“Don’t play games with me, Audrey! The wire transfers were rejected! My credit cards are declined! Chloe’s card isn’t working either! What the hell did you do?!”
“Are you referring to the corporate expense cards you used to book luxury hotels, flights, and personal gifts?” I asked calmly.
Silence fell over the line, followed by a sudden shift in his tone. “Audrey… honey, you’re confused…”
I almost laughed. “I uncovered twelve questionable authorizations, three attempted transfers totaling over eleven million dollars, one point two million in unauthorized personal expenses, and three point six million in payments to a consultancy firm whose primary service appears to be vacationing with you.”
Daniel went completely quiet. In the background, I heard Chloe whispering nervously.
“You don’t understand how the company operates, Audrey,” he said finally, trying to regain his footing.
That made me smile. My company.
My mother had left me sixty eight percent of Sterling Global through an irrevocable family trust. After we married, I appointed Daniel as Chief Operating Officer. I made mistakes in my marriage, but I never transferred a single voting share to his name. Daniel mistook my lack of interest in endless corporate politicking for a lack of authority.
