5

Richard's fingers tightened around the documents. His face darkened with every page he turned. The confidence that had always surrounded him was beginning to crack.

"Kendra. What exactly are you trying to do? Because I chose your friend and you..."

Kendra folded her arms. "No, no. If you'd rather choose the whole world over me, I'll still do what I want." She cut him off with a smile.

"I'm simply taking back what's mine. The company, the investments, the shares... they were never yours to begin with."

Freya looked between them nervously. "Richard, what is she talking about? Shut her up. You gave her everything, including the money she used to start her business."

Kendra smiled. She hadn't told Freya the full story, only a few carefully selected pieces of it.

Richard's attention remained fixed on Kendra. "You wouldn't dare do that. You promised never to take it back."

The smile disappeared from Kendra's face. For years, those words would have frightened her.

Today, they only amused her. "You still don't understand, do you?"

Richard slammed the documents onto the desk. "Enough! I've had enough of all this drama!"

The sudden outburst made Freya flinch.

Kendra stepped closer to him. "For three years, I've watched you take credit for things I helped you build while betraying me and sleeping with my best friend."

Another step. "I watched you lie."

Another step. "I watched you disrespect me."

Another. "And now I'm done watching."

Richard's jaw clenched. "Get out of my office."

Kendra blinked. "What?"

"I said GET OUT of my office." Freya quickly grabbed his arm.

"You heard him, right?..." Freya smirked mockingly.

"You think you can walk in here and threaten me? Is it a crime not to love you? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You look horrible," he yelled.

Kendra stared at him without responding. Before he could say another word, she snatched the documents from the desk.

"Since we're discussing ownership, perhaps we should continue this conversation outside."

Richard narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Kendra turned toward the door and pushed it open. Immediately, several employees who had been pretending not to listen nearly stumbled forward. The entire floor fell silent, and everyone quickly looked away. Kendra smiled. Perfect. This was exactly what she wanted.

Richard's expression darkened even further. "Kendra."

She ignored him. Instead, she stepped out into the hallway. Every employee on the executive floor looked up. Curiosity immediately filled the air.

Freya looked horrified. "Kendra, stop."

But Kendra kept walking. She had never planned to humiliate him, not today and not inside his company, but after everything that had happened, she couldn't wait any longer. She had no one by her side except God, and that didn't mean someone could betray her and simply walk away.

Richard followed with Freya holding onto his arm.

The secretary looked ready to faint. The marketing director had completely abandoned whatever meeting he was supposed to attend.

People were whispering, staring, and watching. Kendra stopped near the center of the floor. The entire hallway seemed frozen. Richard finally caught up to her, but when he tried to touch her, she immediately pulled away from him.

He looked around before facing her again and asked, "What are you doing?"

She smirked. "What does it look like?"

His eyes flashed with warning. "Don't embarrass yourself. You can't do this."

Several employees exchanged nervous looks. Embarrass herself? After everything? The whispers grew louder. Richard noticed people were watching, listening, and judging him. His perfect image was beginning to crack.

"Go back home. This is between us," he said in a commanding tone.

"No." She shook her head.

Freya hurried forward and said to her, "Kendra, let's just discuss this privately."

Kendra slowly looked at her. The sight of Freya standing beside Richard made her stomach twist.

But she refused to show weakness. "Privately?"

Her voice rose slightly. "You should've thought about privacy before kissing my husband in his office."

A collective gasp swept through the floor. Silence followed before more whispers erupted. Employees stared openly now; some looked shocked, while others looked fascinated.

One woman nearly dropped her coffee. Freya's face turned ghostly white, and Richard looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"Kendra!" he snapped. "Stop this right now."

She tilted her head. "Why?"

His fists clenched. "Because this is my company. You can't just come here and create a scene. We can settle whatever this is at home."

"Your company?" Kendra asked with a bitter smile.

Several executives frowned.

Something about her tone caught their attention.

Kendra raised the folder. "You mean the company funded by my investments?"

The whispers exploded.

"What?"

"Investments?"

"Mrs. Thompson funded the company?"

"No way."

Richard immediately stepped forward. "Don't listen to her. All of you should get back to work before you lose your jobs!"

"Really? Are you scared they won't respect you after hearing the truth?"

Kendra opened the folder and pulled out several documents.

The nearest executives could see the signatures, the transfer records, and the financial statements. Their expressions changed instantly.

Richard saw it, and panic began creeping into his chest. "Kendra..."

She ignored him. "For years, Richard Thompson has presented himself as a self-made billionaire."

"You can't do this to him because he didn't love you!" Freya shouted. "Are you that hurt because he loved me instead of you?"

More employees gathered. People were literally leaving their desks. The entire floor was now focused on them.

Kendra continued to ignore Freya. "But how many of you know where the company's first funding came from?"

"Me. I built him!" Kendra shouted.

Richard's face darkened. "Kendra, that's enough."

She looked straight at him. "For once, it isn't enough."

Her voice echoed through the floor. "I gave him my connections."

Another wave of whispers spread.

"I introduced investors to him."

More shocked faces appeared as she continued speaking.

"I connected his company with K&H."

The shock grew rapidly.

"And while I was helping him build an empire, he was sleeping with my best friend."

Someone audibly gasped.

A few employees looked at Freya with complete disgust. Richard felt his control slipping away. Sweat formed on his forehead, and his heart pounded fearfully in his chest.

"Kendra, shut your mouth!" he yelled angrily.

The moment those words left his lips, anger surged through her. Before she could control herself, her hand flew across his face in a powerful slap, sending his head snapping sharply to the side.