PART 4
I didn’t sleep that night.
The photograph of my apartment building remained on my phone, and the five words beneath it kept repeating in my mind.
“You should stop asking questions, Olivia.”
For several minutes, I simply stared at the message.
Whoever had sent it knew where I lived. They knew I had started asking questions about the financial transactions, and they clearly wanted me to understand that I was getting too close to something dangerous.
But there was one thing they didn’t understand.
I was no longer the woman who spent her evenings waiting for her husband to come home.
I was no longer the wife who apologized whenever Marcus became angry.
And I certainly wasn’t going to allow someone to frighten me into silence.
I immediately forwarded the threatening message to my attorney and contacted the appropriate authorities. I also requested that the hotel preserve its security records and arranged to stay somewhere more secure.
My attorney, a woman named Rebecca Collins, listened carefully as I explained everything.
When I finished, she leaned back in her chair during our video call.
“Olivia, I want you to understand something. We are no longer dealing with a simple marital dispute. If your husband used your credentials to authorize company payments, this could become a serious financial investigation.”
“I know.”
“Do you have copies of the original documents?”
“Yes. I have the emails, transaction references, and approval notifications.”
“Good. Don’t alter anything. Don’t contact Marcus about the financial records. Let the investigators examine the evidence.”
I nodded.
Then I told her about Chloe.
Rebecca was quiet for a moment.
“If she has information, she may become an important witness. But don’t put yourself in danger trying to meet her.”
I promised I wouldn’t.
After ending the call, I sat beside the hotel window and watched the city lights.
I thought about the five years I had spent married to Marcus.
I remembered our wedding day.
I remembered how he had held my hand and promised that we would always be honest with each other.
I remembered the small apartment we had rented before he became a director.
I remembered the nights when we had eaten inexpensive takeout while discussing our future.
Back then, Marcus had told me that one day we would build a comfortable life together.
I had believed him.
I had believed that we were partners.
Now I understood that somewhere along the way, he had decided that my loyalty was something he could use against me.
But he had made one mistake.
He had underestimated how much I knew about the company he was trying to protect.
And he had underestimated how much evidence I had kept.
At 7:00 the following morning, Rebecca called me.
“Olivia, there’s been an update.”
I immediately sat up.
“What happened?”
“Chloe contacted my office through the company’s legal department. She wants to cooperate with the investigation.”
I closed my eyes.
“Is she safe?”
“She has been advised to remain somewhere secure. More importantly, she says she has documents that may be relevant.”
“What documents?”
“She hasn’t sent everything yet, but she mentioned emails, travel records, and a file she received from Marcus.”
I took a deep breath.
“Did she say what was in the file?”
Rebecca paused.
“She believes Marcus used her to help prepare documents that falsely showed you had approved certain financial transactions.”
My stomach tightened.
So it was true.
Marcus hadn’t simply been hiding an affair.
He had potentially been using my name to cover financial activity that I had never authorized.
“Rebecca, what happens now?”
“We let the investigation proceed. And Olivia, there’s something else. The company has requested your attendance at the board meeting this morning. I will accompany you as your legal representative.”
I looked at the clock.
8:12 a.m.
The meeting was scheduled for 9:30.
I stood up and walked toward the mirror.
For the first time in years, I wasn’t getting dressed to impress my husband or make sure he was comfortable standing beside me.
I was getting dressed for myself.
I chose a simple navy-blue suit, a white blouse, and black shoes.
I tied my hair neatly behind my head and placed the documents into a folder.
Then I looked at my reflection.
My eyes were tired.
But they were no longer uncertain.
At 9:24 a.m., I entered the company’s headquarters.
The receptionist looked surprised when she saw me.
“Good morning, Mrs. Thorne.”
“Good morning.”
She glanced toward the elevators.
“The meeting is already underway.”
“Thank you.”
As I walked through the lobby, I noticed several employees watching me.
Some recognized me from the photographs.
Others had probably heard the rumors.
I didn’t stop.
I entered the elevator with Rebecca and pressed the button for the twenty-second floor.
