Chapter 4 - The Ultimatum
“Have you completely lost your mind?!”
The screaming match in the master study could be heard all the way down the corridor. Olivia paced the length of the Persian rug—the same rug she had claimed was ruined—her face flushed with a mixture of rage and panic.
“You humiliated me! In front of the vendors! In front of my staff!” Olivia screamed, throwing her hands up in disbelief. “You took the side of a hired servant over your own future wife! Three weeks before our wedding! Do you have any idea what this looks like?”
Michael remained seated behind his mahogany desk, his expression carved from stone. He didn’t flinch at her fury. He had seen the mask slip completely, and underneath was a stranger he had never truly known.
“I know exactly what it looks like,” Michael replied coldly. “It looks like a man finally waking up.”
“She’s a nobody, Michael! A peasant!” Olivia shrieked, losing whatever grip she had left on her composure. “Her mother scrubbed floors, and she scrubs floors! They belong in the dirt! Why are you acting like she’s a human being with rights?”
The words hung in the air, absolute and unforgiving.
Michael closed his eyes for a brief second. The ghost of his mother’s voice whispered in his mind: What is truly humiliating is treating someone as if they have less value simply because of the labor they do.
He opened his eyes and slid a manila folder across the desk.
Olivia stopped pacing. She stared at the folder, her breath catching in her throat. “What is that?”
“That is an internal audit of the estate database,” Michael said evenly. “It’s a complete record of every digital fabrication, every false reprimand, and every setup you orchestrated against Sophie over the last three months. Including the wine on the floor. Including the guest list sabotage.”
The color drained entirely from Olivia’s face. She looked at the folder as if it were a venomous snake.
“You... you spied on me?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“I observed you,” Michael corrected. “And then I verified what you were doing. You didn't just want her gone, Olivia. You wanted to destroy her reputation so she couldn't find work anywhere else in the city. Why? Because she caught you being cruel? Because she didn't grovel enough for your liking?”
“This is insane!” Olivia shouted, though her voice lacked its previous conviction. “You’re throwing away our entire life together over a maid? My family will ruin you for this! My father will pull every investor out of your firm!”
“Let him try,” Michael said, standing up to his full height. He walked around the desk until he was standing inches away from her. “Because the wedding is off, Olivia.”
May you like
Olivia recoiled as if she had been physically struck. “You... you can’t do that. The invitations are sent. The venue is booked. The press releases are ready.”
“Watch me,” Michael whispered. “Pack your things and be out of this house by morning. If you’re still here when the sun comes up, I won’t just cancel the wedding—I’ll hand this folder to every major news outlet in Atlanta and let them see what kind of person you really are.”
