Part 4 : The Desperate Strike
While Jason’s life was imploding in Dallas, Olivia’s life in San Francisco was flourishing.
The Bennett household was a symphony of beautiful chaos. Ava and Ruby were learning to walk, leaving a trail of toys wherever they went. Noah and Liam were constantly babbling, communicating in a secret twin language that only they understood.
Olivia stood in her sunlit kitchen, wearing comfortable sweatpants, wiping pureed carrots off the counter. Ethan walked in from his home office, looking tired but happy. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the top of her head.
“How are the monsters?” he asked, smiling.
“Asleep. Finally,” Olivia sighed, leaning into his embrace. “How was the board meeting?”
Ethan’s smile faltered slightly. He pulled away, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “It was… complicated. We were supposed to close our Series B funding round today. It’s a fifty-million-dollar capital injection. But at the last minute, the lead investment firm pulled out.”
Olivia frowned. Ethan’s tech company had developed an incredible educational platform for children with learning disabilities. It was wildly successful. “Why would they pull out? The numbers are perfect.”
“They received an anonymous risk-assessment report,” Ethan explained, rubbing his temples. “It heavily manipulated our financial projections, making it look like we are burning cash and hiding debt. It’s a highly sophisticated sabotage. Someone with a deep understanding of financial analytics orchestrated this to scare off our investors.”
Olivia froze. Financial analytics.
A cold chill ran down her spine. She walked over to Ethan’s laptop. “Ethan, show me the firm that pulled out. Who is their primary financial advising partner?”
Ethan typed on the keyboard and brought up the corporate hierarchy. There, sitting on the screen, was a familiar logo. Carter & Hayes Financial Group.
Jason’s firm.
Olivia stared at the screen. She had left Jason in the past. She had given him the grace of simply walking away at the baby shower. But Jason couldn't handle her happiness. He couldn't handle his own failures. So he had decided to attack the man who had given her everything.
“He’s crossing the line,” Olivia whispered, her voice hardening.
“Who?” Ethan asked.
“Jason.”
Olivia turned to her husband. The woman who used to cry in cold medical exam rooms, the woman who used to apologize for things that weren't her fault, was entirely gone. In her place stood a fiercely protective mother and a brilliant businesswoman.
“He thinks he can use his corporate leverage to ruin us,” Olivia said, her eyes burning with a fierce, unwavering light. “He thinks I’m still the girl who accepts whatever narrative he writes.”
Ethan looked at her, entirely trusting. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to book a flight to Dallas,” Olivia replied. “And I want you to send me every piece of data you have on that fake risk-assessment report.”
Three days later, Olivia walked into the towering glass skyscraper of Carter & Hayes Financial Group. She didn't wear a designer suit to impress anyone. She wore an elegant trench coat, her head held high, carrying a single leather briefcase.
She bypassed the receptionist, walked straight into the executive wing, and pushed open the heavy mahogany doors of the primary conference room.
Jason was sitting at the head of the table, leading a meeting with five senior partners. He looked terrible. Dark circles under his eyes, his suit slightly wrinkled. The divorce proceedings with Ashley had already leaked to the press.
When the doors opened, Jason looked up. The color drained entirely from his face.
“Olivia,” he breathed out.
“Gentlemen,” Olivia said calmly, addressing the senior partners. “My name is Olivia Bennett. I represent Bennett Technologies. I apologize for the interruption, but I have some critical documents regarding a fraudulent risk-assessment report generated from this very office.”
The senior partners frowned. “Fraudulent?” the Managing Partner asked.
Jason stood up quickly, his hands shaking. “Olivia, you can’t be in here! This is private property! Security!”
“Call them,” Olivia challenged, her voice ringing clear and authoritative. She dropped the heavy leather briefcase onto the polished table.
She opened it and pulled out a stack of heavily annotated documents. “Your firm recently advised Vanguard Investments to pull out of a fifty-million-dollar deal with Bennett Tech. The advice was based on a report authored by Jason Carter.”
She slid the documents down the table toward the Managing Partner.
“If you look at page four, you will see that the algorithms used to project our cash burn rate were intentionally altered. He didn't just give bad advice. He committed financial fraud, manipulating market data to sabotage a private company due to a personal vendetta against my husband.”
The Managing Partner picked up the documents. His eyes scanned the highlighted sections. The room grew deathly quiet.
“Jason,” the partner said, his voice dangerously low. “Tell me she’s lying.”
Jason looked cornered. Like a trapped animal. “She’s my ex-wife!” he shouted desperately. “She’s just trying to ruin my life because she’s bitter!”
Olivia laughed. It wasn't a cruel laugh. It was a laugh of genuine pity. “Bitter?” she asked softly. “Jason, my life is full. I have a husband who loves me, four beautiful children, and a thriving career. I have absolutely no reason to think about you. But when you threaten my family’s livelihood to soothe your own shattered ego, I will not stay quiet.”
She turned back to the Managing Partner. “My lawyers have already filed a formal complaint with the SEC. However, if Carter & Hayes officially retracts the report and admits it was the rogue action of a single employee, Bennett Tech will not sue the firm directly.”
It was a masterstroke. She gave the firm an out—but only if they threw Jason to the wolves.
The Managing Partner didn't even hesitate. He looked at Jason with total disgust. “Pack your desk, Jason. You’re done here.”
Jason stood frozen. In the span of a single month, he had lost his wife, his fake child, his reputation, and now, his career.
As Olivia turned to leave the boardroom, Jason grabbed her arm. His grip was weak. Trembling.
“Why are you doing this to me?” he whispered, tears welling in his eyes. “Haven't you taken enough?”
Olivia looked down at his hand, then up at his broken face.
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"I didn't take anything from you, Jason," she said quietly. "You built your life on lies. I just finally stopped keeping your secrets."
She pulled her arm away, walked out of the building, and stepped into the warm Texas sun.
