Chapter 53: Chapter 53

CHAPTER 10

I take slow steps as I walk into the Carrington building. I adjust my shades as I continue walking, absorbing all the stares from the employees. My employees. I can hear the whispering.

"Miss Richardson!" Jennifer startles me. I stop and look at her, confused. She wanted to say something. I raise my eyebrow in response to her call.

"Ma'am I just wanted to say— She gulps. She raises her tablet up and hands it over to me. I take it. It's an article on Luke. The incident that occurred at Lydia's. The media wasn't giving him a good time. I chuckle softly. "Heh." I search for his name as I continue to walk towards the elevator. The elevator opens and I see Mr. Keats, one of the board members who disapproves of my position in the company. He looks away, almost as if he’s cowering in fear and trying to hide his shame. I smile.

"It's such a beautiful morning. The air is fresh, the weather is cool, so why do you look so pale, Mr. Keats? Did you see a ghost?"

He looks at me for a moment and looks away, folding his arms behind his back. He exits the elevator.

"I see. No response. I look forward to seeing this exact look on your face pretty soon. It suites you." I say as I walk past him into the elevator. As soon as I begin with Laurel, I'd deal with Mr. Keats and all the other board members who looked down on me, simultaneously. I needed to get rid of all the board members. If I couldn't, I'd somehow convince them to give up their shares in the company, take out whatever money they could. All I wanted was to get Carrington power to myself, excluding other companies under Carrington Industries. Carrington power was the most influential business out of all of Luke's businesses. I would acquire the company to myself completely and then, legally, burn it to the ground. Every last shred of the company would meet its end the moment I had full control over it. That would be my final gift to Luke. Destroying the very thing he used as a weapon to get me.

***

Now seated in my office and still with Jennifer's tablet, I read articles about Luke's attempted rape. It was on every platform, every news station and radio station. It was even trending on twitter.

I wake my laptop and I check the company stocks. The stocks were plummeting. Partnerships were being halted, some even cancelled.

The story had changed from  ‘Socialite, Natalie Richardson, divorcing her husband just for alimony’ to ‘Ex-wife almost raped by scorned husband’, ‘Speculation: Could Trillionaire, Luke Carrington's behavior have led to the divorce between himself and Natalie Devaux?’ Ha. I was the victim now. I was always the victim, people just failed to see it. I failed to see it too, because I was blinded by my love for a man who manipulated and deceived me into trusting him.

"Natalie!" I look up as soon as I hear my name. It's Kelly.

"Kelly. . .” I say, surprised to see her. "Did you go on a vacation?"

She smiles. "No, no. I took a leave. Surgery."

"Surgery? Are you okay?" I ask, concerned. She nods. It's obvious she doesn't want to talk about it, so I don't bother asking any questions.

"I saw the news. I saw the video. Are you okay?"

I nod, looking at the plant with the microphone recorder. I choose my words carefully. I needed to mislead Luke and make him believe that he truly did try to rape me, incase he wasn't buying the story. "Honestly, I'm not, but I have to show the world I am. I mean, who's ever okay after someone tries to, you know."

"It's hard to believe, honestly. Mr. Carrington might look like anything, but certainly not a rapist."

"You said it yourself. You saw the video. I didn't make this up. You know, he's raped me once before, while we were married." I say intentionally. I wanted Luke to hear it. I wanted to make him expose himself, expose the fact that he had my office bugged. I'd use it against him.

Kelly's in shock. I can't tell if she's genuinely surprised or playing along, or simply pretending.

"He did? Oh m— Jennifer interrupts us.

"Ma'am, the Daily Croydon News called, they want an interview and would work with your time. Should I decline?"

"No. I'll go on one condition. Tell them I'll be there by 1pm tomorrow to grant them an interview if only they broadcast it live." I say. This was just the perfect opportunity I needed. I could use it against Luke and Laurel, kill two birds with one stone.

"They've accepted. They'll air the interview live. No cuts, no edits." Jennifer says.

I check the time on my wristwatch. It was almost two. I didn't have lunch because I'd been too busy talking to Kelly. We were careful enough to not say anything that could raise suspicions in Luke's mind. I wondered where he was. If he was feeling like the piece of garbage he truly is. Was he shameless enough to still show his face at work?

I open the finance ledger I'd received from the finance officer. Suddenly, I remember my instruction to the judge. I'd asked him to send a lawyer over by ten. It was about five minutes after ten. My intercom rings. I take the call.

"Ma'am there's a certain lawyer who wants to see you."

"I'm expecting her. Let her in, please.”

***

The lawyer's a woman. "Good morning, Ms. Richardson."

I smile, getting up from my chair. "Good morning."

"I'm Jean-Anne Gold, from West & Lahey. It's a pleasure." She says, extending her hand for a hand shake. We shake hands.

"I suppose you know who I am already. Please, have a seat." I say, gesturing to the couch by the left.

