25 Years Together, He Left For His Assistant—The Day I Became His Company's Majority Shareholder скачать в хорошем качестве

25 Years Together, He Left For His Assistant—The Day I Became His Company's Majority Shareholder

I never thought I'd be sitting across from my husband of 25 years while he explained that our marriage was over because he'd "found his soulmate" in his 28-year-old executive assistant. Yet there I was, watching William Mitchell—the man who'd promised to grow old with me—fidget with his platinum wedding band before sliding it across our kitchen island like it was a business transaction he was eager to conclude. Before we jump in, tell us where you're tuning in from, and if this story touches you, make sure you're subscribed—because tomorrow, I've saved something extra special for you! "Rebecca, you have to understand. These things happen. People grow apart," he said, not quite meeting my eyes. "Natalie and I. . . it's different. We connect on a level that you and I never did. " I stared at the ring, its soft gleam under our recessed lighting a cruel reminder of the vows we'd exchanged on that sunny Colorado afternoon when we were young and impossibly in love. Twenty-five years, two children, and one multi-million dollar company later, apparently I'd become as disposable as last quarter's business strategy. "Different how, Will? " I asked, surprised by the steadiness in my voice when my entire world was collapsing. "Different like when we shared ramen noodles in our first apartment? Different like when I held your hand through both your parents' funerals? Or different like when I worked two jobs so you could get your MBA and start the business that's made you so wealthy you can now trade in for a younger model? " The signs had been there for months—late nights at the office, sudden business trips, a password on his phone where there had never been one before. But I'd convinced myself it was the pressure of the upcoming merger. Mitchell Consulting Group was in negotiations to be acquired by TechForce International, and Will had been obsessed with getting the details right. After all, this was the culmination of everything we'd built together since we launched MCG from our garage while Emma was still in diapers and I was pregnant with Tyler. I remember the first stirrings of unease at the company Christmas party three months earlier. Will had always been attentive at these events—his hand at the small of my back, introducing me as "the woman who made it all possible. " But that night, he'd been distant, his attention repeatedly drawn to the striking brunette who'd started as his executive assistant in October. "That's Natalie," Olivia had whispered, following my gaze across the elegantly decorated ballroom of The Windsor Hotel. "She's got quite the reputation around the office. " Olivia had been my best friend since college and ran our company's HR department. Her expression told me everything I needed to know, but I'd brushed it off. "Will would never," I'd said with the confidence of someone who believed twenty-five years of marriage made you immune to clichés. But as I sat at our kitchen island that evening in March, the truth was undeniable. Will wasn't just leaving me; he'd been planning his exit for months. "I'm keeping the house, of course," he continued, as if we were discussing something as trivial as dinner plans. "It makes sense with the business and my contacts. I've found you a lovely condo downtown. Two bedrooms, so the kids can visit when they're home from college. " The casual cruelty of it stunned me. This was the home we'd designed together, where we'd raised our children, hosted countless dinner parties for clients who became friends. The Japanese maple in the backyard that we'd planted on our tenth anniversary was finally reaching maturity. "You've 'found me a condo'? " I repeated slowly, the reality of his betrayal finally sinking in. "Just like that? And what about my role in the company? I'm still Chief Financial Officer, remember? The company that we built together. " Will had the decency to look uncomfortable then. He shifted in his seat, straightening the cuffs of his tailored shirt—a nervous habit I knew well from board meetings when he was about to deliver bad news. "About that. With the merger approaching. . . Rob and I think it might be best if you stepped down. A clean break. For everyone's sake. " Rob Donovan, Will's business partner and our Chief Operations Officer. Of course he'd be in on this too. The two of them had been inseparable since business school. "Let me get this straight," I said, feeling a strange calm descend over me. "You're leaving me for your assistant, taking our home, and pushing me out of my own company. The company I helped build while raising our children. The company that exists because I believed in you when no one else would. " "Don't be dramatic, Rebecca," Will sighed, checking his watch. "You'll be well compensated in the divorce.