It’s Not My Company Going Bankrupt

1
My CEO husbands new assistant was a walking disaster.
Today, she decided to have a barbecue. In the sterile cleanroom lab. My three-billion-dollar project, instantly contaminated.
She just bit her lip, tears welling in her big, innocent eyes.
I'm so sowwy, Rhiannon. Poppy just wanted to help you celebrate! she whined, referring to herself in the third person. "Even if the project is ruined, we can still have our party, right? I'm still your favorite little helper, aren't I?"
My husband, Leo, wrapped a protective arm around her.
"It's only three billion," he said, glaring at me. "Stop being so petty, Rhiannon. Consider it tuition for Poppy's learning experience." He waved a dismissive hand at the wreckage. "Besides, that dead-end research of yours was going nowhere. It's time you shut down the lab and went home to be a good little trophy wife."
I had to wonder why he was so nonchalant about a three-billion-dollar project going up in smoke.
And then it hit me. He thought it was my project.
I started to laugh and clap my hands slowly. Oh, this was good. This was very good. It wasn't my company on the verge of bankruptcy.
...
Leo's brow furrowed at my reaction. "What are you laughing at, Rhiannon? Don't think I don't know what that smug look means."
"You're just bitter about the money," he sneered. "But let's be honest, that project was a drain. You should be thanking Poppy for putting it out of its misery."
Poppy peeked out from behind his arm. "The lab just felt so cold and boring, Rhiannon. Poppy just wanted to liven things up a little! I didn't know your experiments were so fragile. It was an accident!"
I laughed out loud. "Poppy, you're twenty-two, not two. Drop the baby act."
I surveyed the catastrophic mess. For five years of marriage, I had cleaned up countless messes for Leo's projects. Id put my own research on hold to help him analyze his data. He only saw me as a frumpy, overworked scientist who left early and came home late. He had no idea that a top-tier tech firm was on the verge of signing a massive deal to acquire my research.
Seeing my expression harden, Leo stepped in front of Poppy protectively.
"That's enough, Rhiannon! How long are you going to drag this out? It was only three billion dollars. A cheap price to pay for Poppy's education, if you ask me!" He scoffed. "And your gene therapy research was a joke anyway. Just a money pit with nothing to show for it. Now that it's gone, you can finally give up!"
Behind him, Poppy shot me a triumphant, smug smirk.
Fine. If Leo wasn't worried about his own project being destroyed, why should I be?
I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm and spun me around.
"Apologize to Poppy."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "She destroyed a three-billion-dollar project, and you want me to apologize to her? Leo, have you forgotten who your wife is?"
He let out a derisive snort. "If you hadn't built your lab in the company headquarters, Poppy never would have gone in there. If you weren't such a miserable shrew all the time, she wouldn't have felt the need to cheer you up. This is your fault, Rhiannon. You're going to apologize, and then you're going to pay her one million dollars for emotional distress."
His company's capital was already stretched thin because of this project. Now, with a three-billion-dollar loss and massive breach-of-contract penalties looming, he wanted to give his "Poppy" a million-dollar bonus?
Fine by me. Let the whole damn ship sink. I'll watch from my lifeboat.
"One million? No problem," I said breezily, pulling out a corporate financial approval form. "Just sign here, Mr. CEO."
Leo scowled. "It's your company paying. Why would I sign?"
I spun a quick lie. "New bank regulations. Any large corporate transfer requires signatures from both spouses to prevent fraudulent asset shifting."
He eyed me with suspicion, but Poppy was already tugging at his arm.
"Leo, honey, please sign it! Poppy wants to go shopping for new bags!" she cooed. "Rhiannon's company is about to go bankrupt. If we wait too long, there might not be any money left!"
The doubt in Leo's eyes evaporated, replaced by impatience. He scribbled his name on the form, threw it in my face, and swept out of the lab with Poppy on his arm.
I looked at his clear, confident signature and smiled.
I hoped he enjoyed this feeling of power. It wouldn't last long. Not when he discovered his company's bank account had a balance of two hundred and fifty dollars.
I went straight to the finance department. The CFO turned pale when he saw the form.
"Ms. Thorne, are you sure about this transfer?" he stammered. "We've poured every last drop of liquid capital into this project. There isn't a million dollars in cash flow!"
I took a slow sip of my coffee. "Mr. Thorne personally approved it. Can't you see his signature?"
The CFO wiped sweat from his brow. "But if this goes through, we won't be able to make payroll next month. The employees will riot."
I shrugged. "That sounds like a problem for your CEO. Not me."
He didn't dare argue. With a trembling hand, he processed the transfer.
The next day, as I was packing up my personal data reports from the lab, Poppy burst in. She triumphantly dropped a dozen luxury shopping bags on the table.
"Look what Leo bought me!" she chirped. "He said I was so brave yesterday and deserved a treat." She dangled a limited-edition handbag in front of my face. "Isn't it pretty? So hard to get."
She smirked. "Such a shame your company is going bankrupt, Rhiannon. Soon you won't even be able to afford the knock-offs."
Leo stood beside her, arms crossed, the picture of arrogance. "It's my money. I'll spend it how I want. Don't be so bitter, Rhiannon. You're nothing now."
