My Husband Betrayed Me, I Took His Company

Chapter 2

Serena's heart nearly jumped out of her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm.

"It's nothing. Just a friend of mine. She's going through a divorce and needed to vent."

Liam's dark eyes gave nothing away. He just curled the corner of his mouth. "I see."

"You... why are you back so early? I thought you had a business dinner tonight."

"Came back to grab some documents," Liam said, loosening his tie. "The company anniversary is in a few days, and I need to get everything prepped. I'm gonna be swamped this week, so I probably won't have much time for you. But don't worry, I've got a big surprise for you at the gala to make up for it."

A surprise?

Serena laughed on the inside. A surprise that would show her their five years of marriage had been a complete joke?

Yeah, what a huge surprise.

Too bad she'd found out early.

She thought back to when Liam was first starting his business.

The two of them crammed into that tiny rundown apartment.

She'd poured every penny she had into his dream.

She'd swallowed her pride as a top university grad, sat next to him smiling at all those sleazy clients, and drunk until she threw up.

He'd held her and promised he'd never let her suffer again.

Five years later, the company had grown from a no-name little operation into an industry giant worth billions.

And her?

She was still the most ordinary sales rep at the company, with a salary that hadn't gone up a cent in five years.

Meanwhile, Chloe had come crying to them, saying her husband hadn't sent money in months and she couldn't get by.

Liam didn't hesitate for a second. He brought Chloe into the company and made her an executive director out of nowhere.

Six-figure salary, company car, housing allowance. And the job itself? The easiest gig in the whole place.

Serena had complained about it back then. And what did Liam say?

"Serena, take the high road. Chloe's a single mom, she's got it tough. It's the right thing to help her out. Don't be so petty."

Looking back now, she felt like such an i***t. She'd actually thought she was being small-minded.

But the signs had been there all along.

Serena clenched her fists under the table. She lifted her head, met Liam's gaze, and flashed him a bright smile. "Really, Liam? That's so sweet. I can't wait to see what you've got planned. And you know what? To return the favor, I'll have a surprise for you too."

A surprise that would destroy him, ruin his reputation, and send him straight to hell.

A flicker of contempt passed through Liam's eyes. He didn't say another word and turned toward the study.

But right as he reached for the door, his hand paused.

Serena's heart shot straight up into her throat.

Thankfully, the next second, he pushed the door open and walked in, apparently not noticing anything off.

Serena let out a long, shaky breath.

Two days later, at an old-school coffee shop, Serena met up with Tina.

Tina slid a thick stack of documents across the table. "Serena, I pulled the records from the hospital system. Chloe's son is named Leo. He's three and a half. And this... is a copy of the paternity test report. Liam is definitely the biological father."

Even though she'd already braced herself for it, Serena's heart still ached so badly she could barely breathe.

She sat there frozen, her eyes starting to sting.

Tina kept going. "And on top of that, not long after Leo was born, Liam bought Chloe a villa in the fanciest part of downtown as some kind of reward. He also moved five hundred million dollars into her name through a bunch of offshore accounts, all in one go. And on top of that... he transferred thirty percent of the company's shares to Chloe and her son through a trust."

Serena finally managed to speak, her voice hoarse. "And what about me? What do I have?"

Tina hesitated. "Well... you have nothing. The house, the cars, they're all in Liam's name. Prenuptial property. You don't own a single share of the company. And he's already set up a solid asset firewall. Even if you divorce him, you won't get a dime."

Serena said nothing. But the tears she'd been holding back finally spilled over.

Tina looked at her, heartbroken and confused. "Serena, you're his wife. And you work at his company every single day. How did you not notice any of this?"

Serena downed the rest of her coffee in one gulp, and her eyes went cold, little by little.

"He never let me near any of the core business. I brought it up a few times, but he always said he didn't want me to work too hard. And I bought it... every single time. Now I know the truth. He was scared I'd find all this out."

Tina sighed, her tone turning heavy. "Serena, you need to prepare yourself. This isn't just about moving assets. I found out he's not only drafted a divorce agreement that leaves you with nothing, he's also been cooking the books with the CFO. They're planning to pin a five hundred million dollar project loss on you. They're gonna announce it at the anniversary gala in front of all the media and shareholders and completely destroy your reputation."

Serena's hands started shaking too.

Pin it on her?

Oh, that was just perfect.

How heartless could Liam be? Did he even have a heart?

After a long moment, she steadied herself and set her cup down.

"Well then, Liam's gonna be disappointed. I'm not gonna let him get away with it."

"Serena, don't do anything reckless! Liam clearly has everything planned out. If you go head to head with him now, you're gonna lose, big time."

"I know that. Tina, I'm gonna need your help with one more thing. Keep digging into all of Liam's company accounts, especially those offshore ones. I want to know exactly where every single penny went. And while you're at it, tip off the tax bureau. Tell them the Bennett Group has been evading taxes for years and their books are a mess. I am not going to let that man live one more day in peace."