Chapter 4 - The Reckoning at the Firm
Three days later, Jamie was discharged from the hospital in a bright blue cast, equipped with a tiny pair of pediatric crutches. I moved him directly to my sister Sarah’s spacious home in Oakmont. Sarah, a pediatric physical therapist, welcomed us with open arms and an immediate plan for Jamie’s recovery.
With Jamie safely settled, I drove into downtown Pittsburgh.
Bradley’s architectural firm, Vance & Sterling, occupied the top two floors of a sleek glass skyscraper. Bradley was a junior partner, desperately angling for a senior partnership that was set to be announced at the firm’s upcoming annual gala.
I walked into the lobby carrying a leather briefcase. The receptionist, the same young woman who had secretly ordered Jamie’s navy blazer when Bradley forgot, looked up in surprise.
"Mrs. Vance... Clara," she corrected herself nervously. "Mr. Vance is in a meeting with the senior partners."
"I know, Linda," I said with a gracious smile. "That’s precisely why I’m here."
I walked straight to the executive boardroom. Through the glass walls, I could see Bradley standing at the head of a mahogany table, presenting blueprints to the firm's founding partners, Arthur Sterling and Richard Vance.
I didn't knock. I pushed the door open.
The room fell silent. Bradley froze, his marker mid-air against the whiteboard.
"Clara?" Bradley stammered, his face draining of color. "What are you doing here? This is a high-level partner meeting."
"I know," I replied smoothly, setting a thick white envelope on the center of the table right in front of Arthur Sterling. "I’m serving you with divorce papers, Bradley. Along with a formal court injunction freezing all joint accounts due to unauthorized transfers to your mistress, Caroline Sutton."
Arthur Sterling raised an eyebrow, adjusting his spectacles as he opened the envelope.
"Clara, have you lost your mind?!" Bradley hissed, rushing around the table. "You’re making a scene in front of my bosses!"
"You abandoned your injured son at a bus crash to run to another woman’s child, Bradley," I said, my voice carrying clearly through the silent room. "You let a crate crush his leg while you carried Ava to safety. The firm values integrity, doesn't it, Mr. Sterling?"
May you like
Arthur Sterling, a stern man who valued family reputation above all else, looked up from the documents detailing the fraudulent financial transfers. He looked at Bradley with deep disgust.
"Bradley," Mr. Sterling said coldly. "Step outside. We will continue this meeting without you."
