MY HUSBAND LET HIS FAMILY THROW ME IN A FREEZING POOL TO HUMILIATE ME—HE DIDN’T KNOW I OWNED THEIR COMPANY AND WAS ABOUT TO EVICT THEM ALL / Chapter 14 / 20

Chapter 14 - The Final AcquisitionMonday morning, I sat at the head of the polished mahogany conference table in my office. Across from me sat Richard Vance (no relation), the owner of GreenScapes, the struggling landscaping company that currently employed Jason.

Richard looked nervous, sweating through his suit. "Ms. Vance, I don't understand. Apex Development is a massive conglomerate. Why do you want to buy out a tiny, local landscaping business?"

"Because, Richard, vertical integration is the key to minimizing overhead," I lied smoothly, sliding a thick manila folder across the table. "I want Apex to have its own in-house landscaping division for all future commercial lots. I am offering you two million dollars for GreenScapes. Cash. Immediate transfer."

Richard opened the folder. His eyes bulged at the numbers. It was a massive overpay, but to me, it was pocket change. More importantly, it was the price of closure.

"I... I accept," Richard stammered, scrambling to pull a pen from his breast pocket. He signed the paperwork so fast he nearly tore the page.

"Excellent," I said, standing up and shaking his hand. "The transition team will take over immediately. However, there is one piece of business I need to handle myself."

An hour later, my driver pulled my SUV onto the dusty lot of the GreenScapes headquarters. It was a bleak, rundown facility. I stepped out, wearing a sharp black trench coat, flanked by two of my corporate lawyers and a security detail.

We walked straight into the breakroom.

Jason was sitting at a folding table, eating a cheap sandwich out of a plastic bag, covered in grass clippings and mud. When he saw me, he choked on his food, standing up so fast his chair crashed backward.

"Megan? What... what are you doing here? You can't be here!" he stammered, looking around frantically for his boss.

I didn't smile. I didn't gloat. I simply handed him a crisp, white envelope.

"What is this?" he whispered.

"That is a termination letter," I said flatly. "As of 10:00 AM this morning, Apex Development has fully acquired GreenScapes. Which means, as of this moment, I am your employer."

Jason stared at me, his jaw trembling, the realization hitting him like a freight train.

"And as your employer," I continued, "I am firing you. Effective immediately. For gross misconduct, attempted corporate sabotage, and complete incompetence. You have exactly three minutes to clear out your locker before my security team escorts you off my property."

He looked at the paper, then at me. There was no anger left in him. Only a hollow, bottomless despair. He had finally realized that he was playing checkers, and I owned the entire board.