Chapter 2 - The Company She Secretly Owned
I walked away from the mansion before Daniel could ask another question.
The snow covered my footprints almost immediately.
For anyone watching from the window, it probably looked like I had lost everything.
A woman with two newborn babies.
A suitcase full of clothes.
A husband who had abandoned her.
But they didn't know what I knew.
They didn't know the woman walking away from that house was not broken.
She was finally awake.
I drove to the private apartment I had purchased before I married Daniel.
It was a place almost nobody knew about.
Not my friends.
Not my employees.
Not even Daniel.
When I first met him, I had already built my company from the ground up.
I had survived years of investors doubting me.
Competitors laughing at me.
People assuming a young woman couldn't lead a billion-dollar empire.
But Daniel was different.
Or at least I believed he was.
He never cared about my money.
He never asked about my company.
He told me he loved the simple version of me.
The designer who stayed up late drawing wedding dresses.
The woman who cooked dinner when she was exhausted.
The woman who laughed at small things.
So I hid everything.
I created a separate identity.
Emma Carter, the struggling fashion designer.
Not Emma Carter, CEO of Carter International Holdings.
I wanted to know if someone could love me without knowing what I owned.
That was my biggest mistake.
Because Daniel didn't love me.
He loved the life he thought I could give him.
And now I finally had proof.
Inside the apartment, my assistant Olivia was waiting.
The moment she saw me carrying the twins, her expression changed.
"Emma..."
She rushed forward.
"What happened?"
I placed the babies carefully on the soft blanket prepared on the couch.
Then I looked at her.
"My husband threw me out."
Olivia froze.
For years, she had been the only person who knew my real identity.
The only person who knew every secret behind Carter International Holdings.
She had watched me build everything.
She had watched me sacrifice everything.
And now she saw me standing there after losing the person I trusted most.
"What did he do?"
I looked down at my children.
"He chose his mother."
Olivia's face became cold.
"Victoria Reed?"
I nodded.
"She told me I was nothing."
Silence filled the room.
Then Olivia asked the question she already knew the answer to.
"Does Daniel know?"
"No."
I sat down.
"Not yet."
She looked confused.
"Emma, you could destroy everything they have within an hour."
I looked toward the window.
The city lights reflected against the glass.
"I know."
"Then why aren't you doing it?"
I smiled slightly.
"Because I want to know why."
Olivia understood immediately.
This wasn't about revenge.
Not yet.
It was about the truth.
The next morning, I arrived at Carter International Holdings headquarters.
The moment I entered the building, every employee stood straighter.
Not because they knew me personally.
Because they respected the position I held.
The CEO.
The woman whose decisions affected thousands of employees.
I walked into the executive conference room.
My board members were already waiting.
Nobody spoke.
Everyone knew something serious had happened.
Olivia placed a folder on the table.
"Emergency review of Reed Industries."
I opened it.
The first page contained Daniel's company records.
The second page contained financial transfers.
The third page changed everything.
I stared at the numbers.
"How long?"
Olivia took a breath.
"Almost eight months."
I looked up.
"Eight months?"
She nodded.
"Daniel had been moving money through several private accounts."
My fingers tightened around the document.
"How much?"
"Almost twelve million dollars."
The room became silent.
Daniel wasn't just leaving me.
He was stealing from me.
But that wasn't the worst part.
I turned the page.
There was another name.
Victoria Reed.
My mother-in-law.
She wasn't just aware.
She was involved.
I closed the folder.
"Get me every document."
Olivia nodded.
"Already done."
I looked around the room.
"Nobody contacts Daniel yet."
One board member raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
I answered calmly.
"Because people reveal more when they think they are winning."
That afternoon, Daniel called me.
I watched his name appear on my phone.
For a moment, I remembered the man who held my hand when our children were born.
The man who promised me forever.
Then I remembered him standing beside his mother while I stood outside in the snow.
I answered.
"Emma."
His voice sounded different.
Less confident.
"What happened to my accounts?"
I stayed silent.
He continued.
"The company froze my access cards."
"Yes."
My answer was simple.
He paused.
"How did you do that?"
I looked at the city outside my office.
"You should ask yourself why you thought you had control over something that was never yours."
Another silence.
Then his voice changed.
"What are you talking about?"
I smiled.
The same question.
The same confusion.
He still didn't understand.
"Daniel, did you ever wonder why your company survived after those losses last year?"
He didn't answer.
"Did you ever wonder why investors suddenly approved every request?"
His breathing became heavier.
"Emma..."
"The company you work for."
I paused.
"The company you were so proud to represent."
Another pause.
"Was saved by my company."
Daniel became quiet.
Then he laughed nervously.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't expect you to believe anything."
I looked at the folder on my desk.
"I expect you to remember everything you did."
His voice became angry.
"You're threatening me?"
"No."
I calmly replied.
"I'm warning you."
I ended the call.
But I knew Daniel wouldn't accept it.
Men like him didn't apologize when they lost control.
They searched for someone to blame.
And I was right.
That evening, Daniel arrived at the Carter International building.
Security called me immediately.
"Ms. Carter, your husband is here."
I looked at the camera feed.
Daniel stood in the lobby.
He wasn't alone.
Victoria was beside him.
They looked angry.
But there was something else.
Fear.
I walked down to the lobby.
The moment Daniel saw me, his expression changed.
Because for the first time, he saw me differently.
Not as the woman he abandoned.
Not as the designer he underestimated.
But as someone he couldn't control.
"Emma."
I stopped a few feet away.
"What do you want?"
Victoria stepped forward.
"You need to stop this nonsense."
I looked at her.
"Nonsense?"
She pointed at me.
"You think money gives you the right to destroy our family?"
I almost laughed.
"Our family?"
I glanced at Daniel.
"The same family that left me outside with newborn babies?"
Victoria's face tightened.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Can we talk privately?"
"No."
My answer surprised him.
"There is nothing private left between us."
People in the lobby were watching.
Daniel noticed.
His face turned red.
"You are embarrassing me."
I looked at him calmly.
"No, Daniel."
I stepped closer.
"You embarrassed yourself."
Victoria grabbed Daniel's arm.
"We need to leave."
But before they turned away, Daniel looked at me.
His expression changed.
Like he suddenly remembered something.
Something important.
"Emma..."
I waited.
"You weren't just a designer, were you?"
I said nothing.
That was enough.
His face went pale.
Because he finally understood.
But before he could say another word, my assistant Olivia rushed into the lobby.
She was holding a tablet.
Her expression was serious.
"Emma."
Everyone turned toward her.
She whispered:
"We found the original contract."
I looked at the screen.
My heart stopped.
Because the signature at the bottom wasn't Daniel's.
It wasn't Victoria's.
May you like
It belonged to someone I thought was gone forever.
And then Olivia said the name I never expected to hear again...
