Before Dessert

Part 2: The Company That Was Never His

Marcus caught up with me just outside the restaurant.

“Hannah, get in the car. We need to talk.”

I continued walking.

“There’s nothing left to discuss.”

He grabbed my wrist.

“Those documents. Where did you get them?”

I looked down at his hand.

“Let go.”

He released me immediately.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Behind him, Vivienne stood near the restaurant entrance, pretending not to watch us.

Marcus lowered his voice.

“Whatever you think you discovered, you’re misunderstanding it.”

I almost laughed.

“Really? Then explain the $2.8 million transferred from our investment subsidiary to an account registered under Vivienne Cole’s consulting company.”

His face went pale.

I continued.

“Or perhaps you’d rather explain the $640,000 spent on an apartment in River North? The one you’ve been using for the past eighteen months?”

Marcus glanced nervously toward Vivienne.

“Hannah, those were legitimate business expenses.”

“Then why were they hidden?”

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He rubbed his forehead.

“Listen. I can explain everything tomorrow.”

“No. Tomorrow is when everyone else gets to hear your explanation.”

I turned toward the waiting taxi.

He stepped in front of me.

“You’re making a terrible mistake.”

I finally looked him directly in the eyes.

“Marcus, the only mistake I made was believing you were the man I married.”

I got into the taxi.

He didn’t follow.

But my phone began ringing before the car reached the next intersection.

Marcus.

Then again.

And again.

I switched it off.

For the first time in seven years, I slept peacefully without wondering where my husband was.

The following morning, at 8:30, Marcus walked into the executive conference room at Reed Financial Group.

He expected a normal Monday meeting.

Instead, he found twelve board members, three attorneys, and a woman sitting at the head of the table.

Me.

I wore a tailored ivory suit, my hair neatly pinned back.

Marcus stopped in the doorway.

“What is she doing here?”

The chairman, Mr. Whitaker, closed his folder.

“Please take your seat, Marcus.”

Marcus looked around.

Nobody smiled.

He slowly sat down.

I opened the presentation on the screen.

“Good morning. As most of you know, I’ve worked as a senior financial analyst for several years. What some of you may not know is that my family trust has held a controlling interest in Reed Financial since before the company was incorporated.”

Marcus stared at me.

“What?”

I continued calmly.

“Seven years ago, when your company was struggling with debt, my grandfather provided the capital that kept it alive. In exchange, the Brooks Family Trust received sixty-one percent of the voting shares.”

Marcus shook his head.

“That’s impossible. My father told me those shares belonged to our family.”

“Your father was the original minority shareholder. He signed the agreement himself.”

I placed another document on the table.

“My grandfather allowed you to serve as CEO because he believed you had the ability to build something worthwhile. Unfortunately, the board has recently discovered serious financial irregularities.”

One of the attorneys took over.

“Mr. Reed, the transactions involving Cole Consulting are currently under investigation. Several payments appear to have been made without proper authorization.”

Marcus turned toward me.

“You knew all this?”

“I discovered the first irregularities six months ago.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

I held his gaze.

“Because I wanted to understand whether you were making mistakes or deliberately stealing from the company.”

Silence filled the room.

Then Mr. Whitaker spoke.

“Effective immediately, your executive authority is suspended pending the investigation.”

Marcus pushed his chair backward.

“You can’t do this!”

I folded my hands.

“Actually, Marcus, we can.”

He stared at me as if he were seeing a stranger.

Perhaps he finally was.

But the worst part was still waiting for him.

At 10:15, Vivienne arrived at the building.

She walked confidently through reception, carrying a designer handbag.

“I need to see Marcus. He told me to come.”

The receptionist checked the schedule.

“I’m afraid Mr. Reed is unavailable.”

Vivienne frowned.

“Then tell him Vivienne is here.”

A security officer approached.

“Ms. Cole, we need to speak with you about several company transactions.”

Her smile disappeared.

Across town, Marcus was receiving another document from the legal department.

It contained copies of invoices, bank transfers, and private correspondence between him and Vivienne.

Some of the emails were particularly revealing.

In one, Marcus had written:

Once Hannah signs the updated marital asset agreement, we can move the remaining investments without complications.

I watched him read it.

Then I spoke quietly.

“There’s one more thing you should know.”

He looked up.

“What?”

“The agreement you asked me to review last month? I never signed it.”

His mouth opened slightly.

“Why?”

“Because I discovered that you had listed several company assets as our personal marital property.”

He lowered his eyes.

For seven years, Marcus had believed he was the smartest person in every room.

Now he was finally discovering what happened when someone read the fine print.

And I hadn’t even reached dessert.