I looked up at him, my gaze calm. "We're not divorced yet. That's marital property you're spending."
Leo laughed and threw a document at my face. "Your project's debts are your own. Don't try to pin them on me! I'm being generous by letting you stay on as Mrs. Thorne. Otherwise, you'll be a laughingstock in this entire industry."
I picked up the document. It was a property settlement agreement. Everything in his namethe house, the cars, his company shareswould remain his. My project, and all its debt, would generously be left to me.
He really had it all figured out.
I looked at him and smiled. "Leo, did you forget? I own shares in your company, too."
His face darkened. "Don't even think about it! Those were a gift. I can take them back anytime I want!"
I pushed the agreement back toward him. "I'll sign. On two conditions. The house is mineit was a wedding gift from my parents. And I want a divorce."
Leo looked me up and down with contempt. "A divorce? Did your brain get fried along with your project, Rhiannon? Sign my agreement, and I'll graciously give you a five-hundred-dollar monthly allowance to remain my wife."
Poppy chimed in, her voice sickly sweet. "And Leo said he's making me the new Vice President! I can talk to him about giving you a job cleaning the toilets. How about that, Rhiannon?"
I almost laughed in their faces.
"Just answer the question, Leo. Are you going to grant me a divorce, or not?"
He scoffed, his tone magnanimous. "Of course! Go ahead and take the house. It's not even worth as much as a few of Poppy's handbags."
He eagerly signed the divorce papers.
With his signed settlement in hand, I went straight to my office.
"Get the legal team on the phone. We're filing for divorce," I told my assistant. "And then, contact our broker. Sell all thirty percent of my shares in Thorne Industries. I want to see that stock price hit rock bottom."
Leo seemed to have forgotten that I had used my parents' trust fund to get his project off the ground. Those shares weren't a gift. They were a legally binding investment.
On the day of my big signing ceremony, the newly appointed VP Poppy decided to make her mark. She gathered all the senior executives in the lobby for an impromptu meeting.
"Poppy is VP now, and Poppy is going to create value!" she announced. "Poppy feels so bad about ruining Rhiannon's project, so Poppy decided to bring in a new three-hundred-billion-dollar investment to make up for it!"
As I approached, I could hear the executives fawning over her.
"Amazing, Ms. Poppy! Three hundred billion!"
"Mr. Thorne has a real eye for talent! With you here, the company is destined for greatness!"
Beaming from the praise, Poppy spotted me and dragged me into a fire escape stairwell. She slammed a document against my chest.
"Poppy found you a high-leverage investment deal! Just sign this, and your project will get three hundred billion dollars instantly!"
I glanced at it. It was a gambling agreement, a leveraged bet. As I turned to walk away, several of Leos cronies, the senior executives, blocked my path and pinned me down.
Poppy planted her stiletto heel on my chest, grinding it in. "This is your big chance, Rhiannon. Don't be ungrateful!"
I struggled, my heart pounding. My life's work was about to be officially acquired, and this idiot was about to ruin everything.
"I won't sign it! This is illegal! I'm calling the police!"
Poppy slapped me hard across the face. "Your project is a worthless piece of trash! Who do you think you are?"
The executives joined in, kicking and punching me. "She's doing you a favor, Rhiannon!" one of them grunted. "You should be on your knees thanking her!"
Poppy smiled triumphantly. "Remember that new bank rule you mentioned? Leo already signed his part. All we need now is your fingerprint, and the deal is done!"
My struggles were useless. They beat me until I was limp, kicking me in the face and ribs. In the chaos, Poppy used a small knife to slice my thumb, then pressed it onto the signature line of the agreement.
She held up the document for everyone to see. Only then did I get a clear look at it.
She had used Leo's contaminated thirty-billion-dollar project as the basis for a 100x leveraged bet.
I lay on the cold floor, bruised and bleeding, and started to laugh.
The idiot. Poppy the idiot. She had just turned Leo's thirty-billion-dollar loss into a three-hundred-billion-dollar debt.
It was hilarious.
Just then, one of the executives glanced at his watch. "The signing ceremony is about to start!"
Poppy immediately let me go and rushed to meet Leo, who had just arrived. "Leo, honey, let's go! I bet that top-tier tech firm is here to sign a deal for our project!"
I staggered to my feet. Leo saw me and didn't even bother to hide his disgust.
"You actually have the nerve to show your face here, Rhiannon? A signing ceremony of this caliber is out of your league. Is your bankrupt little company even invited? Or did you just come to see what real success looks like? Pay attention. You might learn something."
He straightened his tie and strode confidently towards the stage.
The CEO of the tech firm, Mr. Hayes, had just stepped up to the podium. Leo rushed past him, his expression dripping with arrogance.
"Mr. Hayes," he said loudly. "I hear you're interested in my project. Ready to sign? Let's talk terms. Anything less than a seventy-thirty split in my favor is a non-starter."
Mr. Hayes stared at him for a second, then took a step back as if Leo had lost his mind.
A murmur went through the crowd of reporters.
Then, the large screen behind the stage lit up. Leo stared at it, then his gaze snapped to me as I walked towards the signing table, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

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