Chapter 7 - The Scapegoat
Victoria, realizing her golden ticket had just turned into toxic waste, backed away toward the exit. But two burly security guards immediately stepped into her path, blocking the doors.
"Where are you going, Miss Hayes?" I asked, turning my gaze toward her.
"This has nothing to do with me!" Victoria shrieked, her voice turning sharp and grating. "I was just his consultant! Sterling told me he was divorcing you anyway! He’s the one who neglected your kid, not me!"
"You pushed a five-year-old child because she spilled strawberry juice on your dress," my father said, his voice deadly low. "Do you know who owns your father’s logistics firm, Victoria?"
Victoria froze, her face turning pale white. "What?"
"Hayes Logistics operates entirely on credit lines underwritten by Vance Capital," Arthur continued, pulling a pen from his breast pocket. "Julian, terminate their contracts by midnight."
"Already done, sir," Julian replied with a cold smile. "Hayes Logistics will file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy before the stock market opens tomorrow morning."
"No! Please!" Victoria burst into tears, dropping to her knees on the marble floor—the exact same floor where she had stood over Hazel hours earlier. "Mr. Vance, please! My family has nothing to do with this! It was all Sterling! He told me to treat Genevieve poorly so she would leave without asking for alimony!"
May you like
Sterling turned on her like a feral animal. "You lying snake! You're the one who insisted on coming to the house today! You ruined everything!"
"Both of you, shut up," I commanded, stepping forward. The entire room hung on my every word.
