Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Wife He Discarded: From Doormat to Dynasty: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Elena spent the rest of the day in a daze. She had an office now, a real office with her name on a temporary nameplate that read "Elena Edwards, Senior Financial Analyst." It wasn't permanent yet, but seeing her maiden name in professional lettering made her feel like she was reclaiming a part of herself she'd lost.Arthur had introduced her to the rest of the staff as his new business partner. Most people seemed surprised but welcoming. A few, like Robert and David, still looked suspicious. Elena didn't care. She had work to do.Real work. Important work. Work that used her brain instead of asking her to disappear.At 6 PM, Arthur knocked on her office door."How was your day as a financial analyst instead of a cleaning lady?" he asked.Elena looked up from the Sterling Tech files she'd been reviewing. "Better than I expected. Scarier than I hoped.""Scared of what?"Elena set down her pen. "Scared that I'll mess this up. Scared that your partners are right and I'm just some desperat

Elena was packing her office files for the move to Anderson Industries when she found the folder. It was tucked underneath some other documents on Arthur's desk, marked "Sterling Tech, Confidential Analysis."She shouldn't have looked. It wasn't her business.But seeing Mark's company name made her freeze. Elena opened the folder.Inside were detailed financial reports about Sterling Tech going back five years. Revenue projections, stock analyses, employee records, patent filings. Everything was meticulously organized and annotated in Arthur's handwriting.Arthur had been investigating Sterling Tech for five whole years.Elena heard footsteps in the hallway and quickly closed the folder, her heart racing. Arthur appeared in the doorway with coffee and pastries."Thought you might want some fuel before your big move," he said, then noticed her expression. "Everything okay?"Elena looked at the folder, then at Arthur. "How long have you been investigating Sterling Tech?"Arthur went ver

Elena stood outside Sophia and James's school, her heart pounding. It had been two months since she'd seen her children. Two months of Mark telling them God knows what about their mother's "breakdown" and "abandonment."She'd driven back from Anderson Industries specifically for this, their school's annual science fair. Elena remembered helping James build his volcano project last year, and Sophia's excitement about her butterfly garden. She couldn't miss it, no matter what Mark had said about staying away.Elena watched from the parking lot as parents filed into the school. She recognized many of them, other moms she'd chatted with at pickup, dads she'd met at soccer games. None of them acknowledged her. Word had clearly spread about Elena Sterling's "mental health issues."Taking a deep breath, Elena walked into the school gymnasium. The room was full of display tables with kids excitedly explaining their projects to parents and judges. Elena spotted Sophia immediately, her eight-ye

Three days later, Elena and Arthur were still working around the clock on their plan to destroy Mark. Elena had barely left Arthur's office, surviving on coffee and takeout while they built their case piece by piece.It was 11 PM, and they were alone in the Knight Industries building. Elena was studying financial records while Arthur worked on legal strategy. The only sounds were papers rustling and keyboards clicking."Arthur," Elena said, looking up from a spreadsheet. "I found something.""What?" Elena turned her laptop screen toward him. "Mark's been moving money offshore for the past six months. Large amounts, to accounts in the Cayman Islands."Arthur leaned over to look at her screen, close enough that Elena could smell his cologne. "That's not just tax avoidance. That's preparation for running.""You think he knows we're coming for him?""I think he's getting nervous about something. Stock prices have been dropping, there have been rumors about fi

After Mark left, the conference room was silent except for the sound of papers rustling as Arthur's board members examined the evidence Elena had presented. Robert looked up first, his expression serious."This is incredible," he said quietly. "Elena, how long have you been gathering this information?""Months," Elena replied. "Some of it I had from when Mark and I were married. The rest Arthur and I found together."David picked up one of the charity fund documents. "He's been stealing from children's hospitals?""For three years," Arthur confirmed. "Millions of dollars that were supposed to help sick kids."Cynthia, the fourth board member who had been quiet until now, shook her head. "I've known Mark Sterling for ten years. I had no idea he was capable of this.""That's what made him dangerous," Elena said. "He's very good at making people believe he's something he's not."Robert looked at Arthur. "I owe you an apology. Both of you. When Mark started making those accusations, I let