Chapter 3The Walton Shutdown

I took the file from my secretary, scanned it briefly, and then tossed it onto the floor in front of her.

"Elara, you want your freedom? You want your friends? Fine. You've got it."

Her eyes darted over the asset division clause in the agreement, and her voice trembled. "No. I don't agree. We can't get a divorce."

A cold smile touched my lips. "If you don't agree, we'll go to court. You're the party at fault. You'll walk away with nothing." I leaned back in my chair. "And by the way, embezzlement of company funds on this scale... according to the law, you'll spend the rest of your life in prison."

Her face went pale, and her body went limp. "Caleb, I was wrong. I'll pay the money back immediately." She paused, tears welling in her eyes. "But... that project was only worth a billion. If Shawn doesn't land a new contract soon, he'll go bankrupt. Please, can't we just let this go? It's such a small thing to divorce over."

Even now, she was still trying to protect him. My face hardened.

"Elara, do you think this is about the money? You know better than anyone what he did to me! Shawn is a lazy, entitled parasite. If he can't get a contract, he deserves to fail!"

When I first returned, the subsidiary I was given was struggling. I was the one who went out, day after day, begging for meetings, humbling myself for a chance. I was the one who worked alongside my team from dawn until midnight to build it up. Shawn mocked my efforts then, and when he saw my success, he tried to have me killed.

My family gave him more than enough to live a stable, wealthy life. They had been more than generous. And yet Elara still saw him as a victim, using my resources to play the role of his savior.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking..." she sobbed.

Seeing her finally admit fault, the Walton family breathed a collective sigh of relief. Her father quickly tried to smooth things over. "Caleb, she was just confused for a moment. Her heart is in the right place."

"That's right, Caleb. We'll be sure to discipline her when we get home. Divorce is a serious matter," another relative added.

Just then, a frail, elderly voice came from the doorway. My grandfather was there, supporting Mr. Walton. My own grandfather had always been kind to me, and out of respect for him, I finally relented.

"Let this be the end of it," I said. "I don't want a repeat performance."

The Waltons were visibly relieved, thanking me profusely as they led a weeping Elara away.

The next morning, Elara was waiting for me outside the office with a lunch box. "Darling, I know you usually skip breakfast. I made you some chicken noodle soup to warm you up."

For days, she was the perfect wife. She brought me three meals a day. She stopped going out to parties and instead sat with me quietly in the office while I worked late. The project proposal was returned, the stolen funds repaid. My secretary reported that she hadn't had any contact with Shawn.

Watching her bustle around, my resolve began to soften. "You can let the housekeeper handle these things," I told her one evening. "You should go out, go shopping, relax a little."

She shook her head. "I've thought it over. All that partying is meaningless. I'd rather spend my time with you, learning about the business so I can share your burdens."

Seeing her genuine interest, I reinstated her position at the company without her even having to ask. She proved to be surprisingly capable, working diligently and becoming a valuable asset.

Soon, whispers turned to praise throughout our social circle. Caleb and Elara, the perfect power couple. The future of Hearst Corporation looked brighter than ever.