Chapter 4
The screen shattered with a loud crack, flickered twice, then went black.
A second later–BOOM. The front door exploded inward.
Men in black suits filed in and formed two rows.
A middle–aged man rushed toward me, face tight with worry.
My dad.
When he saw I was okay, relief washed over him. He pulled me into a hug.
“Maisie, thank God you’re alright.”
“Your phone wasn’t working. I had to track the necklace. I was terrified.”
Feeling his concern, my eyes stung.
When I first reunited with my parents, I kept my distance–for Callum’s pride.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Now I see how stupid that was.
He never deserved that sacrifice.
I told Dad everything.
His face flushed red. “That bastard. How dare he treat my daughter like this. I’ll make him-”
He stopped, looking at me carefully. “Maisie, I…”
I knew what he was worried about. My throat tightened:
“Dad, don’t worry. I’ve made up my mind. Callum’s not worth my energy. I’m divorcing him.”
“But I do need your help with one thing.”
Dad nodded eagerly. “Whatever you need.”
“I want to leave him with nothing.”
“And this building’s lease expired months ago, didn’t it? Time to take it back.”
Dad nodded. “It did. I only kept renewing because of you.”
When Callum wanted to expand but didn’t have the funds, I’d asked Dad to rent him this building–at one–tenth market rate.
Time to take it back.
Less than thirty minutes after I left, Callum started calling. I blocked him.
Then came the text.
“How does your phone have signal? And how the hell did you get out? All the security systems are down and I can’t access anything. What did you do?”
“This is cutting–edge tech from Tech Solutions Inc. There’s no way you cracked it.”
I was over it. Blocked his messages too.
17:06
He Left Me a Mop and Took His Secretary to Paris?! Watch Me Clean House and Clean Him Out!
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Chapter 4
Then Tessa texted me.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You sabotaged the systems to make Callum panic and come running back, didn’t you?”
“Well–as long as I’m here, he’s staying put!”
“You should’ve figured it out by now–Callum doesn’t love you anymore. He loves me. Stop trying to win him back. It’s pathetic.”
Then she sent me a video. Her and Callum–intimate, explicit.
“Do yourself a favor and just get the divorce.”
I just saved the video. Then blocked her too.
Five days later.
When Callum showed up with Tessa on his arm, he stopped dead at what he saw.
Office furniture and equipment were piled up everywhere outside the building.
All the employees were stuck outside, blocked by a line of men in black suits.
Callum shoved through the crowd and lost it at the guards:
“Who the hell are you people? Why are you blocking my company?”
“And did you throw all this out here? Do you have any idea how much this stuff costs? You just tossed it like garbage?”
“Move. Now. Or you’re gonna regret it.”
The guards didn’t even blink.
He tried pushing through, but these guys were built–clearly not people to mess with. He backed off.
All he could do was stand there, fuming:
“Who’s doing this to me?”
Tessa grabbed his arm, face twisted:
“Callum, Maisie’s gone too far. You only asked her to clean, and she’s retaliating by trashing everything?”
“And now she’s got these goons blocking the entrance. Does she even realize how much this is costing you?”
The employees started whispering:
“Wait, the CEO’s wife did this? What’s going on?”
“Did she find out about Callum and Secretary Tessa? Is this payback?”
Can’t be. She’s just a housewife. How would she pull this off?”
Callum overheard:
“Yeah, exactly. Maisie’s a housewife. How could she do something like this? And these guys–they’re not the kind anyone can just hire.”
“I don’t buy it.”
Something nasty flashed in Tessa’s eyes:
“I don’t want to believe it either, but she was the only one in the office. And right after, the remote systems died.”
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He Left Me a Mop and Took His Secretary to Paris?! Watch Me Clean House and Clean Him Out!
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Chapter 4
“Then her phone suddenly worked again. She broke through the security. Who else could it be?”
Callum’s jaw clenched. “You really think it was her?”
“Who else? She’s the only one with a grudge. Why else would she block you?”
Callum’s eyes went cold:
“Maisie, you bitch. I’m not letting this slide!”
Then he turned to the guards:
“You’re working for that bitch Maisie, aren’t you? Move. Now. Or you’ll regret it.”
They didn’t budge.
Tessa stepped forward:
“I don’t know what kind of BS Maisie fed you, but this building? It’s Callum’s company. That woman’s just a housewife.”
“Whatever she promised you, don’t count on it. Everything she has comes from Callum.”
She expected them to back down.
But they just looked at her like she was nothing.
Callum lost it. “Where’s Maisie? Tell her to get out here!”
“I’m right here. Say whatever you want.”
(5)