The boardroom was located at the end of a long hallway.
When we arrived, Daniel Reed was waiting outside.
“Olivia,” he said quietly. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course.”
He glanced at Rebecca.
“Good morning. We have prepared a seat for both of you.”
Then he opened the door.
The room fell silent.
Marcus was sitting near the center of the long conference table.
He looked different from the confident man I had known for years.
His suit was wrinkled.
His hair was untidy.
His face looked exhausted.
But when he saw me, his expression immediately hardened.
“What is she doing here?”
The CEO, Mr. Richard Caldwell, looked up.
“Mr. Thorne, Olivia was formally invited to provide information relevant to this investigation.”
Marcus turned toward the CEO.
“This is a personal matter. She has no reason to be here.”
Mr. Caldwell folded his hands.
“That is not your decision.”
I took my seat beside Rebecca.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then the CEO began.
“Before we proceed, I want everyone to understand that this meeting concerns two separate issues. First, the alleged inappropriate relationship between a senior director and an employee under his supervision. Second, irregularities involving financial approvals and operational payments.”
Marcus immediately interrupted.
“The second issue has nothing to do with me.”
Mr. Caldwell looked at him.
“We haven’t finished presenting the evidence.”
Marcus leaned back.
I watched him carefully.
He still believed he could control the conversation.
He still believed that if he spoke confidently enough, everyone would accept his version of events.
But this time, he wasn’t speaking to his wife.
He was speaking to people who had already begun investigating him.
The compliance director opened a folder.
“We identified several payments to a consulting company called Westbridge Advisory Services.”
A document appeared on the screen.
“Between March and September, the company received payments totaling $186,400 from operational accounts.”
Marcus shifted in his chair.
The director continued.
“Several of these payments were approved using credentials belonging to Olivia Bennett.”
Marcus immediately looked at me.
“She had access to those accounts.”
I remained silent.
The director continued.
“However, our system records indicate that certain approvals occurred outside her normal working hours, including one transaction at 11:46 p.m.”
Rebecca opened her folder.
“My client has already provided evidence that she did not authorize those transactions. We have also requested preservation of the relevant digital records.”
Marcus shook his head.
“This is ridiculous. Olivia handled the financial administration. She was responsible for those reports.”
I finally spoke.
“Handling a report is not the same as approving a payment.”
Everyone turned toward me.
I opened my folder.
“I have copies of the original correspondence. On several occasions, I specifically informed Marcus that supporting documentation was incomplete. I refused to approve those transactions.”
I placed the emails on the table.
“These are my original responses.”
The compliance director examined them.
Then he looked at Marcus.
“Mr. Thorne, did you instruct Olivia to process these payments?”
Marcus hesitated.
“I may have asked her to review them.”
“Did you instruct her to approve them?”
“No.”
I looked directly at him.
“Then why did the system show my approval after I had refused?”
He didn’t answer.
The room became very quiet.
Then Rebecca placed another document on the table.
“This is the system notification Olivia received. It shows that her employee credentials were used to approve the payment. We would like the company to conduct an independent digital examination to determine who accessed those credentials.”
The compliance director nodded.
“That examination is already underway.”
Marcus looked increasingly uncomfortable.
Then the CEO turned toward him.
“Do you have anything to say?”
Marcus straightened his jacket.
“I believe Olivia is doing this because of our marriage. She’s angry about the situation with Chloe, and she’s trying to damage my reputation.”
I looked at him.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him.
Even now, with the evidence in front of him, he was still trying to make himself the victim.
But before I could respond, the boardroom door opened.
Daniel entered carrying a sealed envelope.
“Mr. Caldwell, we’ve received additional documents from Chloe Davis.”
The CEO looked toward him.
“Please bring them in.”
Daniel placed the envelope on the table.
The compliance director opened it.
Inside were several printed emails, travel records, and copies of documents bearing Chloe’s signature.
He examined the first few pages.
Then his expression changed.
“Mr. Thorne, I need you to look at this.”
Marcus didn’t move.
The director turned the document toward him.
It was an internal authorization form.
