Chapter 2 - The Morning Delusion
The following morning at Crestview Estate, the smell of fresh lavender and artisanal espresso filled the sun-drenched marble kitchen. Margaret was sitting at the breakfast bar in a silk dressing gown, flipping through an interior design catalog while Chloe lounged on the velvet sofa, her hand resting delicately over her stomach.
Ethan walked down the grand curved staircase wearing a bespoke navy suit, smelling of expensive cologne, adjusting his platinum watch. He looked radiant, entirely unburdened by the fact that he had tossed his wife of seven years onto the street in a thunderstorm.
"Did she text you?" Margaret asked, taking a delicate sip of coffee.
"Not a word," Ethan smirked, pouring himself a cup from the espresso machine. "She probably checked into some cheap roadside motel on the highway. Claire was always passive. She never had any real fight in her. She’ll realize twenty-five hundred dollars doesn't go far, and when she calls begging for more, I'll have the divorce papers ready for her signature."
Chloe smiled sweetly, biting into a warm croissant. "I really felt bad for her, Ethan. But you were wasting your best years. You’re an executive! You need a woman who can entertain your business partners, not someone who hides in her home office all weekend doing data entry for some satellite branch."
"Exactly," Margaret agreed, tapping the design catalog. "I already called the interior decorators. We’re turning Claire’s library into the nursery. We’ll paint it in soft pastels, rip out those dusty antique bookshelves, and put in an Italian crib. I want everyone at the country club to see that my son provides only the best for his real family."
Chloe’s eyes glittered. "I saw a nursery set in Milan that costs thirty-eight thousand dollars. Can we order it today?"
"Of course," Ethan chuckled, pulling out his matte-black Vanguard executive credit card and handing it to Chloe. "Put it on this. My regional performance bonus cleared last week. Put whatever you want on it, sweetheart."
Chloe took the card with a squeal of delight, immediately typing the sixteen digits into her tablet.
Ten seconds later, her brow furrowed.
"Ethan? It’s saying 'Transaction Declined: Contact Issuing Institution.'"
Ethan frowned, waving his hand dismissively. "The fraud department probably flagged it because it’s an overseas wire. Try my secondary account."
He pulled out another card—his private wealth debit card linked to his corporate salary disbursements.
Chloe entered the numbers.
"Declined again," she said, her voice wavering with a sudden edge of anxiety. "It says 'Account Restricted by Administrator.'"
Before Ethan could pull out his phone, his corporate mobile rang loudly on the marble counter. The caller ID flashed: Richard Vance, Senior Managing Partner, Vanguard Global.
Ethan’s posture immediately straightened. He smoothed his tie, clearing his throat to sound authoritative. "Richard! Good morning. I was just reviewing the quarterly commercial—"
"Ethan, where the hell are you?" Richard snapped, cutting him off mid-sentence. "There is an emergency board meeting convened at corporate headquarters in forty minutes. Every regional director and division head is required to be present in person."
Ethan blinked, a sudden rush of pride inflating his chest. He looked at Margaret and Chloe, winking triumphantly.
"An emergency board session? Is this regarding the European logistics acquisition?" Ethan asked, assuming his hard work had finally earned him the vacant Chief Operating Officer seat.
"Just get your ass into Conference Room A right now," Richard said coldly and hung up.
Ethan slipped his phone into his pocket, turning to his mother with a wide grin. "The board is meeting without prior notice. The Chief Operating Officer retired last month. They're going to announce my promotion to the executive committee today."
"I knew it!" Margaret beamed, clapping her hands. "My brilliant son! Go, darling! Show them who runs that company! Chloe and I will spend the morning measuring the nursery!"
May you like
Ethan kissed Chloe, kissed his mother’s cheek, and walked briskly out to the garage, stepping into his ninety-thousand-dollar company-leased luxury sedan. He tapped the ignition, reveling in the purr of the engine, completely convinced that today was the day he finally cemented his legacy among the city’s elite.
He had no idea that sixty minutes from now, he wouldn't even own the shirt on his back.
