Chapter 4 - The Price of Arrogance
The rain poured over New York City, washing the grime from the streets, but doing nothing to clean the air of desperation inside Richard’s luxury penthouse.
He sat on the floor of the living room, surrounded by half-empty packing boxes. The furniture was gone—confiscated by the movers Evelyn’s estate had sent.
Lauren had left hours ago, her bags packed, screaming at him that he was a useless old man who had ruined her life. Marcus had been arrested by the FBI at JFK airport trying to board a flight to Switzerland with three million dollars of embezzled corporate funds.
Richard was entirely alone.
His phone rang. It was his mother's nurse.
"Mr. Hayes? Your mother has been admitted to New York Presbyterian. Her blood pressure spiked dangerously, and she's refused to speak to anyone except... well, she keeps asking for Evelyn."
"Evelyn isn't coming," Richard said, his voice hollow. "She doesn't exist anymore."
He hung up the phone.
He stood up, his joints aching, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. In the distance, the lights of the Carter Global tower pierced through the storm clouds, a towering monument of gold and glass that dominated the skyline.
He realized now. He realized everything.
Evelyn hadn't just been his wife. She had been his shield.
Every time he had insulted a contractor, Evelyn had sent them a hand-written apology note with a bottle of rare wine. Every time he had alienated an investor, Evelyn had invited them to a private dinner and subtly mended the bridge. Every time he had made a terrible financial decision, her family’s silent hand had guided him back to safety, pretending it was his own genius.
He had thought he was a king. But he was just a puppet whose strings had been cut.
He grabbed his coat, rushed down to the lobby, and ran out into the pouring rain. He didn't have a car anymore; his personal vehicles had been seized as company assets. He waved down a yellow cab, his clothes soaking wet, his pride entirely gone.
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"Where to, pal?" the driver asked.
"The Carter Tower," Richard said. "Drive fast."
