Chapter 6 - The Emergency Board SummonsBy 8:00 AM on Saturday, the rain had stopped, leaving the city washed in a sharp, slate-gray light.
I was already dressed in a charcoal pantsuit, my hair pulled back into a severe, polished knot at the nape of my neck. No pale blue dresses. No soft pastels designed to appease or look bridal. Today, I wasn't a jilted bride waiting at an empty altar; I was the primary principal investigator and a senior equity stakeholder of the West End research initiative.
As I walked out of the bedroom, I found Ethan slumped on the living room sofa. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair unwashed, and the expensive designer shirt he had worn last night was rumpled and creased.
He looked up as my heels clicked across the floor.
"Claire," he croaked, standing up unsteadily. "Where are you going?"
"To the hospital first, then to the university administration building," I said, not even breaking my stride as I reached for my briefcase by the front door.
Ethan lunged forward, blocking the entryway, his hands raised in a pathetic gesture of truce. "Don't go to the administration. Please. I spoke to Sophia. We... she agreed to step down from the project immediately. The patent filing can be amended to restore your name as primary lead. We can sign a formal addendum—"
"You think this is a paperwork error we can just correct with a sticky note, Ethan?" I stopped, looking up at him with cold detachment. "You committed academic fraud, intellectual property theft, and corporate conspiracy under federal grant guidelines. That isn't something you fix with an addendum. That's something that lands you in a federal holding cell."
"It was a mistake!" he shouted, his voice cracking with panic as neighbors down the hallway likely strained to listen. "I was stressed! I was pressured by the investors! They wanted a sole-proprietor entity for the buyout, and Sophia told me—"
"Ah. Sophia told you." I offered a thin, chilling smile. "Make sure you tell that to the ethics board, Ethan. I'm sure they'll find her administrative advice deeply compelling."
I reached past him, unlocked the deadbolt, and pulled the door open.
"Wait!" Ethan grabbed the edge of the door, his face twisting in rage as the mask finally melted away completely. "If you ruin me, Claire, I swear to God I’ll drag you down with me! I'll tell the board you knew about the funding acceleration! I'll claim you approved the shift in IP attribution!"
I looked at him, completely unfazed by his pathetic, flailing threats.
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"Go ahead, Ethan," I said softly. "File your claims. Let’s see whose audit trail holds up better under federal scrutiny."
With a sharp pull, I yanked the door out of his grip, leaving him standing alone in the empty hallway of our condo as I stepped out into the crisp morning air.
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