The Cruel Truth
845 Words
Silence thickened the air between them, tense and suffocating. The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room.
She stared at him, trying to process the weight of his words.
"Your company."
A laugh, dry and humorless, escaped her lips. “You must be mistaken, Mr. Wolfe. Carter Industries belongs to me. My father—”
“Your father is dead,” Adrian cut in, his voice even, devoid of sympathy. “And Carter Industries no longer belongs to you.”
Her breath hitched. A sharp pang stabbed through her chest, but she shook her head, gripping the thin hospital blanket like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. “No. That’s impossible. I haven’t sold my shares. I haven’t signed anything away.”
Adrian tilted his head slightly, a ghost of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Oh? Is that so?”
The room felt smaller, suffocating.
“Why don’t you call your lawyer and ask him?”
His words were like a slap.
Her throat tightened, but she didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her phone from the bedside table, fingers trembling as she scrolled through her contacts.
Her lawyer, Richard Evans. The man who had handled all her father’s affairs.
She pressed the call button.
The line rang once. Twice. Then—
“Mrs. Carter?” Richard’s voice came through, polite but wary.
Her stomach clenched. “Richard, I need you to confirm something for me.”
A pause. “Of course. What is it?”
She inhaled shakily. “I need you to tell me the status of my shares in Carter Industries.”
Silence.
A silence so heavy it felt like it was crushing her.
Then, Richard sighed. A heavy, regretful sound.
“I… I am so sorry, Mrs. Carter.”
Her fingers tightened around the phone. “Sorry for what?”
Another pause.
“Your husband… he presented signed documents transferring all of your shares to him.”
Her vision blurred. “That’s not possible. I never—”
“He bought your signed documents.”
Her heart stopped.
Her pulse pounded violently in her ears. “No. That can’t be—”
“While you were receiving treatment, he told me not to notify you,” Richard continued, his voice strained. “He said you were already going through too much. I thought…” He hesitated. “I thought you agreed to it.”
The words slammed into her like a tidal wave.
Her hands shook so badly she could barely keep the phone against her ear.
“Mrs. Carter?” Richard’s voice was distant now, blurred, like a fading echo.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
Adrian watched her, his expression unreadable.
She slowly lowered the phone, the call still connected, but she could barely register Richard’s worried voice on the other end.
It was true.
It was all true.
She had lost everything.
Not just her marriage. Not just her child.
Her father’s legacy.
Her company.
Everything her father built. Everything he left behind for her.
Gone.
Stolen.
By the man who had once sworn to love and protect her.
A strangled sob tore from her throat.
Adrian stood, walking toward her with slow, calculated steps. His presence loomed over her, dark and overpowering.
“Now you understand,” he murmured. “Carter Industries isn’t yours anymore. And if you think your husband is going to give it back to you, you’re even more naïve than I thought.”
Her nails dug into her palm. “He wouldn’t…”
Adrian arched a brow. “Wouldn’t he?”
Images of the betrayal she had witnessed just hours ago flashed through her mind—her husband kissing another woman in her office, looking at her as if she was nothing.
"You can’t even carry a pregnancy properly."
"Sign the divorce papers."
"We’re done."
Her breath hitched.
Her husband had never planned to stay.
Had never planned to love her.
He had played his part until she had lost everything—her family, her health, her will to fight. And then, when she had nothing left to give, he had discarded her like she was nothing.
She felt sick.
Her stomach churned violently, and she barely managed to swing her legs over the bed before she staggered to the small bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
Her body heaved.
She retched until there was nothing left, until her throat burned and her limbs trembled.
When she finally slumped against the cold tiled wall, her head spinning, her vision blurred with unshed tears, only one thought remained.
She had nothing left.
But if Adrian Wolfe was standing here, offering her a hand…
It meant she still had something worth fighting for.
Something he wanted.
Something her husband had stolen.
Carter Industries.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her body trembling, but when she lifted her head, something in her eyes had changed.
Adrian was right.
She had been naive.
But not anymore.
Not ever again.
- Writer
