Chapter 3
I stared at Vanessa.
"What paperwork?"
She looked toward Marcus.
He shook his head slightly.
I saw it.
So did Aunt Patricia.
"Don't look at him," Patricia said. "Answer Nicole."
Vanessa swallowed.
"I thought everything had been approved."
I stepped closer.
"Approved by whom?"
She hesitated.
"Marcus said Nicole had agreed to transfer her voting rights."
My stomach tightened.
"I never agreed to that."
Vanessa's face changed.
She looked at Marcus.
"You told me she signed."
He moved toward her.
"Not another word."
Patricia stepped between them.
"Enough."
Several guests were still watching.
The orchestra had stopped playing.
Servers stood uncertainly near the tables.
My father's anniversary celebration had become something I never imagined.
But I no longer cared about appearances.
I cared about the truth.
Patricia guided me toward a private conference room.
Ethan stayed beside me.
Marcus followed.
Vanessa came last.
I wanted to tell her to leave.
Then I realized she might know things Marcus would never admit.
So I let her come.
Inside the conference room, Patricia closed the door.
Our company attorney, Daniel Price, arrived five minutes later.
He was fifty-four, with silver-rimmed glasses and a calm voice.
He had worked with my father for almost twenty years.
When he saw my face, his expression softened.
"Nicole, what happened?"
Patricia handed him Ethan's phone.
He watched the recording.
Then asked for a copy to preserve.
I agreed.
Marcus folded his arms.
"This is getting ridiculous."
Daniel looked at him.
"Have any transfer documents been submitted?"
Marcus shrugged.
"Not finalized."
My stomach tightened.
"That wasn't the question."
He glared at me.
Daniel repeated it.
"Have any documents been submitted using Nicole's authority?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Some preliminary paperwork."
Patricia leaned forward.
"What paperwork?"
"Routine corporate restructuring."
Daniel took out his phone.
He contacted the company's corporate secretary.
I watched him speak quietly.
Then his expression changed.
He asked another question.
After several minutes, he ended the call.
"Nicole, there's a problem."
I felt cold.
"What problem?"
"A written consent purporting to authorize a change in the voting arrangement was circulated yesterday."
I stared at him.
"But I didn't sign anything."
Daniel nodded.
"I understand."
Marcus looked toward the window.
Patricia's voice became sharp.
"Where is the authorization?"
Daniel opened his tablet.
He displayed a scanned document.
At the bottom was my name.
Nicole Bennett.
Beneath it was a signature.
My signature.
Except I had never signed it.
My hands began shaking.
"That's not mine."
Marcus immediately spoke.
"Nicole, you signed several documents last month."
I looked at him.
"No."
"You don't remember everything."
The words were familiar.
Too familiar.
Whenever I questioned missing financial information, he told me I was forgetful.
Whenever I asked about company decisions, he said I didn't understand the details.
Now he was telling me I had signed something I knew I'd never seen.
Daniel leaned forward.
"Nicole, can you confirm that you did not sign this document?"
I looked at him.
"Absolutely."
He nodded.
"Then we'll treat the signature as disputed and take immediate steps to prevent reliance on it."
Patricia exhaled.
"Good."
Marcus laughed bitterly.
"You people are acting like criminals are sitting in this room."
I turned toward him.
"Are they?"
His face reddened.
"Watch your tone."
Something inside me snapped.
For fifteen years, I'd watched my words around Marcus.
I had lowered my voice.
Softened my questions.
Apologized when he became angry.
But I was finished.
"No."
He stared at me.
I continued.
"You don't get to bring another woman to my father's celebration, humiliate me, and then tell me how to speak."
The room went silent.
Ethan squeezed my hand.
Marcus looked toward him.
"Son, your mother is upset."
My boy immediately stepped closer to me.
"Don't."
Marcus froze.
Ethan's voice shook.
"Don't talk about Mom like that."
I felt tears rising.
Marcus stared at him.
"I'm your father."
Ethan looked down.
"I know."
Then he whispered:
"That's why this hurts."
My heart broke.
Marcus opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Daniel returned to the documents.
He explained that the disputed authorization hadn't automatically transferred my ownership.
But the attempted change needed urgent review.
Patricia began contacting other board members.
She requested that no action be taken based on the suspicious document.
I watched her work.
For the first time in years, someone was protecting me without asking me to stay quiet.
Then Vanessa stood.
"I need to leave."
Daniel looked toward her.
"Before you go, could you clarify your role in these discussions?"
She hesitated.
Marcus immediately said:
"She has no role."
Vanessa turned sharply.
"What?"
He glared at her.
"Vanessa, leave."
Her expression changed.
She looked at me.
Then at Marcus.
And suddenly, something clicked.
Marcus wasn't protecting her.
He was protecting himself.
Vanessa reached into her handbag.
She removed a folded document.
"I was told this was going to be my appointment agreement."
I frowned.
"Appointment to what?"
She handed the paper to Daniel.
He read it.
His expression darkened.
Then he looked at Marcus.
"Chief Operating Officer?"
I stared at Vanessa.
She looked embarrassed.
"Marcus said I would join the company after the restructuring."
Patricia stood.
"Absolutely not."
Vanessa looked frightened.
"He told me the board supported it."
I shook my head.
"You've never worked for Bennett Family Enterprises."
She lowered her eyes.
Marcus spoke coldly.
"Nicole, you're being emotional."
I turned toward him.
"Stop saying that."
He stared.
I continued.
"I'm not emotional because I don't understand."
My voice shook.
"I'm emotional because my husband has been lying to me."
Daniel asked Vanessa whether she had signed any documents.
She nodded.
Then she handed him another paper.
He studied it.
His expression changed.
"Where did you get this?"
Vanessa frowned.
"Marcus gave it to me."
Daniel looked at me.
"Nicole, this is a proposed employment agreement."
I nodded.
He continued.
"But it contains a compensation guarantee backed by a company account."
Patricia looked furious.
"Which account?"
Daniel hesitated.
Then he turned the document toward us.
I recognized the account name.
The Bennett Children's Foundation.
The charity my father had created to provide scholarships for disadvantaged students.
My stomach dropped.
I looked at Marcus.
He looked away.
And suddenly, I realized the betrayal wasn't only about my marriage or my company.
May you like
Someone had tried to involve money meant for children.
Money my father had spent his final years protecting.
