You Can Keep Him, Tramp Chapter 08
Dad
I said calmly, “I may be old, but I’m not senile. I only pretended to pass out because I wanted to hear the truth straight from your mouth.”
Chloe froze, staring at him as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Then her face twisted, and she suddenly lunged at me.
“This is all your fault! I’ll kill you!”
The bodyguards waiting outside rushed in and grabbed her before she could reach me.
Kyle went pale.
“Emily, I know I screwed up. I let Chloe manipulate me, and I made choices I can’t take back. But I never meant for things to go this far. I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m asking you not to wipe me out completely. We were married for years. That has to count for something!”
I looked at him and felt nothing but disgust.
I took out the divorce papers and tossed them onto the table in front of him.
“You cheated on me and helped an outsider plot against my family. Don’t use our marriage as leverage now that everything’s fallen apart. Sign the divorce papers. You’re leaving with nothing. That’s not up for discussion.”
Kyle picked up the papers and skimmed through them. His expression hardened with every page.
“I’m not signing this. We were married for years, Emily. I built my life around this family, too. You don’t get to erase all of that and send me away with nothing.”
I had no interest in arguing with him. I called my attorney into the room.
“Take over the divorce from here. Stick to the plan we already discussed. Kyle gets nothing.”
Then I turned to my assistant.
“Contact the board and call an emergency meeting. Effective immediately, Chloe is removed from every position she holds. Set up an internal investigation, audit every cent she took from the company, and turn over anything criminal to the authorities.”
Once everything was taken care of, the hospital room finally went quiet.
Dad reached for my hand and held it tightly. His eyes reddened.
“I’m sorry, Emily. I should’ve listened to you. I kept giving them the benefit of the doubt when I should’ve been standing by you.”
I patted his hand. “It’s okay, Dad. We know the truth now. That’s what matters. From here on out, we’ll deal with everything together.”
The case moved quickly after that.
Chloe was eventually convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to ten years in prison.
The company recovered most of the money and property tied to the theft. Her Bentley and downtown house were
seized, and the proceeds from their sale went toward repaying what she owed.
Ride had helped Chloe move some of the money and conceal where it came from. That, along with the evidence from the divorce case, left him with no claim to any of my family’s assets.
Once the divorce was finalized, he had very little left. He eventually packed up his things and left the city.
With Chloe in prison and Kyle in no position to care for the children, Chloe’s parents agreed to take them in.
I never held any of it against the kids. None of this was their fault.
I still sent money for school expenses and other basic needs from time to time, just to make sure they were taken care of.
After taking over the company, I wasted no time cleaning house. I removed every executive loyal to Chloe, restructured the management team, and pushed the company into several new markets.
Business steadily improved. Before long, we surpassed our previous numbers, and we grew into one of the most respected companies in the industry.
Once Dad recovered, he turned most of the day–to–day operations over to me.
He spent his time tending to his garden, playing chess with old friends, and finally enjoying the retirement he deserved.
That was when I realized the best revenge against Chloe was never destroying her. It was taking back my life and building something she could never touch.
The past was finally behind me. For the first time in years, I could look ahead without fear or regret.
And I was finally ready to live for myself.
