Chapter 8 — The Public Unraveling
Chapter 8 — The Public Unraveling
Unable to handle the sheer indifference in Hailey's eyes, Jasper lost control. The alcohol in his system paired with weeks of built-up panic swept away whatever caution he had left.
He set his champagne glass down heavily on a waiter’s tray and began pushing through the crowd toward Hailey.
"Jasper, no!" Gillian called out, but he ignored her.
"Hailey!" Jasper shouted as he approached the circle of executives surrounding her and her father. "Hailey, stop ignoring me!"
The surrounding executives fell silent, stepping back in shock.
Daniel Cross immediately moved to block Jasper’s path, but Hailey held up a hand, stopping her security chief. She turned around slowly, looking at her estranged husband with calm, unbothered eyes.
"Yes, Mr. Lawson?" Hailey said, her voice smooth and carrying clearly through the quieted room.
"Mr. Lawson?" Jasper repeated, laughing maniacally. "I’m your husband! You’re playing games with my life, Hailey! You froze my accounts, you stole my company, you evicted my family, and now you’re strutting around here pretending to be some high-and-mighty corporate executive!"
The room murmured with shock. Priscilla and Gillian rushed up behind Jasper, trying to look supportive, though both looked terrified.
"Jasper," Gillian chimed in loudly, trying to turn the room’s sympathy toward them. "Tell them! Tell everyone how your wife abandoned you and used her father's power to ruin a hard-working young businessman!"
Finnley Robertson stepped forward, his eyes burning with lethal quiet, but Hailey gently placed a hand on her father’s arm.
"It’s fine, Dad," Hailey said softly. She turned to face Jasper, her gaze cool and steady. "Jasper, let’s clarify a few facts for everyone present tonight."
She took a sleek tablet from Arthur Vance, who stood nearby.
"Fact one: Lawson Technologies was never 'your' company," Hailey announced, her voice calm, articulate, and unwavering. "It was entirely funded by Robertson Strategic Ventures on the condition of strict ethical governance. You violated that trust by embezzling three million dollars to fund your family’s luxury lifestyle."
Jasper’s face flushed dark red. "That’s a lie!"
"Fact two," Hailey continued, stepping closer to him. "You claim I abandoned you. But four weeks ago, I underwent an emergency C-section to bring our son into this world. While I was in the recovery room, you left the hospital with your mother and sister to enjoy a champagne lunch, leaving me to take a public bus home with a newborn baby."
A loud, collective gasp of disgust erupted across the ballroom. High-society women turned to stare at Jasper and Gillian with utter revulsion.
"You... you took a bus?" a prominent female CEO asked, horrified.
"He refused to answer my calls," Hailey said, her voice remaining perfectly composed. "He revoked my home access and told me I was nothing without him."
Gillian tried to speak. "She’s exaggerating! We... we were busy!"
"Busy eating lobster while your daughter-in-law bled on a city transit vehicle?" Finnley’s voice boomed like thunder, commanding the entire hall. "You Lawson family parasites fed on my daughter’s kindness for four years. You mistook her modesty for weakness. But the party is officially over."
Arthur Vance stepped forward, pulling a legal document from his folder and handing it directly to Jasper.
"Mr. Lawson, as of 5:00 PM today, Robertson Global has foreclosed on all outstanding debt owed by Lawson Technologies. The company is officially entering liquidation. Furthermore, a criminal referral for corporate fraud and embezzlement has been formally filed with the State Prosecutor's Office."
May you like
Jasper stood frozen, holding the paper as his world collapsed entirely around him.
Hailey took a step back, taking her father’s arm. "Enjoy your evening, Jasper. It will likely be your last one in polite society."
