A New Clue

The call was made. And then Joshua went on a work trip. I had a journey of my own too. I was starting to scour for evidence of him transferring assets to help Yvonne and her kid.

Though I never asked about company operations, I was still the Ferreros' heiress. I knew business, and I had my sources of information.

However, Joshua hid it deep. With excuses that the company was investing for charity, he moved a huge amount of money to the funds and shell companies he controlled.

Yvonne's records were clean. Spotless, even.

…

A few days later, Joshua came back from his work trip. I knew he had just visited his newborn daughter, Cece.

He came home looking overjoyed, and he was holding beautiful gift boxes.

"Got you something nice, Angelica." He handed the boxes to me gently. "Custom-made. It's good for you."

I stared at him. The warmth in his eyes was perfectly calculated. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was the perfect husband.

"You don't seem too good lately," Joshua added. "But we can work on it. Maybe you'll get pregnant soon."

I took the supplements. "Thanks," I replied as I forced a smile onto my face.

He probably did not notice that something was off with me.

Joshua took a seat on the couch and massaged his forehead. "Right, our company and Ferrero Group are working on a charity investment. It's going to start next month."

Most of the funds came from my family.

"It'll need a lot of investment money in its early stages, and we'll need your family's support."

That sounded like negotiation, but he was hinting at me, telling me to push my family. Perhaps have a word with your parents,” he suggested. “Ease their minds. The project has great prospects and would help their company’s reputation.”

"I know," I said softly. "I'll talk to them. I know it's important."

Joshua leaned back into the couch, relaxed this time. He probably thought I was the same dumb girl who would trust every single word he said.

…

It was the weekend. The Graysons had their family dinner, and Joshua's mother brought up the topic of children again.

"Joshua, you guys have been married for nearly six years. Why isn't she pregnant yet? Is something wrong with her? Maybe she should get checked overseas."

Joshua put his fork down and heaved a sigh. "Stop it, Mom. She's already having it hard enough." He looked at me with concern. "She's been working on it. Maybe God wants to test us further."

He was hinting that I was the problem, not him. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought he was helping me, but this was a plot.

A setup for him to take his bastard child home. A plot to lead to divorce and give him an upper hand in splitting the money.

I hung my head low. Disgust was churning my stomach.

…

The exhausting dinner came to an end. I got a message from an unknown number.

'Ms. Ferrero? Hi, it's Melina Hutchings, your husband's ex-assistant. Can we talk?'

The Kid

Melina. I remembered her. She was a capable girl, but then she somehow crossed Yvonne and left the company.

I replied, 'Sure.'

We met in a quiet coffee shop. Melina seemed worn out, but her eyes were filled with determination.

"Ms. Ferrero, I know something's happening between you and Mr. Grayson. I left the company because of Yvonne. Many of my ex-colleagues knew she had an affair with him, but no one was brave enough to bring it up."

She took a deep breath. "I have something here. You might find it useful." She handed me a flash drive.

"These contain records of Joshua abusing his power and using company funds to get Yvonne a house and cars. There's also evidence of him setting up a trust fund for Yvonne and her boy through foreign accounts.

"Part of the money came from the charity project your family invested in. And he also took part in the earnings that were supposed to go to the other shareholders."

Melina added, "That should land him in serious trouble."

"Thank you." I looked at her.

She laughed at herself. "I just can't stand seeing them get away with it."

…

I went home and called my lawyer, after which I sent him the evidence.

Mr. Wesley replied a moment later, texting, 'The evidence is solid, Ms. Ferrero. Infidelity, illegal asset transfer, and probable embezzlement. We can set up the lawsuit now.'

It was the company's annual dinner. Given that I was Joshua's wife, I had to show my face at the event. Halfway through the dinner, Joshua made his way to the hall's entrance unprompted.

When he came back, he was holding the hand of a young boy about the age of five, at best. I'd seen that boy before. He was the son of Yvonne and Joshua.

'He brings that boy here?' I thought.

