Part 3
Julian pointed at me, his hand shaking. “You can’t fire me. My contract guarantees five years of compensation.”
For the first time that evening, I smiled.
“Only if you’re let go without cause.”
Aurelia’s general counsel opened the black folder. She ran through the findings without any theatrics: fraudulent expense reports, undisclosed conflicts of interest, vendor kickbacks, deleted audit emails, and misuse of company funds. Because Aurelia supplied components under federal contracts, the board had already handed the evidence over to the appropriate authorities.
Camilla grabbed Julian’s sleeve. “You said the invoices were covered.”
His head snapped toward her. “Be quiet.”
That single exchange rippled through the ballroom like a current.
Malcolm read out the resolutions the board had approved: Julian was terminated for cause, effective immediately. His unvested equity was voided. Aurelia would pursue repayment of bonuses tied to falsified financial results. Camilla was suspended pending termination, and both were locked out of company systems and barred from the premises.
The security director held out his hand for Julian’s badge.
Instead, Julian looked at me with the fury of a man realizing that intimidation had an expiration date. “You planned this. You let me stand up here and make a fool of myself.”
“I asked you three times about Camilla,” I said. “You lied three times. I asked about the missing money. You told me I was too stupid to understand corporate finance. Tonight I gave you one last chance to act like a decent human being.”
His eyes dropped to my shoulder.
“And you hit me.”
A hotel security manager approached with two police officers. The blow had been caught on the ballroom cameras and seen by several guests. I gave a brief statement while Julian insisted it had been “a private marital misunderstanding.” The officers told him public assault doesn’t become private just because the victim happens to wear his ring.
Camilla tried to slip out through the kitchen. An investigator stopped her to secure her company laptop and phone under the board’s litigation hold. She turned to me, suddenly tearful.
“He told me you were nobody.”
“That was the story you preferred to believe,” I replied.
Julian was escorted out before dessert. Employees stepped aside without a word. Their silence wasn’t fear anymore. It was judgment.
The divorce petition was filed Monday morning. Our prenuptial agreement kept Northstar protected. He eventually pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy, repaid part of the stolen money, and was sentenced to prison. Camilla cooperated in exchange for a reduced charge but lost her career and her professional license. Aurelia recovered the rest of the funds through civil judgments.
A year later, the company was profitable again. We restored employee bonuses, reopened the apprenticeship program, and promoted an engineer — not a showman — to president.
At the next anniversary gathering, I stood beneath the same blue lights with no bruise hidden under my sleeve and no wedding ring on my hand. The applause was warm, but the peace mattered more.
I hadn’t taken Julian’s future.
I had simply stopped him from taking mine.
Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. All images are for illustration purposes only.
