Episode 4
1145 Words
Jacob sat at the edge of his bed, his head buried in his hands as the pale morning light filtered weakly through the curtains. He hadn’t slept a wink, not after hearing the doctor’s words on repeat through his head all night: “You’re infertile, Mr. Winfrey. There’s absolutely no chance you can father a child.”
The words gnawed at him. Over and over again, they echoed—stripping away any last shred of denial he’d been clinging to. His life was slipping from his grip faster than he could steady himself.
Sheila, once the only person on his side, the one person he should’ve protected—he’d turned her into a pawn in his stupid, selfish ambitions. And now the weight of that betrayal settled heavy on his chest.
But Elena… Elena had been the biggest deception of all. He had loved her. Foolishly. Blindly. And now? Now he sat here realizing he’d been planning a future with a child who wasn’t even his.
A bitter laugh slipped out, dry and humorless. “Sheila might leave,” he muttered into the empty room, “but her properties are still mine.”
That was the only thought keeping him upright—that small, frayed string he held onto. Sheila’s wealth would keep her tied to him. She had stayed this long, hadn’t she? Surely she wouldn’t walk away so easily.
Or… would she?
The idea of losing everything—his position, his reputation, the company—left him restless, uneasy. What if she already knew? What would happen then?
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, cutting through the silence. He grabbed it with a grimace. Andrew’s name flashed across the screen.
“What now?” he snapped, his throat hoarse from a night without sleep.
“Mr. Winfrey, you need to come to the office. Immediately,” Andrew said, his voice tense. “The board is meeting this morning. You’re expected.”
Jacob pressed his fingers to his temples, the headache from hell clawing its way deeper into his skull. “Cancel the meeting. I’m not in the mood for this today.”
“You can’t,” Andrew said, firm. “They’re aligning against you. If you don’t show up, things are only going to spiral faster.”
Jacob swore under his breath. Everything was falling apart faster than he could keep up with. But the urgency in Andrew’s tone left him no choice. “Fine. I’ll come,” he bit out before hanging up.
---
Leaving the house proved harder than expected. Not a single one of the cars would start. Another slap in the face. Frustrated beyond words, he ordered a ride like some intern, fuming the whole way.
By the time he arrived at the office, he looked worn down, a shadow of the man who usually strode through those doors with confidence.
He felt it immediately—the shift. No one met his eyes. No greetings. Just quiet stares and whispers trailing behind him like smoke. Too tired to care, but not blind enough to miss it.
When he stepped into the boardroom, the quiet conversations stopped cold. His gaze moved across the faces, pausing on the one person he hadn’t expected to see.
“Sheila?” His voice cracked with disbelief. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Sheila sat at the head of the table, calm and unbothered, her lips curling just slightly. “What a strange question, Jacob. What else would I be doing in my company?”
The words landed like a slap. That confidence, the way she didn’t even bother to stand—it wasn’t the Sheila he thought he knew.
Before he could speak, one of the board members cleared his throat. “Mr. Winfrey, please sit. We have business to address.”
Reluctantly, Jacob pulled out a chair, his eyes flicking from one face to another. Something was deeply off.
Sheila rose smoothly, her presence filling the room without effort. “Let’s not waste anyone’s time,” she said. “We’re here to discuss the issues dragging this company down—most of which fall squarely on Mr. Winfrey’s shoulders.”
Jacob’s jaw tightened. “What nonsense is this?”
She ignored him, motioning to Andrew, who handed out thick folders to everyone at the table. “Inside, you’ll find evidence of embezzlement, fraud, poor management… the list goes on.” Her voice didn’t waver. “The board has already reviewed everything.”
Jacob’s hands shook slightly as he flipped through the pages. His stomach turned with every line he read. “This is a setup.”
The room stayed quiet. Sheila’s next words cut through like ice. “The board has decided to terminate your position as CEO. Effective immediately.”
Jacob shot up from his chair. “You can’t fire me! This is my company!”
Sheila raised an eyebrow, her smile edged with amusement. “Your company? That’s an interesting claim. Care to explain how?”
Fumbling, Jacob yanked a file from his briefcase and slammed it onto the table. “This. This is Sheila’s will—signed before our wedding. It hands everything over to me. The company. The properties. All of it.”
Board members exchanged glances, their expressions turning from curiosity to disdain as they passed the document between them.
Finally, one of them spoke. “Mr. Winfrey… this is poorly forged. Did you really think this would hold up anywhere, much less here?”
Jacob’s confidence broke. “It’s not fake!” he barked, desperation creeping into his voice.
Sheila gave a soft laugh, cold and pitiless. “Oh, Jacob. Did you truly believe I’d hand over everything I built to a man like you? That will was a decoy. My lawyer drafted it five years ago… just to see how long it would take you to show your true colors.”
The realization hit like a hammer.
“Why are you doing this?” he hissed, humiliated, furious. “Why humiliate me like this?”
Sheila stepped closer, her expression unreadable. “You did this to yourself the moment you pulled out that pathetic document. Forgery, Jacob. I could have you arrested if I wanted.”
Before he could protest, the doors swung open and two security guards entered.
“Escort Mr. Winfrey off the premises,” Sheila instructed.
Jacob turned desperately to the board. “You can’t let her do this! I’m the rightful owner!”
No one spoke. No one looked at him.
As the guards grabbed his arms, dragging him toward the door, Sheila’s smile widened. “Funny how you never saw this coming. Truly pathetic. We’ll settle the rest at home, dear.”
Jacob’s protests faded into silence as the doors closed behind him.
What Sheila didn’t notice… was that someone had been watching her. And they were impressed.
- Writer