The guests were all looking at him. Joshua walked the boy to the stage, and he picked up the mic. A gentle smile curled his lips.

"May I have a moment of your time? I have a very special guest I'd like to introduce." He looked at the boy with eyes full of love. "This is James, a very talented boy. I've sponsored him for a while now, and he's shown himself to be a smart young lad. I am thinking about making him my godson."

He led the boy down the stage and approached me. "Angelica, here's James." He pushed the boy toward me. "This is Angelica Ferrero, James."

The boy raised his head, his eyes staring into mine with childlike curiosity. I knew those eyes. They were Joshua's. And that almost broke my composure.

The guests were glancing at us. I crouched and tried my best to put on a smile.

"Hello, James."

The boy was still looking at me. Then, he spoke, his voice clear. "Ms. Ferrero, you don't smell like Dad's meditation room. I was there yesterday."

Meditation room. The one Joshua set up on the top floor for meditation purposes. It was his personal space. He would never let anyone in, not even me.

The child spilled more secrets. "Mommy Yvonne took me there. She does not smell like you at all. It's different."

Joshua's face fell, though only for a moment. He stopped James immediately, a hint of anger lacing his voice. "James, you're talking nonsense."

He bent down and picked up the boy. Then he smiled at everyone like he was trying to hide something. "Don't take that seriously. You know how kids are. It's late. I should take him to the waiting room."

The guests said nothing, but their eyes… They were filled with mockery and curiosity.

I was rooted in my spot, not sure what I should do. A sense of danger overwhelmed me. I had to get my hands on that file as soon as I could, but Joshua locked it in his office.

I grabbed a spare key to his office while he wasn't around and went to that place, but what I saw inside shocked me.

Inside the Office

Yvonne was standing in front of Joshua's bookshelf, and the boy was in her arms. He was holding a bracelet.

My grandmother gave me that after I married Joshua. She hoped that our relationship could stand the test of time, just like that bracelet. Joshua was beside himself from receiving that gift. He promised he would treasure it.

It was the only thing that signified our love for each other.

"This is ugly, Mom! I don't want it!" The boy flung the bracelet, and it shattered as it smashed against the ground. My heart broke into a hundred pieces as well.

Yvonne noticed me. A hint of panic crept onto her face, but then she put on a fake smile. "Ms. Ferrero, what brings you here?" She bent over and picked up a broken piece like she meant an apology.

"Sorry, but you know kids. He didn't mean to break Mr. Grayson's stuff."

I saw the mocking laughter in her eyes. "But he probably won't mind."

Joshua came out of the waiting room. He heard the commotion. When he saw me and the broken bracelet, he frowned. "What happened?"

Yvonne puckered her lips. "I'm sorry, Joshua. James broke your bracelet, but he didn't mean to. I think Ms. Ferrero's mad about it."

He looked at the broken bracelet, then at me. The expression on his face was calm, perhaps impatient. "It doesn't matter. The bracelet wasn't a quality item anyway." He then patted James' head. "It's okay, James. It's not worth much anyway."

He turned to me, but this time, he wasn't as gentle. He chastised me. "Don't make a fuss. Yvonne is our guest, and James is just a child."

This man brushed off our symbol of love like it was nothing but a dollar-store item. The last sliver of hope I had for him was cut by his own hands.

Yvonne took her phone out and snapped a photo of me as if she did not mean to.

I left without saying a word.

…

Instead of going home, I went straight to Mr. Wesley's firm.

"Ms. Ferrero, these are the papers and asset division we drafted according to the evidence you provided. We worked on it as fast as we could."

I took the file and signed my name without even looking at it. "Set up a meeting with him."

Mr. Wesley nodded and called Joshua. We would meet up at the firm's conference hall.

When Joshua showed up, it was with confusion. However, when he saw the divorce papers and part of the evidence showing the asset transfer, his confusion turned into shock.

He jerked his head up and stared at me in disbelief and surprise. Still, he tried to stay calm. "What is the meaning of this, Angelica?"

"A divorce, obviously."