The Fifth Night

Part 3: The Wife He Never Really Knew

Vincent stared at the document.

“What is this supposed to mean?”

I folded my hands in my lap.

“Read the second page.”

He turned it over.

His eyes widened.

Richard immediately took the document from him.

“Claire, is this legitimate?”

“Every word.”

The document was a copy of a shareholder agreement signed three years earlier, shortly before my wedding to Vincent.

At the time, nobody in the Moretti family had paid much attention to it.

They had assumed I was simply Claire Bennett, the daughter of a modest businessman who had died several years earlier.

They had never asked about my father’s private investments.

They had never wondered why I had refused to accept an expensive wedding gift from the Morettis.

And they certainly hadn’t investigated the inheritance he left me.

My father, Thomas Bennett, had been a successful investor long before Moretti Holdings became a household name.

Through a private family trust, I had inherited a substantial portfolio that included a significant minority stake in Moretti Holdings.

Vincent knew I had inherited money.

He simply never knew how much.

“You own twelve percent of the company?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Richard slowly lowered himself into his chair.

“Twelve percent?”

I nodded.

“And I have never sold a single share.”

Vincent looked furious.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

I gave him a sad smile.

“I tried. Remember our second anniversary? I wanted to discuss my father’s trust with you. You told me you were too busy and asked me to let your financial team handle everything.”

He looked away.

“That was different.”

“No, Vincent. It was exactly the same.”

I continued.

“According to the shareholder agreement, any attempt to transfer company assets through undisclosed conflicts of interest must be reviewed by the independent board.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed.

“What conflict of interest?”

I opened my handbag and removed a final folder.

“That’s why I asked you all to meet today.”

Inside were copies of several financial transactions.

For months, I had noticed unusual transfers involving a subsidiary of Moretti Holdings.

At first, I assumed they were ordinary business expenses.

But after Vincent’s fourth night away, I began looking more carefully.

I discovered payments to a consulting company registered under a different name.

The company had no real office.

Its registered director was a relative of Sophia Carter.

And several payments had been approved using Vincent’s executive authorization.

I placed the documents on the table.

“Three hundred and eighty thousand dollars was transferred to this consulting company over six months.”

Richard picked up the first page.

“Who approved these payments?”

“Vincent’s office.”

My husband immediately stood.

“This is ridiculous. Those were legitimate consulting expenses.”

“Then you won’t mind an independent audit.”

He stared at me.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Perhaps. But the accounting records do.”

Richard turned toward his son.

“Vincent, is this true?”

Vincent rubbed his forehead.

“I told you, Dad. This is a misunderstanding.”

Before Richard could respond, the living room doors opened.

Sophia rushed inside.

“Mr. Moretti, we have a problem.”

Vincent turned sharply.

“What now?”

She looked at the documents on the table.

Her face drained of color.

Then she whispered, “The board has called an emergency meeting.”

Richard frowned.

“Why?”

Sophia swallowed.

“Someone submitted a request for an independent investigation into the consulting payments.”

I remained silent.

Sophia looked directly at me.

“Was it you?”

I picked up my handbag.

“Yes.”

Vincent’s voice rose.

“You went behind my back?”

I looked at him.

“I spent three years standing behind you. I think I’ve earned the right to stand somewhere else.”

Richard motioned for everyone to be quiet.

“Vincent, you will attend that meeting. And you will answer every question.”

He turned toward me.

“Claire, I hope you understand how serious this is.”

“I do.”

I stood.

“And I hope you understand something else. I am not trying to destroy your company. I am protecting the investment my father left me.”

Vincent stepped closer.

“Claire, don’t do this. We can settle everything privately.”

I looked at him for a long moment.

“Privately? Like the five nights you spent with Sophia?”

His face tightened.

“That isn’t what happened.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

He remained silent.

I waited.

One second.

Two.

Five.

Finally, I nodded.

“That’s what I thought.”

I walked toward the door.

But before I could leave, Richard called my name.

“Claire, wait.”

I turned.

He looked older than he had that morning.

“Did you ever truly love my son?”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak.

Then I answered honestly.

“More than I should have.”

Richard lowered his eyes.

“And now?”

I looked toward Vincent.

The man who had once promised never to make me feel alone.

“The woman who loved him is gone.”

I walked out.

That evening, I checked into a quiet hotel overlooking the Chicago River.

For the first time in years, I slept without waiting for the sound of Vincent’s keys at the door.

The following morning, my attorney called.

“Claire, there’s something you need to know.”

I sat up.

“What happened?”

“The board reviewed the initial financial records. They’ve temporarily suspended several executive approvals pending an independent investigation.”

I closed my eyes.

“And Vincent?”

“He’s furious. But there’s something else.”

“What?”

My attorney paused.

“The hotel records you provided weren’t the only evidence. Someone has submitted messages between Vincent and Sophia discussing the transfers.”

My stomach tightened.

“Who submitted them?”

“We don’t know yet. But Claire, one message suggests Sophia was planning to leave the company with a substantial amount of money.”

I looked out at the river.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The expensive hotel rooms.

The late nights.

The secret payments.

Perhaps Vincent hadn’t simply been neglecting his marriage.

Perhaps he had been trusting the wrong person with far more than his time.

Then my phone vibrated.

A message from Vincent appeared.

Claire, we need to talk. Sophia has disappeared. And I think she took something that belongs to the company.

I stared at the screen.

Before I could respond, another message arrived.

There’s something else. She told me she was pregnant.

I slowly lowered my phone.

For the first time since our marriage began falling apart, I didn’t know what to feel.

But one thing was certain.

The fifth night hadn’t ended my marriage because of a secretary.

It had exposed a secret that could destroy the entire Moretti empire.

And Vincent was about to discover that losing his wife might be the smallest of his problems.