The Embarrassing Wife

PART 2 — THE DEAL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

At nine the following morning, I arrived at Daniel Brooks’s law office.

He was waiting in a private conference room with several thick folders arranged neatly across the table.

“Emily, before we begin, I want you to understand something. Your father was a very careful man.”

He opened the first folder.

“Twenty-five years ago, he invested in a small medical equipment company founded by an old friend. Over time, he became its largest private shareholder.”

I stared at the documents.

“Langford Medical Systems?”

Daniel nodded.

“Exactly.”

I remembered Grant talking about Langford almost every evening.

He had spent months building relationships with the investment group attempting to acquire it. He believed the transaction would make him extraordinarily wealthy.

“How much of the company does my trust own?”

“Thirty-one percent.”

I stared at him.

“Thirty-one?”

“Your father never sold his shares. He believed the company would eventually become something extraordinary.”

Daniel slid another document toward me.

“There’s something else. The acquisition group has been negotiating with several shareholders, but your approval will be necessary before the transaction can proceed.”

I looked down at the papers.

“So Grant needs my signature?”

“Not necessarily. He doesn’t know you’re the beneficiary, does he?”

“No.”

Daniel leaned back.

“Then I suggest we keep it that way until we understand exactly what is happening.”

I nodded.

For the next two hours, we reviewed the trust, the shares, and the financial records.

Then I noticed something strange.

A document showed that Grant’s investment group had offered several shareholders a price significantly below the company’s latest independent valuation.

“Is this normal?” I asked.

Daniel examined the page.

“Not necessarily. Especially considering the company’s current financial position.”

“Could they be trying to take advantage of the other shareholders?”

“That’s something we’ll need to investigate.”

I looked at him.

“Then investigate it.”

Daniel smiled faintly.

“Your father would have liked hearing you say that.”

For the first time in years, someone seemed to believe I could make decisions without being instructed.

When I returned home, Grant was waiting in the kitchen.

He was wearing an expensive gray suit, speaking on the phone.

“Yes, everything is progressing. The final approval should come soon.”

He noticed me and ended the call.

“Where have you been?”

“Meeting an old family attorney.”

His expression changed.

“Why?”

“Some inheritance paperwork.”

He frowned.

“Emily, I thought we discussed this. You don’t need to concern yourself with financial matters. I’ll handle them.”

I placed my purse on the counter.

“It’s my father’s estate.”

“And I’m your husband.”

He said it as though that settled everything.

I looked directly at him.

“Does being my husband mean I shouldn’t know what I own?”

His jaw tightened.

“Don’t twist my words.”

I almost smiled.

Five years ago, I would have apologized.

Today, I simply walked past him.

That evening, Grant received a call from Caroline.

He put it on speaker while I was sitting across from him.

“Grant, Mom wants to know if Emily is coming to the gala.”

“No,” he answered immediately. “She’s staying home.”

Caroline laughed.

“Good. We don’t need another awkward scene.”

Grant glanced at me.

I continued reading my book.

“Actually,” he said, lowering his voice, “I may have some news for her soon.”

My fingers stopped turning the page.

“What news?” Caroline asked.

Grant chuckled.

“Let’s just say my life is about to get much easier.”

I closed the book.

He ended the call and walked upstairs without another word.

An hour later, I received an email from Daniel.

The subject line made my stomach tighten.

URGENT — LANGFORD ACQUISITION REVIEW

I opened it.

Attached was a report showing that Grant had privately negotiated a substantial consulting bonus, payable immediately after the acquisition closed.

There was also a second document.

A draft agreement between Grant and the investment group.

Under the section titled Post-Transaction Personal Arrangements, I found a sentence that made my blood run cold.

Mr. Whitmore intends to initiate divorce proceedings following the successful completion of the acquisition.

I read it three times.

He hadn’t merely been considering divorce.

He had been planning it around his payday.

My phone rang.

Daniel’s voice was serious.

“Emily, there’s one more thing you need to know.”

“What is it?”

“The acquisition group has scheduled a final shareholder meeting for next Friday.”

“And?”

“Your husband has requested your father’s shares be represented by a proxy. He believes the estate is still controlled by an independent trustee.”

I looked toward the staircase.

Grant was upstairs, probably preparing for another day of pretending to love me.

“Can he do that?”

“Not without your authorization.”

I stood up and walked toward the window.

Outside, the garden lights illuminated the house Grant loved so much.

The house where his family had laughed at me.

The house where he had planned to discard me after collecting his money.

“Mr. Brooks,” I said calmly, “I want to attend that meeting.”

“Understood.”

“And I don’t want Grant to know I’m coming.”

There was a short silence.

Then Daniel replied.

“Emily, are you sure?”

I looked at my reflection in the dark window.

For five years, I had tried to become the woman Grant wanted.

Now I was ready to become the woman he had never expected.

“Absolutely.”

I ended the call.

At that exact moment, Grant walked into the room holding a glass of champagne.

“Good news, sweetheart,” he announced. “The Langford deal is almost finished.”

He kissed my cheek.

“In a few weeks, everything will be different.”

I raised my glass and smiled.

“Yes, Grant.”

I took a small sip.

“I think everything will be very different.”

He had no idea that the woman he called an embarrassment was about to walk into his biggest business deal as the person who could decide whether it happened at all.