Episode 20: The First Collapse
302 Words
Episode 20: The First Collapse
The emergency board meeting lasted nearly four hours.
Ella sat quietly near the back of the conference room while executives argued loudly around Damien.
“This company is bleeding!” one board member shouted.
“We need immediate leadership restructuring,” another added.
“Investors are losing confidence.”
Throughout all of it, Damien remained silent.
Watching.
Listening.
Calculating.
Ella studied him carefully.
Most people would panic under this pressure.
Damien looked almost detached.
Finally, one executive slammed a folder onto the table.
“This all started after the marriage announcement!”
The room fell silent instantly.
The accusation didn’t need clarification.
Ella felt every gaze shift toward her.
“She’s a distraction.” “She’s a liability.” “She doesn’t belong here.”
The words hit harder than she expected.
But before anyone could continue, Damien finally spoke.
“That’s enough.”
His voice wasn’t loud.
It didn’t need to be.
The entire room quieted immediately.
Damien stood slowly.
“If any of you believe my wife is responsible for your inability to maintain stability,” he said coldly, “then perhaps the problem isn’t her.”
The silence that followed was absolute.
Ella stared at him in shock.
This time…
He defended her.
Publicly.
The meeting ended shortly after.
Later that night, Ella found Damien alone on the balcony again.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said quietly.
“Yes,” Damien replied. “I did.”
Ella frowned slightly.
“Why?”
Damien looked at the city below.
“Because they were wrong.”
A pause.
Then softer:
“And because I’m tired of letting people use you to reach me.”
Her breath caught slightly.
For the first time, Ella realized Damien’s walls weren’t just breaking.
They were opening.
- Writer
