Chapter 5: Boardroom Betrayals and Justice

Lately, Carter and I have been planning our wedding.

My ex, Jake, who’d been laying low, had his secretary call me to say the management decided to kick me out of the company before New Year’s.

The so-called management was just Jake, me, and Brooke.

Back in the day, Jake claimed he was broke and bullied at his big company, so he quit. I suggested we start a stationery e-commerce business together.

As the business grew, Jake said we needed to do more marketing. Brooke, a journalism major and his junior, was supposedly talented, so he suggested bringing her in. I didn’t think much of it and gave her a share.

Who knew they’d end up together?

When I found out about their affair, we split the company assets on the spot. I’d put in 20% of the initial capital—the rest came from venture investment I secured. Jake didn’t put in a penny, but claimed he’d just pay me back my share.

What a joke.

I threatened legal action before he finally gave up. In the end, we agreed I’d leave and get annual dividends.

I had other projects to focus on anyway.

Now they want to kick me out? Dream on.

I told my fiancé everything. He smiled, told me not to worry, and drove me to the company in his flashy Bentley.

In the conference room, I saw Jake and Brooke—who’d been fighting just weeks ago—now sitting side by side. I couldn’t help but mock them:

“Well, Jake, look at you. To kick me out, you can even sit calmly next to the woman who cheated on you.”

Jake scowled. “Cut the crap.”

Brooke chimed in, “Yeah, this time we’re going to make you pay, Autumn.”

What is this, a Netflix revenge drama?

Jake, rubbing his few remaining hairs, spotted Carter and his face fell.

“What’s he doing here? He doesn’t work here. Didn’t someone say no family allowed at the office? Autumn, don’t contradict yourself.”

He got up and called security.

“Security! Where is everyone? Throw this outsider out!”

But the guards came in and immediately grabbed Jake instead.

Jake: “?”

Me: “?”

Brooke: “?”

Jake struggled and yelled, “Are you crazy? Throw him out, not me! You want to lose your jobs?”

Carter sat calmly, drumming his fingers on the table.

“I think you’re the crazy one.”

“Mr. Miller, sorry to disappoint you. I’m not just Autumn’s fiancé—I’m the company’s biggest shareholder.”

“Wha…what?”

The whole office was stunned. I had no idea either.

How did he become a shareholder?

Carter explained, “You didn’t know? 51% of this company’s funding came from Evans Capital—that’s my firm. When my sister told me Autumn wanted to start a business but needed funding, I didn’t want her to know it was me, so I invested through my own company.”

I stared at him, thinking, how is he so handsome?

No wonder a broke grad like me suddenly got a huge investment. It was him all along.

Carter looked at them both.

“You two can leave now. You’re fired.”

Jake scoffed, shaking off the guards and pointing at Carter.

“Even if that’s true, what law says a major shareholder can just fire management? I haven’t broken any company rules—you have no right.”

Carter laughed coldly, exuding power, and tossed a stack of documents on the table.

“You really don’t give up, do you? During the Super Bowl, you embezzled four million for gambling and lost it all. As for this fake innocent, she hasn’t shown up for work in two months and forged hospital records. According to company policy, I have every right to fire you.”

“Oh, and by the way—”

He slipped one hand in his pocket, eyes sharp. “On the way here, I filed a police report. The cops should be here soon.”

“Po…police…”

The tough talk vanished. Jake dropped to his knees, begging.

“Mr. Evans, please, just this once. Don’t press charges—I’ll be ruined.”

Carter ignored him. He crawled over to me, clutching my clothes, pleading:

“Autumn, please, help me. Forgive me this time.”

“With that much money involved, there’s nothing I can do. Cooperate with the investigation.”

“Autumn!”

Brooke, seeing her partner go down, panicked and cried:

“It has nothing to do with me, Mr. Evans, Autumn, please—it’s not my fault!”

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