Chapter 7 - THE RATS TURN ON EACH OTHER
The arrival of the police completely obliterated whatever remaining composure Richard possessed. He looked wildly around the boardroom, as if expecting a secret trapdoor to open and whisk him away to safety. When none appeared, his eyes locked onto me, wide with a terrifying mixture of hatred and sheer panic.
"You did this," Richard snarled, his hands balling into fists. "You ungrateful little bitch! I gave you everything! I let you into my family!"
Before he could take another step toward me, two officers moved in flawlessly, grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him face-first against the polished glass wall of the boardroom. The sickening thud of his impact made Evelyn shriek.
"Richard Bennett, you are under arrest for corporate fraud, grand larceny, and embezzlement," the lead detective announced, pulling a pair of heavy steel handcuffs from his belt. He yanked Richard’s arms behind his back, securing the cuffs with a loud, metallic click.
"Get your hands off me!" Richard thrashed against the glass, his custom Italian suit wrinkling in the struggle. "I am the CEO of this company! I demand to speak to my attorneys! This is a misunderstanding! She forged those documents!"
"Save it for the judge, Mr. Bennett," the detective said dryly.
Evelyn, seeing her husband subdued, suddenly stood up. Her pristine facade had completely melted away, leaving only a terrified, desperate woman. She pointed an accusing, trembling finger at Richard.
"Officers, you have to listen to me!" she cried, her voice echoing shrilly across the room. "I didn't know what he was doing! He forced me to sign those papers! He told me we would go bankrupt if I didn't help him! He manipulated me!"
Richard twisted his head to glare at his wife, his face contorted in absolute rage. "You stupid cow! You were perfectly fine spending the millions I siphoned off! You were the one who suggested we lock her out of the house to force her hand!"
The board members watched in stunned, morbid fascination as the wealthy, polished power couple tore each other to pieces, sacrificing ten years of marriage in a desperate bid to save their own skin.
The detective turned to Evelyn, his expression thoroughly unamused. "Evelyn Bennett, we have a warrant for your arrest as well. Conspiracy to commit fraud, forgery, and violation of a restraining order."
"No!" Evelyn wailed, backing away as a female officer approached her. "No, you don't understand, I am a victim here! I'm a grieving mother!"
"Are you?" I asked, my voice cutting through her hysterics like a knife.
I walked slowly around the enormous table, my heels clicking methodically on the hardwood floor until I stood directly in front of my mother-in-law. Evelyn stopped backing away, staring at me with wide, fearful eyes.
"You're a grieving mother?" I repeated softly, stepping closer. "Because a grieving mother wouldn't have ripped her dying son's wedding ring off his wife's hand at his own funeral."
Evelyn swallowed hard, her eyes darting nervously to the police officers. "Laura, please... you have to tell them. We're family. Mark wouldn't want this."
"Do not speak his name," I whispered, stepping so close she could see the absolute venom in my eyes. "Mark knew exactly what you were. He knew you were both parasites. And he spent his last dying breaths making sure you couldn't destroy his children."
I held out my left hand, displaying the raw, red indentation where my platinum wedding band used to be.
"Give it back, Evelyn."
Evelyn blinked, feigning ignorance. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."
"Give it back," I repeated, my voice rising. "Or I will instruct the detectives to add theft of personal property to your charges, and I will show them the video from the motel where you admitted to taking it."
Evelyn’s lower lip trembled. She reached into her expensive designer handbag with shaking fingers and pulled out a small silk pouch. She opened it and tipped the platinum band into her palm. She held it out to me as if it were burning her.
I took the ring, wiping it off on my blazer before sliding it back onto my left ring finger. It settled into the groove perfectly. A profound sense of closure washed over me. Mark was finally back where he belonged.
"Take them away," the detective ordered.
The officers hauled Richard and Evelyn toward the doors. Richard continued to scream obscenities, threatening to sue everyone in the room, while Evelyn dissolved into loud, ugly sobs, her mascara running down her face in thick black streaks.
As they were dragged past me, Richard managed to stop for a fraction of a second, his face inches from mine. "You'll never get away with this," he spat.
"I already have," I smiled coldly. "Enjoy prison, Richard."
The heavy mahogany doors slammed shut behind them, sealing their fate. The silence that fell over the boardroom was deafening.
Mr. Harrison cleared his throat, adjusting his tie nervously. He looked at me, then at Arthur, who was calmly packing his briefcase.
"Mrs. Bennett," Harrison said, his tone entirely respectful, devoid of the condescension he usually reserved for me. "On behalf of the board, I want to apologize for what this company... for what Richard put you through. We had no idea."
"I know you didn't, Mr. Harrison," I said, turning to face the board. "But now you do. Richard’s shares will be seized by the federal government, but as the Executor of the Mark Bennett Trust, I hold a controlling minority stake in the legitimate assets of this company."
"What are your intentions?" one of the other board members asked nervously.
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"My intentions are to go home," I said simply. "My lawyers will be in touch regarding the restructuring. Have a good day, gentlemen."
I turned and walked out of the boardroom, Arthur matching my pace. As the elevator doors closed, taking us down to the lobby, the crushing weight I had been carrying since the moment Mark's doctor gave us the terminal diagnosis finally lifted from my shoulders. We had won.
