of storms with, the one who'd once sworn we'd walk through life hand in hand. I drew a deep breath, pressed down the bitterness rising in my chest, and said each word slowly and clearly. "If you walk out that door today, I'll have the company replace its chairman." Chapter 2 Mick froze for a beat, then turned back to look at me, a smile of contempt curling his lips, as if I'd reached far past my place. "Victoria, you don't have what it takes to make this company change its name." "Of course, if you think it's unfair, you're free to walk away. I won't stop you." Before he got into the car, he gave me one last look, as though certain I'd never have the nerve to leave. "Stop making a scene. It's just a signature, that's all. If you feel humiliated, fine, I promise you, I'll be back within the hour. Deal?" The company executives traded glances. All they knew was that Mick had always doted on this daughter of a business partner, even bringing her into the company as a strategy advisor. What they hadn't expected was that he'd abandon me today, of all days, on the day that mattered most to my career. The car sped off, leaving me with the mess he'd left behind. The host running the ceremony had already taken his place, glancing down at a script prepared for two people, standing there at a loss. The executives didn't know how to react either. For a moment, the hall fell utterly silent. A few executives I'd always gotten along with couldn't help sneaking glances at me, gauging my reaction. As if afraid I'd cry, throw a fit, ruin this hundred-mi1lion-doll@r signing ceremony. I said nothing. I lifted my head and took in the lavish decor of the hall. The light refracting off the enormous crystal chandelier made my eyes sting and burn. This was the scene I'd dreamed of for seven years, the very thing I'd ached for. How could I possibly ruin it? Not only would I not ruin it, I'd put it to good use. I opened my phone, scrolled to the few messages Karl had sent last night, and typed out a line: 【Hillcrest International Convention Center.】 【You have one hour. That's all I'll give you.】 After sending it, I shut the phone and walked straight to the head seat to sit down. The phone in my pocket kept buzzing without pause. I knew it was Karl, messaging me back. I didn't know why he was so worked up, but it changed nothing about teaming up with him today. From this day forward, this company would no longer answer to the name "Mason." The very people who'd worried I'd lose my composure in front of the media now saw me sitting calm and quiet, and crowded in to smooth things over for him. "Victoria, you know how important the Quinns are to the company. Mick's only thinking about the bigger picture." "That's right, Victoria. You can't expect Mick to spend his whole life playing house with you, can you? Resources like these are right there for the taking, of course he has to use them." Playing house? I lifted my eyes and looked at Stewart James, my gaze level and calm. Something about that look made Stewart's skin crawl for no reason he could name, but he steeled himself and pressed on. "Honestly, you can't blame Mick. If it weren't for the Quinns, our company couldn't go public even after another five years of grinding." "Victoria, everything Mick does is for your sake. He cares about you, he doesn't want you suffering alongside him, living in some basement again." The men chimed in one after another, dressing up Mick's run to Zoe Quinn as some noble sacrifice, while painting me as worthless. I watched the faces of these men, and the memories surfaced one by one. Back when they'd graduated and couldn't find work, they'd swallowed their pride and begged Mick for help, only to come up empty. It was me who, for the sake of old ties, hadn't wanted Mick's relationships with his buddies to sour. For the first time in my life, I bowed my head and went soft before my father, and that was what brought Mick's company back from the brink. I took the chance to suggest they be brought on, given easy positions. Years later, I never imagined not one of these men would remember what I'd done, all of them practically climbing onto my head now. I couldn't help letting out a mocking little scoff. "I understand." Once I'd sent them off, I finally took out my phone. There at the very top, sure enough, was a message from Karl. 【I won't need an hour. Half will do.】 【Victoria, wait for me.】 