Chapter 4 - THE WARROOM AND THE DAWN OF REVENGE
By 11:00 AM, news of the incident at Little Harvest Kitchen had already begun to leak through industry channels. But I wasn't going to let the narrative be spun by Carter Global's PR machine.
I sat inside the glass conference room of Chicago’s premier family and corporate law firm, Vance & Sterling. Sitting across from me was Arthur Sterling, the most feared trial attorney in the Midwest.
"The audio file is legally airtight, Hannah," Arthur said, reviewing the digital forensic report. "Since it was recorded on a server owned by a entity you co-registered, Illinois wiretapping laws do not apply in the manner Olivia’s legal team will claim. Furthermore, we have proof of fraud, tortious interference, and malicious prosecution regarding today's health inspection."
"I don't just want a settlement, Arthur," I said, looking out at the skyline. "I want full custody. I want a complete public retraction of the lies Eleanor Carter spread about my character five years ago. And I want Little Harvest Kitchen given an exclusive, unchallengeable contract for the entire Chicago public school system."
"And what about Sebastian?" Arthur asked softly. "He is technically the biological father. If he demands a paternity test—"
"Let him," I interrupted. "He can have his DNA match. But he will never have their hearts. He missed their first steps. He missed their first words. He missed every emergency room visit, every fever, every birthday. He doesn't get to step into a ready-made family just because he finally discovered the truth."
Just then, my phone chimed. It was an email invitation.
Subject: Emergency Carter Global Board Meeting - 14:00 HRS. Sender: Office of the CEO.
Sebastian had sent me an direct invitation to the executive board meeting. Attached was a note:
Hannah, you deserve a seat at the table where your life was stolen. Come and watch me undo it.
"Are you going?" Arthur asked.
I stood up, adjusting my red blazer—a bold, striking color against the sea of corporate gray. "Not only am I going, Arthur. I’m bringing the press with me."
At 1:45 PM, I arrived at the majestic Carter Global Tower in downtown Chicago. Photographers and news crews were already gathering at the main entrance, tipped off by an anonymous broadcast I had sent out an hour prior.
When I stepped into the grand marble lobby, security guards immediately bowed their heads and cleared the private VIP elevator for me. Word had clearly traveled fast: the forgotten wife had returned, and she was holding the matches to burn the kingdom down.
The doors to the 50th-floor boardroom slid open.
Inside sat twenty of the most powerful corporate board members in the country. At the head of the table sat Eleanor Carter, looking radiant in a dark blue suit, though the nervous twitch in her left eye betrayed her calm facade. Beside her sat an empty chair meant for Sebastian.
When I walked in, flanked by Arthur Sterling, the entire room gasped.
Eleanor slammed her hands on the table, standing up immediately. "What is the meaning of this? Who allowed this woman into a confidential board meeting?!"
"I did," a voice boomed from the doorway behind me.
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Sebastian walked into the room, carrying a thick black leather binder. He didn't look at his mother. He looked straight at me, offering a subtle, respectful nod, before taking his seat at the opposite end of the long mahogany table.
"This meeting," Sebastian announced calmly, "is now in session. And the first item on the agenda is the immediate removal of Director Eleanor Carter from the board."
