Chapter 9
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After some thought, Sean concluded that his repeated attempts to appease Layla had only emboldened her.
“Women shouldn’t be spoiled,” he told himself,
For an entire week, Sean ignored Layla completely.
That day, the company held a shareholder meeting. Sean sat confidently at the head of the table, listening as employees
presented the third–quarter performance reports.
Suddenly, the conference room doors burst open.
Layla entered first, followed by a group of reporters with cameras in tow.
Sean shot to his feet. “Layla, what the hell are you doing!”
“Nothing much,” Layla replied with a lazy smile. “I just thought the shareholders deserved to know the truth. Oh, and leaking it
to the press earns me a little extra cash. The money you offered me isn’t even enough for pocket change.”
Sean’s face contorted with rage. “You’ve lost your mind!”
“Sure, I’m crazy,” Layla sneered. “You drove me to it.”
She turned to the bewildered shareholders. “I have some documents I’d like to share with you all. They’ll shed light on who’s
actually been driving the company’s profits all these years.”
With that, she pulled a stack of papers from her bag. A reporter immediately stepped forward to help distribute them.
“Get security up here!” Sean barked at his assistant. “Have these people removed immediately!”
“Mr. Perry,” a reporter asked, his camera aimed squarely at Sean, “what are you so afraid of? Is it true, as Miss Xander claims, that you built this company on her efforts?”
“Utter nonsense!” Sean snapped, his composure unraveling. “We’re having a personal dispute. Women say all kinds of things when they’re upset. And you believe the ramblings of a crazy woman? I should question your journalistic integrity!”
“If Miss Xander’s claims are false, the documents will prove it,” the reporter countered. “But your urgency to kick us out–could it be because you have something to hide?”
“You” Sean trembled with fury, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets as he glared at Layla.
Meanwhile, Layla stood calmly, arms crossed, waiting for the shareholders to finish reviewing the documents,
Initially, she hadn’t intended to escalate things this far. If Sean had cooperated and fairly divided the shares, she would have let it
- go. After all, she had poured her heart into this company.
But Sean’s greed and lack of principles left her no choice.
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The documents included third–party confirmations from partner companies, original project proposals, and even the company’s
fourth–quarter planning documents–all written by Layla just last month. (1
Together, they were undeniable proof that the company’s steady profits were thanks to her work.
One by one, the shareholders‘ expressions darkened. When they looked at Sean, their gazes were filled with disapproval and
disappointment.
They had always believed Sean to be a talented, promising young man. But now, they realized the truth that he was nothing more
than a fraud relying on a woman’s efforts.
One of the shareholders spoke up loudly, “Mr. Perry, this is truly disappointing. If Miss Xander was leading the company’s
projects, how could her name be omitted from the credits?”
“Outsiders might not know the truth, but keeping it from us, the shareholders? How are we supposed to trust you going
forward?”
“Exactly!”
“Unacceptable!”
Voices of agreement erupted around the room, and the atmosphere quickly descended into chaos.
Sean’s face flushed with frustration as he stammered, unable to offer a coherent response. Meanwhile, the reporters gleefully captured every moment, their minds already crafting sensational headlines.
Seeing that the reporters had gathered enough material, Layla finally spoke, her calm and measured tone cutting through the noise. “I’m here today to claim what’s rightfully mine. I hope everyone here can help me see this through.”
She glanced around the room, her voice steady and firm. “When I ended my engagement with Sean Perry, I asked for a fair division of the company’s shares. He refused and only offered to return the startup funds, forcing me to take things this far.
“But the startup funds were my money to begin with. What about the years of hard work I put into this company? What does that
count for?”
Her words incited even more outrage among the shareholders,
“Mr. Perry, how could you behave like this?”
“Mr. Perry, you’ve really shown your true colors today. To think we trusted you!”
“If we had known you were this unethical, we’d never have partnered with you!”
Facing their relentless accusations, Sean panicked. Struggling to regain control, he tried to steady himself and addressed the room. “Everyone, please listen. Lately, Layla and I have had some personal disagreements that I didn’t handle well. I-”
“We’ve already ended our engagement,” Layla interjected, her composed voice silencing him. “Once the shares are divided, our relationship will be completely severed.”
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Her gaze swept the room as she continued, “The company’s future development has nothing to do with me anymore. I’m simply here to take what’s mine. I genuinely wish you all the best moving forward.”
Though her words were polite, the underlying sarcasm was palpable.
The shareholders exchanged uneasy glances. Without Layla’s contributions, could Sean really manage the company alone? They knew the shares would have to be divided, especially with the reporters watching closely.
Finally, one senior shareholder, respected among the group, stood up and spoke on their behalf. “Miss Xander, we understand your position. We’ll process everything as you’ve requested and ensure you receive your fair share as quickly as possible.”
Layla nodded with a faint smile. “Thank you.”
As she turned to leave, the shareholder hastily called after her. “Miss Xander, could you ask the reporters not to publish this? Please?”
Layla glanced back casually, her tone light but cutting. “With their speed, I’m afraid it’s already out there.”
Everyone fell silent, realizing Layla never intended to spare Sean any embarrassment.
Watching her walk away with her head held high, Sean seethed with rage, wishing he could strangle her on the spot.
Stepping out of the office building, Layla tilted her head back to take in the clear blue sky, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief.
Now, all that was left was to wait for the money to hit her account!
She planned to use the funds to fully enjoy the rest of her life, maybe even find a better doctor. If her condition proved untreatable, she would donate the remainder to charity.
One thing was certain: not a single penny would go to Sean.
As she mentally outlined her plans, she caught a familiar figure in her peripheral vision. Turning her head for a better look, she exclaimed in surprise, “Mr. Lucas? What are you doing here?”
“Meeting a client,” William replied calmly, his gaze briefly flicking to the office building behind her. “And you, Miss Xander? What brings you here?”
“Just dealing with some messy business.”
Layla walked up to William. As they say, familiarity breeds comfort. By their third meeting, she felt much less nervous around
him.
“Did it go well?” William asked.
“Not bad,” she replied lightly, but her mind wandered to the look Sean had given her before she left.
Now that things had escalated publicly, she doubted Sean would let her off so easily. He had been relentlessly sending her things
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for weeks, and after today, he might very well show up at her door.
The thought alone gave her a headache. The the
William noticed her furrowed brows and asked in his low voice, “What’s wrong? Is there still an issue?”
“Kind of…” Layla hesitated for a moment, then lifted her gaze to William. The longer she looked at him, the more she realized he
might be the perfect shield.
Like he had said before, Sean wouldn’t dare make a move if she stayed under his protection.
“Mr. Lucas,” Layla began cautiously, “does your offer still stand?”
Worried he might have forgotten, she quickly added, “You said you’d help me if I was serious about cutting ties with Sean.”
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