Chapter 3 Just as I sat in the head seat, absorbing the gloating stares coming at me from every direction, my phone rang again. It was Zoe Quinn. My finger moved, and I pressed the answer key. Her voice came through deliberately loud, clear enough for everyone in the hall to hear: "Hello? Victoria? Mick left in such a rush this morning that he forgot the gift he wanted to give you. He left it with me. I only noticed once he got back…" She laughed softly. "Mick says you usually dress so tackily. He had me pick out this piece of jewelry especially, so you'd have something to carry the day with." "So, should I send the driver over with it now, or wait until after the ceremony and have Mick put it on you himself?" There was no disguising the flaunting, the provocation in her voice. It wasn't hard to hear what she was really doing. Staking her claim. The people around me who'd heard it shifted their eyes toward me, and their looks turned more complicated. Some knowing. Some scornful. "So that's how it is. The proper wife has to rely on the mistress tossing her jewelry…" "Well, what do you expect, Zoe's the Quinn daughter. Young, pretty. You can't exactly expect the CEO of a public company to spend every day babysitting this washed-out old wife." I said nothing. A deep, heavy grief welled up from somewhere inside me. Having Zoe pick it out for me. Was this a gift, or a humiliation? I didn't believe for a second that Mick didn't know. By the time it ended, my heart had gone from that first sharp ache to something numb. Mick had probably forgotten. Back then, I broke with my own family to run off north with him. When we were at our poorest, I was the one who pawned the jade bracelet my mother left me, just to buy him a decent suit. Times had changed. That suit had long since been tossed into some forgotten corner. And I, this "washed-out old wife," had been thrown away just as coldly, just like that suit. I hung up and made sure I saved the recording. Someone slipped quietly over beside me. It was Sunny, my assistant, the one who'd circled close to me since the day I joined the company. Her face was tight, watching me with worry. "Victoria, you… your eyes are red." I lifted a smile and shook my head. "I'm fine." I'd only meant to keep this girl from worrying about me. Instead, after hearing my words, her eyes welled up even more. "Victoria, everything I have, you taught me. You're capable, you're skilled, you're kind to people. You're a good person." "Mr. Mason… he doesn't deserve you." That from Sunny startled me a little. I'd assumed she'd urge me to be the bigger person, like everyone else. She'd been with the company since the early days. She'd witnessed the time when Mick loved me most, the days when we leaned on each other through everything. She knew exactly how much Mick used to love me. Back then, to rework a proposal, I slept at the company night after night, and before long I'd run my body into the ground and landed in the hospital. When I woke, I saw Mick crying. Sunny, watching the two of us hold each other tight, cried too. After Mick left, she came over and said to me: "Victoria, Mr. Mason cares about you so much. He sat by you three days and three nights. You two have to stay together, always." And now, even she was telling me to leave. If outsiders could see it so plainly, how could Mick possibly not feel his own change of heart? The truth was simple. I just didn't matter to him anymore, so he couldn't be bothered to spare me the attention. Once I understood that, a strange, light relief washed over me. As if that shadow that had rooted itself in my heart for seven years no longer existed. "Thank you, Sunny. But I'm about to leave too." "Would you be interested in continuing to work with me?" Sunny nodded hard. After I'd calmed Sunny down, I walked out to the terrace and submitted the backup recording to my lawyer. The lawyer was someone Karl had referred to me, said to be very good at divorce cases. Especially cases like Mick's, infidelity inside a marriage. I was about to head back from the terrace to the head seat when I heard the voices of Mick's good buddies coming from a corner nearby. "Mick's really not coming today?" "I just asked. They said something came up on Zoe's end…" "What could come up that's worth ditching the company's IPO signing ceremony?" "They said Zoe, she…" "She's pregnant." Chapter 4 Pregnant. The word hit me like a clap of thunder, leaving my head spinning. A dull ache spread through my chest, so sharp I could barely stay upright. I stumbled back a few steps before I managed to steady myself. A long time ago, Mick and I had a child too. #WebNovel #ShortStory #MarriageBetrayal #silentrevenge #femalerevenge #SheWon #Karma 📚Only a limited number of chapters can be displayed here. Click "Read More" to open the application and continue reading (it will automatically navigate to the corresponding book page).👇👇👇