Chapter 4: The Announcement That Destroyed Him
Preston ignored the first call.
Then the second.
By the third, he had stepped away from the reception and was speaking sharply into his phone.
“What do you mean the account is frozen?””
I stood several feet away, pretending to examine a floral arrangement.
Cassidy followed him.
“Preston, what's happening?””
He covered the phone.
“Stay here.””
“But—”
“Stay here!””
The sharpness in his voice made several guests turn.
Cassidy's cheeks flushed.
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
The chairman of the board approached me.
“Mrs. Hale, may I speak with you?””
“Of course.””
He introduced himself as Richard Bell, a senior executive who had served on the board for eleven years.
“I want to apologize,” he said quietly.
“For what?””
“For not recognizing that the trust's interests were being misrepresented.””
I looked at him.
“Did you know Preston was claiming to have my voting authority?””
Richard hesitated.
“We received documents indicating that the trust had approved a transfer.””
“And nobody thought to ask me?””
He looked uncomfortable.
“No.””
“Then perhaps the board should reconsider how it handles important documents.””
He nodded.
“You're right.””
Across the room, Preston ended his call.
He returned with his face flushed.
“Gideon,” he said, “I need to speak with you.””
Gideon took a sip of water.
“I'm listening.””
“Those accounts are part of a legitimate restructuring.””
“Then you should have no trouble explaining them.””
Preston looked at me.
“This is her doing.””
I raised an eyebrow.
“Which part?””
“The financial investigation. The documents. The accusations.””
“I didn't create the transfers, Preston.””
“You have no idea what you're talking about.””
Gideon placed his glass down.
“Mr. Hale, I would advise you to choose your next words carefully.””
Preston laughed bitterly.
“Are you seriously taking her side?””
“I'm taking the side of documented facts.””
Cassidy hurried over.
“Gideon, perhaps we can settle this privately.””
He looked at her.
“Ms. Vaughn, you should be particularly interested in the documents concerning the consulting firm registered to your brother.””
Her face went white.
“What?””
Daniel Cross approached carrying a tablet.
“Mr. Ashford, the legal department has reviewed the recovered correspondence.””
Gideon nodded.
“Please proceed.””
Daniel connected the tablet to the ballroom's presentation system.
A series of documents appeared on the enormous screen.
The first showed the unauthorized transfer of funds.
The second showed the false medical assessment.
The third displayed the messages between Cassidy and Dr. Reeves.
A murmur spread through the ballroom.
Cassidy stared at the screen.
“Turn that off!””
Daniel didn't move.
Preston stepped toward him.
“Do you have any idea what you're doing?””
Daniel looked at Gideon.
Gideon gave a small nod.
The next document appeared.
It was an internal email written by Preston.
*Once Vivian is declared incapable of managing her affairs, I can assume temporary control of the trust and complete the share transfer. The board will have no reason to question the arrangement.*
Someone in the audience gasped.
Preston looked as if he had been struck.
“That's out of context!””
I took a step forward.
“Then explain the context.””
He turned toward me.
“You don't understand what was happening.””
“Help me understand.””
“I was protecting the company.””
“By stealing from my family?””
“By managing assets that you couldn't manage!””
I looked at him for several seconds.
Then I asked the question that had been burning inside me for five years.
“Do you remember the hospital?””
His expression changed.
“What?””
“The first morning I woke up after the fire. You were sitting beside my bed. You held my hand and promised that you would never let me face anything alone.””
The ballroom had become so quiet I could hear the quartet packing away their instruments.
“You told me I was your hero,” I continued.
“You told me you would spend the rest of your life making sure I never regretted saving you.””
Preston looked away.
“Vivian, not here.””
“Why not here? You had no problem discussing my scars with your mistress in your office.””
Cassidy flinched.
Preston stepped closer.
“Keep your voice down.””
I didn't.
“You told her I was repulsive. You planned to divorce me after securing your promotion. You tried to take my inheritance while I was recovering from surgery.””
He shook his head.
“You're twisting everything.””
“Then tell them why you paid a doctor to declare me mentally incompetent.””
Preston opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Richard Bell approached the stage.
“Mr. Hale, effective immediately, your appointment as chief operating officer is suspended pending a full independent investigation.””
Preston stared at him.
“You can't do that.””
“We can. And we have.””
Richard turned toward the guests.
“The board will also be reviewing all transactions associated with the family trust and any executives involved in the alleged misconduct.””
Preston's face twisted with anger.
“You're making a mistake.””
Gideon stepped forward.
“No, Preston. The mistake was believing you could steal from the largest shareholder and insult her in the same week.””
A few guests lowered their champagne glasses.
Cassidy suddenly began crying.
“This is unfair!””
She turned toward me.
“You've ruined everything!””
I looked at her.
“Did I?””
“You could have stayed home!””
I glanced at her hand resting on her stomach.
“You mean the home where your boyfriend told me I was too ugly to be seen?””
Her mouth opened.
Then closed.
For the first time, she had no prepared response.
Preston grabbed my wrist.
“Come with me. Now.””
I pulled away.
“Don't touch me.””
He leaned close.
“You're my wife.””
I met his eyes.
“Not for much longer.””
A security officer approached.
“Mr. Hale, we'd like you to accompany us to the private conference room.””
Preston looked around desperately.
“I'm a senior executive!””
“Not tonight, sir.””
As he was escorted away, Cassidy followed.
But near the ballroom doors, she stopped.
She turned toward me with an expression I couldn't understand.
Then she said something quietly.
“Vivian, you don't know what he did before the fire.””
I froze.
“What?””
Cassidy looked toward the security guards.
Then back at me.
“Ask him why the building's fire alarms didn't work.””
My heart began pounding.
She hurried away before I could ask another question.
I turned toward Gideon.
He was watching me carefully.
“Did you know?”” I whispered.
His silence was answer enough.
“What happened that night?””
He looked toward the closed conference room doors.
“Vivian, there's something in the original fire investigation that was never made public.””
He took a breath.
“Your husband wasn't simply trapped in that building.””
I felt the floor shift beneath me.
“What are you saying?””
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Gideon looked directly into my eyes.
“Preston was in the building because he was meeting someone who had been investigating the company's missing money.””