"Forgive my tardiness. My daughter wouldn't stop crying on the phone." She says, and I smile.

"You have a daughter. I have a son too. I understand, it's not a problem." I say and she smiles. "Would you like some tea? Coffee? Water? I'd offer you wine but, I like keeping things professional."

"None of the above, thank you. So, May we get to the business of the day?" She asks, bringing out a notepad from her black Hermès croc bag.

"My pleasure. As you must know, my ex husband, recently tried to rape me. During our marriage, the first week of it, he had raped me as well. I didn't say anything because I was too scared and naive. Now, I'm not." I say, looking at the plant. Luke was probably hearing everything I was saying. Even if I did slip up, and say something implicating, he could only try to stop me. Whatever he would hear wouldn't be admissible in court. If anything, it would be illegal and he would be punished for it.

My attorney jots everything down. "Apart from your word for it, do you have proof that your ex husband did rape you? Any third party?"

I nod. "No, but Lucas would never deny it. He wouldn't, because he did it and looked me in the eyes while doing it. He's guilty and as he believes, one must be punished when they make a mistake."

"Ms. Richardson, you mentioned a son earlier. Is he the child of your ex husband?"

I freeze, looking at the attorney. My mind drifts back to Luke rejecting Louis. I remember Louis calling out for his father. No. He can never be Louis father! My subconscious barks at me. "By genetics alone, I'm afraid." I respond.

"Noted. So, he's an absentee father?"

"Don't call him a father, because he is not one, Mrs. Jean-Ann."

"Noted, ma'am. Would you like to also sue him for that? Request child care?"

"No. My son doesn't need his money." I say.

"Can you explain to me in detail what happened that night?"

"We were at a party. I saw Luke and his wife. . .? Um, he came up to me and insulted me, per usual, called me loose and accused me of cheating on him during our marriage. I left. Laurel came and verbally attacked me, then she fell in the pool. I went into the house. I was crying because I was hurt from everything he said to me. My back was turned, so I didn't really notice him enter. I don't know how long he stood there, but he called me out again for cheating. He said he hated me so much and wanted to express it the same way he expressed his love for me once before. He called me his mother too, I don't know why. I saw him have a few drinks. Then he comes closer to me and rips my dress. Then he holds me by the neck. He chokes me. I try to push him off, but he's stronger. He tears my dress some more and proceeds to shift my lingerie. . .” I explain.

"Did he try to. . .?”

"He didn't try to, he did. He put his hands in me, but not for long because my friends showed up and dealt with him." I say, remembering the statement I gave at the police station. Both statements were exactly the same, not a single detail left out. Luke did not try to finger me or finger me for that matter. I just had to make the story more intense, make everyone see what a vile man he was. After all, he did more than that before.

"Did you go to the hospital afterwards?"

"No."

"Did he try to contact you afterwards? Did he try to intimidate you?"

"Definitely not."

"So, after the divorce, did you find anything strange? Did he have any prior violent behavior before this incident?"

"No, not really. However, we've had nasty altercations here at the office, but I didn't think it was something so serious."

"Do you remember anything you would like to let me know before hand? You mustn't keep anything away from me."

"That's all. If I do remember anything, I'll let you know."

"Please do. I'll file for attempted rape, harassment and I'll ask for a restraining order placed on him, that is if you don't mind?"

I smile. "I don't. I want him far away from me. Thank you, Jean-Anne."

She smiles, putting her hotter in her bag. She gets up. "I've never lost a case before, Ms. Richardson, so rest assured, you're winning this." She says and I smile. She was extremely sure of herself. Confident. I liked it. If I'd been that confident in myself, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

"I look forward to that." I say, folding my arms.

"I'll communicate with you when next we would meet and court proceedings." She says. She hands me her contact card. "You can call me or send an e-mail. I have your office number, and I can get in touch whenever. Have a lovely day."

**

"Yes, Jennifer? What is it now?"

"I just got a call from CDN. They're glad you accepted the offer. 1PM it is."

"That's good news, right? I feel like having some ice-cream."

Jennifer chuckles. "I'll go get you some, ma'am."

"So you do know how to laugh." I say. She nods. I continue. "Let's go. I need to get some sunshine. Is it far from here?"

"No, it's just down the street." She says.

***

Jennifer and I are seated in the ice-cream shop. My aqua man and strawberry flavored ice-cream tasted incredible. Jennifer looks uncomfortable.

"Can I ask a question, ma'am?"

"Yes, you may."

"What brand of red lipstick do you use?"

I chuckle. I laugh. "Of all the questions. You pick that one? Why?"

"It's because, you always look so sharp and attractive and aware of everything that's going on around you. Tha— I interject. I was tired of pretending around her, tired of pretending I didn't know what exactly she was doing.

"Cut the crap you little bitch. I know you're one of Luke's minions. I know he sent you here to spy on me, and like a bloody fool, you did. How dare you invade my space? Do you know it's a criminal offense and you can be thrown in jail for it?" She looks shocked. She's pale, her hands stuck in the air.

