Chapter 4 - The House of Cards Collapses
The three days leading up to the board meeting were a masterclass in psychological torture for the Vance family.
Dominic’s reality had rapidly devolved into a waking nightmare.
The mid-tier hotel quickly became too expensive when his final working debit card was declined at the restaurant.
Paige, the beautiful, calculating mistress who had envisioned a life of luxury, quickly lost her patience.
“What do you mean your card is declined, Dom?” she hissed loudly in the hotel lobby.
“It’s a bank error, babe. Just a misunderstanding. I’ll fix it tomorrow,” Dominic lied, sweating profusely.
“You said that yesterday! We are eating stale muffins for breakfast!”
“Just give me time! The board meeting is tomorrow. I’ll get the company back.”
Paige crossed her arms, glaring at him with pure disgust.
“You don't even have a car. I had to pay for our Uber here. I’m done.”
“Paige, wait—”
“No! You’re broke. And worse, you’re infertile. What exactly am I sticking around for?”
She turned on her heel and walked out the glass doors, leaving Dominic humiliated in front of the concierge.
Upstairs in their cramped, two-bed hotel room, Victoria was having her own meltdown.
She had spent the entire morning calling her wealthy friends from the country club.
She needed a loan, a place to stay, a favor—anything to maintain her illusion of status.
“Eleanor, darling, it’s Victoria. We’re doing some sudden renovations on the mansion and—”
Click.
Eleanor had hung up.
She tried another number. “Margaret? I need a tiny favor—”
“Victoria, do not call me again,” Margaret’s voice was icy.
“We heard what you did. You pushed that poor girl down the stairs. The police are asking questions at the club.”
Victoria gasped, dropping the phone onto the cheap bedspread.
The rumor mill had completely destroyed her social standing in less than 72 hours.
She was a pariah. A monster in the eyes of the elite circle she worshipped.
When Dominic returned to the room, looking defeated and broken, Victoria lashed out.
“This is your fault! If you had just controlled your wife, she wouldn't have run away and brought this scandal upon us!”
“My fault?” Dominic exploded, veins bulging in his neck.
“You pushed her, Mom! You killed my kid! And now the only woman who ever actually gave a damn about me is gone!”
“She was a gold-digging rat! We gave her everything!”
“We gave her nothing!” Dominic screamed back, the terrifying reality finally breaking through his delusion.
“She wore rags while you bought designer bags! I ignored her while I slept with Paige!”
He sank onto the edge of the mattress, burying his face in his hands.
“And now... we have nothing. Literally nothing.”
Tomorrow was his last hope. The board meeting.
He firmly believed that if he could just sit down with the head of Apex Holdings, he could charm his way back into power.
He was a Vance. He built that company. They needed him.
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He ironed his only remaining clean suit using the hotel's rusty iron, praying for a miracle.
He had no idea that the miracle he was praying for was the very woman he had destroyed.
