My Husband Betrayed Me, I Took His Company

Chapter 4

The day of the anniversary gala finally arrived. Big names from every industry showed up, all dressed to the nines and ready to mingle.

When Serena got there, Liam's parents were already swarming around Chloe and little Leo, cooing, "my sweet grandson" nonstop.

Liam's mom, Mary Bennett, spotted Serena out of the corner of her eye and immediately raised her voice. "Well, well, look who finally decided to show up. Do you really think you're some kind of VIP making a grand entrance? Take a good look at yourself. You've been mooching off the Bennett family for years, and you still have the nerve to act all high and mighty."

Serena walked over cool and collected. "Mary, you're joking, right? The Bennett Group went from a tiny little shop to a publicly traded company. I was there from day one, building it all with Liam. At a celebration like this, as his legal wife, I'd say I'm pretty important."

She paused. "Come to think of it, the one who really didn't lift a finger seems to be someone else, wouldn't you say?"

Mary turned bright red, shaking with rage. "You! How dare you talk to me like that! There are guests here today! Watch your mouth!"

"Oh? That was nothing. Try not to have a heart attack later. It's gonna get worse."

"Serena!"

Mary lunged forward, ready to slap her, but Liam hurried over just in time. "Mom, don't stoop to her level. Today's a big day. Just hold on a little longer. After today, she won't be a problem anymore."

Mary's anger vanished in an instant. She shot Serena a vicious glare, then plastered on a sweet smile and bent down to Leo.

"Come on, sweetie. Grandma's gonna take you to get some tasty treats."

The whole family huddled around Leo and walked off toward the buffet, all warm and cozy.

As Chloe passed Serena, she flashed her a knowing little smile.

Serena smiled right back.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

It was Tina.

Tina: Everything's ready.

She typed back:

Thanks for all your hard work.

The gala kicked off.

Liam, as the CEO, was the center of attention.

He spoke smoothly under the lights, walking everyone through the Bennett Group's glorious journey, painting a bright picture of the future.

"None of this would be possible without everyone pitching in. I want to thank my family for standing by me through the toughest times."

He looked lovingly at his parents, then turned his gaze to Chloe, his eyes going all soft.

"And I want to give a special thanks to someone. Our project director, Ms. Chloe Price. Since she joined us, her incredible talent and hard work have brought in several key projects. Honestly, without her, the Bennett Group wouldn't be where it is today, and we wouldn't have gone public so soon."

The crowd erupted in applause.

Chloe smiled demurely under all the attention.

Then a reporter spoke up. "Mr. Bennett, what about your wife, Mrs. Bennett?"

Suddenly, every pair of eyes and every camera lens turned to Serena.

Liam's smile froze for a split second, then twisted into something ugly. "My wife? Yes, when we got married, I had nothing. And because of that, I've always felt guilty. I've tried so hard to make it up to her. I gave her everything she wanted.

"But she got greedy. She abused her position to siphon money from company projects. After a thorough investigation, our finance department found that she'd embezzled five hundred million dollars over the years.

"As her husband, when I found out, I was furious and heartbroken. I gave her chances to come clean, but she never changed. She actually thought she deserved it.

"Today, in front of all of you, I'm making this public. I can't let her, just because she's my wife, keep destroying everything we've all worked for. She has to pay for what she did. She has to face the law."

He held up a thick stack of documents. "This is the evidence."

The crowd gasped.

"Five hundred million? Oh my God, that woman is pure evil!"

"I knew it! Serena's been nothing but a useless sales rep for five years, no promotions, no nothing. All she does is dress up and live the high life. Now we know where the money came from!"

"The CEO himself is exposing her! It's gotta be true!"

"What a nerve! This is like that story about the farmer and the snake!"

Liam's relatives were pointing and sneering at Serena.

"Ungrateful leech! Lazy and greedy!"

"If I were her, I'd be so ashamed I'd crawl into a hole or run out crying. But look at her, she's just sitting there!"

Serena's lips curled into a faint smile, a glint of mockery in her eyes. "Run? Why would I run? The show's just getting started."

She stood up and walked calmly toward the stage, right into the spotlight.

The media swarmed her.

"Mrs. Bennett, what do you have to say about these accusations?"

"Why did you embezzle all that money? How could you do this to your husband?"

Serena didn't answer. She just looked at Liam. "Mr. Bennett, are you prepared to take legal responsibility for every word you just said?"

Liam narrowed his eyes, his chest puffed out. "Serena, what more do you have to say for yourself? I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true."

"Fine. Your call. So here we go."

Serena snapped her fingers.

The massive LED screen at the center of the room, which had been playing the Bennett Group's promotional video, went black. Then a new video started playing.

On screen, Liam and Chloe sat in his study, plotting. "At the gala, I'll frame Serena for embezzling five hundred million. I'll dump it all on her. I've already had the books cooked. It's airtight."

"Will she go to jail?"

"Jail would be getting off easy. I want her to have nothing. No money, no assets, and a mountain of debt."

The two of them smiled at each other and started making out.

The whole room went dead silent.

Liam's face turned white as a sheet. His eyes went wide with disbelief. "How... how did you... this is impossible!"

Then it clicked. "You... you went into my study?"

Serena raised an eyebrow, her tone light. "Yeah, your study had quite a few surprises hidden in it. No way I'm keeping it to myself. Time to let everyone in on it."

Liam completely lost it. His face twisted with rage as he screamed, "Serena! What the hell are you doing?! I'm warning you! Don't you dare!"