"You're shocked? Do you think I'm really a fool? Do you think I don't know you've been snooping around my laptop and bag? You think I don't know you sent information to the media? And you come here asking me what lipstick I use. Heh. You're really something."

She nods, tears in her eyes. She was a soft one. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, it's just, I had money problems, and Cale—

"You're fired."

"Please! J-just hear me out. I can tell you something about Mr. Carrington." I hear Jennifer say, rushing behind me.

I turn around. I instinctively look around the street to ensure we aren't being watched or followed. Jennifer comes closer.

"I'm listening."

"Can we go in?" She asks. There's a coffee stand where chairs are kept for the customers. "Two cups of coffee, please." I order.

"Yes, you're right. Mr. Carrington did make me spy on you, but I really haven't gotten any valuable thing to report. I usually just updated him on what you’re doing, where you’re headed and photos of you."

"Photos of me?" I wonder. What the hell was wrong with Luke?

"Yes, I wondered too why he wanted your pictures but then I thought it was normal after finding out you were once married."

"Go on. What else did Luke ask you to do?"

"No, it wasn't Luke who asked me to do all of this, at least, not directly. Caleb, his right hand asked me to do it. I couldn't say no. I was in heavy debt, student loan. I applied for the Carrington foundation student loan forgiveness and that was how I met Caleb."

I'm stunned. Why would Caleb have someone spy on me? Was he acting on his own or was Luke behind it? Was Caleb simply carrying out Luke's orders?

"You've never spoken or met with Luke personally?"

She nods. "No, I've only ever seen him from a distance."

"If I find out you're lying, you should know that I won't find it funny."

"I'm not, and you can trust me because I know something that might be important to you."

"What is that?"

I gasp as soon as I hear what Jennifer has to say. I am annoyed. I grab the hem of my skirt, squeezing it as I imagine what could've happened if I hadn't found out.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

"No. I'm not okay, but I will be." I respond. I hold her hands. "If you're really remorseful, help me. Do what I ask of you."

"Anything, I'll do anything."

"You'll tell Luke what I want him to know. You'll tell him what I want him to know, that's the only way I can avoid what they're plotting."

Jennifer nods and agrees. I made a grave mistake underestimating Luke. Of course, I should've known that he wouldn't just sit back and allow me take over his company. Now, it had become a game of chess, and although I'd been making the winning moves, Lucas had been prepping his chess pieces for war, and I'd been too busy sending out my knights to the battlefield without protecting the castle. Now, I'd ensure I made the last move that would end the game, for good.

***

With Jennifer behind me, we head straight to my office. As soon as I get inside, I tie my hair into a messy bun. I needed every possible distraction out of the way. I take off my black louboutin heels. I reach for my phone.

"Hello. Do you have what I asked you for?" I ask Lee Martins. "Good. I'll call you later tonight when I'm home." I end the call. I couldn't say anything further, not when the room was bugged.

I do a quick search on google. What was Luke's net worth? Google results show that he was formerly a trillionaire with a net worth of 1.1 trillion Euros. However, I realize that after our divorce, he had lost so much. I'd gotten 49 percent of his assets, including houses he had in the country. I hadn't thought that the divorce would leave him at the brink of bankruptcy. Luke's net worth now, according to Business Insider was beneath £400 billion. I'd gotten £500 billion from Luke in alimony and I hadn't even spent so much, considering I had to pay off my debt to Judge Lahey after the divorce, so what the hell could he have done with over £200 billion in just a year?

I search for PRJ Ltd. Google results come out. Petra Robinson Jewelers Ltd. The company was founded in the late 1920's and was known for exquisite jewelry pieces and diamonds. The name sounded rather familiar. Then it hits me. That was where Luke had purchased my ring from. My ring was a blue Oppenheimer diamond ring, one of the most expensive and exquisite diamond pieces in the world. I sit down, wanting to carry out more research on the company. The company was worth billions. I click on article related to the company and my mouth drops open as I recognize a familiar face. The article reads; Successor of PRJ Ltd. revealed; Alexander Robinson. I'm left stunned. I remember what Jennifer had told me.

Flashback.

"I heard them talking about a merger." Jennifer says.

"A merger? What merger?"

"With the company. I don't know much, but, from what I heard, it's something PRJ and Carrington Industries. Caleb also said something about backdating."

"They want to merge Carrington Industries with another company? Is that what you're saying?"

Jennifer nods. "I was in a car with Caleb and I actually slept off, but then I woke up and realized he was talking on the phone so I just continued closing my eyes and I heard all of it. I'm not sure I heard everything."

"They're backdating the merger documents so it'll look like the finalization took place before I became COO." I chuckle nervously. "They want to throw me out and right under my nose."

"I don't know anything else, if I did, I would tell you."