“Terrence Washington was a brilliant and kind man,” I began, my voice amplified clearly by the enormous speakers and carrying absolute authority. “He loved his family’s legacy. But he wasn’t blind.”

I looked directly at Howard and Eleanor, who stood motionless in the middle of the crowd, like deer frozen before the headlights of an approaching train.

“Terrence knew,” I said, projecting my voice so that the key investors near the back could hear every damning word. “He knew that you, Howard, were systematically diverting company funds to pay for your private mansions in Aspen, your new yachts, and Chloe’s ‘startup’ companies, which never produced a single product. He knew you were driving your grandfather’s life’s work to the very brink of bankruptcy to fund your vanity.”

Howard clutched his chest, opening and closing his mouth without making a sound. The investors around him physically stepped back, forming a wide circle of isolation around the disgraced patriarch. They stared at him as if he carried a highly contagious disease.

“Terrence didn’t cancel the prenup because he was blinded by love,” I continued, my voice firm and stern. “He did it because he trusted my training. He chose a pediatric nurse because he knew I understood how to save lives, how to heal, and how to protect the vulnerable. He knew I wouldn’t milk this company dry; I would save it from you.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the 51% controlling participation in my hands.

“Dear members of the board and valued investors,” I announced, scanning the room. “As the legal majority shareholder, I have already submitted the necessary paperwork to convene an extraordinary board meeting, which took place in my absence at 4:00 pm today.”

I fixed my gaze on Howard.

“I hereby publicly declare the immediate and justifiable termination of Mr. Howard Washington from his position as Chief Executive Officer, pending a full federal investigation for extreme financial fraud and corporate misappropriation.”

The entire room erupted. Reporters began shouting questions; investors frantically pulled out their cell phones to call their brokers. The carefully constructed, multi-billion-dollar house of cards that Howard had built collapsed spectacularly and publicly.

“You… you can’t do this!” Howard gasped, his knees buckling slightly. “You’ll ruin the company’s reputation!”

“The company’s reputation will survive the removal of a tumor,” I replied coldly into the microphone.

Suddenly, a blur of movement caught my attention. Eleanor violently shoved two astonished guests and ran toward the stage.

The arrogant and cruel matriarch who had thrown my memories into the mud completely abandoned her pride. Tears streamed down her face, undoing her expensive waterproof mascara into ugly, dark streaks.

“Audrey! Audrey, my beloved daughter-in-law!” Eleanor sobbed, clinging to the edge of the stage. “I’m so sorry! I was so overwhelmed with grief over Terrence’s death that I acted irrationally! I wasn’t in my right mind! We’re family! Please don’t do this to us! Don’t take everything from us!”

To the absolute horror of the high society watching, Eleanor Washington fell to her knees at my feet, sobbing hysterically.

Chapter 5: Returning the muddy suitcase

I looked at the woman crying at my feet.

Slowly and deliberately, I withdrew my foot a few inches, making sure that Eleanor’s desperate, pleading hands did not touch the hem of my emerald silk dress.

“Pain?” I asked, lowering the microphone so only she, Howard, and their immediate circle could hear me. I let out a short, icy laugh that contained not a trace of warmth.

“Grief makes people cry, Eleanor,” I said, staring into her terrified, tear-streaked eyes. “Grief makes people seek comfort. Throwing your dead son’s widow out into the rain and tossing her last memories into a mud puddle isn’t grief. It’s cruelty. It’s the action of a parasite realizing it has lost control of its host.”

I looked towards Chloe, who was still motionless in the crowd, her face pale, completely devoid of her usual sarcasm and venom.

I raised my hand and gestured towards the back of the room.

“Security,” I called, in a clear and authoritative voice.

Instantly, six enormous, highly trained bodyguards—men hired by Mr. Vance’s firm to replace Howard’s loyalists—stepped forward from the shadows. They moved with military precision, effortlessly parting the crowd.

“Please escort these non-shareholders out of the premises,” I ordered the head of security, pointing at Howard, Eleanor, and Chloe. “They’re causing a scene and polluting our charitable atmosphere.”

“Audrey! You’re a demon!” Chloe screamed hysterically as two burly men grabbed her arms and dragged her toward the exit. “You’re a monster!”