Chapter 4 - Stripped of Everything
The public backlash completely ruined Michael and Amber. The Harrison Group's stock prices plummeted, forcing the board to officially terminate Michael’s contract without a single dollar of severance pay. Furthermore, the forensic audit I requested revealed massive financial fraud, tying both Michael and Amber to embezzlement of corporate funds.
One rainy afternoon, my attorney called with an urgent update. "Catherine, the judge has issued a temporary restraining order against Michael based on his recent aggressive behavior, and the federal investigators have officially frozen his personal and business bank accounts pending the fraud trial. He is completely broke."
An hour later, Rachel rushed into the kitchen. "Cath, look out the window. You won't believe this."
I walked to the front window and pulled back the curtain. Standing out in the driveway, completely soaked by the rain, was Michael. He looked unkempt, his expensive suit wrinkled, his hair messy. The arrogant billionaire was gone; he looked like a broken man.
I told Rachel to stay inside with Maya, walked out onto the covered porch, and stood at the top of the steps. "You shouldn't be here, Michael. The police have been notified of your restraining order."
"Catherine, please!" Michael yelled over the sound of the rain, stepping closer to the porch. His eyes were bloodshot and desperate. "Amber left me! The moment the accounts were frozen, she packed her bags and took everything she could carry! She stole the cash I had hidden in the safe!"
I watched him, feeling absolutely nothing. No anger, no pity, just total indifference. "Amber only loved your money, Michael. I loved you, and you threw that away for a fantasy."
"I made a mistake!" he cried out, dropping to his knees on the wet asphalt. "I was stupid, I was blinded by the stress of the company! Please, Catherine, we can start over. Think about Maya! She needs a father! I can change, I swear I can!"
"Maya needs a father who respects women, who shows up when things get difficult, and who understands the meaning of loyalty," I said, my voice cutting through the sound of the falling rain. "You are none of those things. You didn't just abandon me that night, Michael. You abandoned your daughter. You chose to let a stranger deliver her because you couldn't be bothered to leave a hotel room."
"Please, Cath... I have nowhere else to go. I lost the house, the company, everything..."
"You lost everything the moment you let Amber answer that phone at 3:07 a.m.," I replied coldly. "Now, please leave before the police arrive."
May you like
I turned my back on him, walked back inside the warm house, and locked the door behind me. Through the window, I watched as two police cruisers pulled into the driveway, their red and blue lights flashing against the wet pavement. They spoke to Michael, handcuffed him for violating the court order, and led him away into the back of a squad car.
He had built a empire based on lies, and now, he was sitting in the ruins of it alone.
