Chapter 5

Armed with the falsified data, they successfully closed a massive twenty-million-dollar investment round.

To celebrate, Rachel booked the grand ballroom of a luxury five-star hotel downtown for a massive company gala.

The entire office was buzzing with excitement. Everyone was talking about the party, but of course, I was the only one who didn't receive an invitation.

I didn't care. I went home after work, ordered a pizza, and went straight to sleep.

But around 9:00 PM, my phone started buzzing violently.

It was a WhatsApp message from Rachel. It was a long list of premium liquors and wines.

“We ran out of these drinks at the party. Buy them and deliver them to the hotel ballroom immediately. Don't ruin our celebration, or you’ll pay for it.”

Without a second thought, I blocked her number.

Five minutes later, my doorbell began ringing frantically. Rachel had actually sent three of our junior staff to my house to wake me up.

Anger flared in my chest. They just don't know when to stop, do they?

I grabbed my keys, got into my car, and drove straight to the hotel.

When I entered the grand ballroom, the atmosphere was loud and alcohol-fueled. A loud cheer erupted from the main VIP table.

I looked up. Under the glittering chandeliers, Rachel was standing on a raised platform, her face flushed red from champagne.

Suddenly, Jackson grabbed her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her passionately right on the lips.

Instead of pulling away, Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss in front of the entire company.

They were kissing like starved teenagers, completely ignoring the fact that her actual husband was standing right there in the room.

To everyone else, I was the ultimate cuckold, forced to watch my wife parade her young lover.

But I didn't feel anger. All I felt was a profound sense of absurdity and relief. This woman had absolutely no bottom line left.

Right then, my phone buzzed. It was my divorce attorney.

“Ethan, the asset protection filings are ready. Do you have proof of her infidelity?”

I pulled out my phone, quietly recorded a crisp, high-definition video of them making out on stage, and hit send.

Then, I opened my secure email app.

Time remaining until the SEC federal audit authorization goes live: 1 day, 8 hours, and 22 minutes.

I took a deep breath, memorizing their smug faces one last time.

Enjoy it while you can, Rachel.

On my last official day, I calmly signed my exit paperwork.

I had been home for less than thirty minutes when my phone started ringing off the hook from an unknown number.

I picked up, and Rachel's hysterical scream blasted through the speaker.

"Ethan! Where the hell are you?! Get your ass back to the office right now! The investors are here!"

"They found out the database records are completely fabricated! You gave us that USB drive! You have to come back and fix this right now!"

I had anticipated this. I didn't say a word and hung up, immediately blocking the new number.

It was hilarious. When they made twenty million, they didn't think of me. But the moment the ship started sinking, they wanted me to plug the leak.

But the real comedy was just beginning.

Ten minutes later, my doorbell rang. I opened it to find three solemn-looking police officers standing on my porch.

"Are you Ethan? We received a report that you are primary suspect in a massive financial fraud and corporate data sabotage. Please come with us."