Overbearing CEO Gets Life for Lace Bra Reimbursement
Everyone at the table waited for me to either explode or graciously let it slide.
Instead, I pulled a voice recorder and a laptop from my briefcase and adjusted my gold-rimmed glasses. The amount in question is ten thousand dollars, which meets the threshold for criminal investigation. Since there are no secrets between you, would this be classified as corporate embezzlement, or an illicit transfer of assets within the context of a sugar-daddy relationship?
Oh, and that last part, about his money is my money? I have it on tape. According to his companys bylaws and our prenuptial agreement, I am now officially initiating an asset freeze on Alex Vance.
Enjoy your new bag, Miss Brandi. The food in prison is free.
Alexs face went pale. Cade, it was just a joke. Are you really going to ruin me over this?
I hit the Enter key. Im sorry. In my ledger, there are no jokes. Only bad debts.
1
My phone vibrated.
A text from my bank flashed on the screen: Charge of 0-00,000.00 processed.
I set down my fork and looked at Alex.
He wasnt looking at me. He was busy peeling a shrimp for Brandi, the girl sitting beside him.
Brandi was holding Alexs phone. The screen was still lit up, displaying the payment confirmation page from a luxury brands website. She twirled the phone in her fingers and flashed it at me.
Cade, Ive had my eye on this bag forever. Alex said youre always so frugal you dont know the first thing about fashion. He thought I should help him spend a little, you know, to keep up appearances.
There were seven or eight people at the table, all of them Alexs buddies and business partners. They paused, their eyes darting between me, Alex, and Brandi. Someone let out a short, muffled laugh.
Alex placed the peeled shrimp in Brandis bowl before finally glancing at me. Cade, Brandis just a kid. Dont take it so seriously. Its just a bag. We can afford it.
I said nothing.
I unzipped my briefcase.
I took out a digital voice recorder and pressed the record button. A small red light blinked on.
I took out my ultra-slim laptop, opened the lid, and typed in my password.
My movements were fluid, practiced.
The smile on Brandis face faltered. She leaned closer to Alex, practically draping herself over his arm. Alex, look at your fiance. Who brings a laptop to dinner? Is she going to start running numbers? What a buzzkill.
Alex frowned and slammed his chopsticks on the table. Cade, are you on the clock? This is a private dinner. Put that junk away.
I ignored him.
My fingers flew across the keyboard. I opened a new spreadsheet and named the file: Alex Vance - Large-Scale Irregular Expenditure Memo.
I pushed my gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of my nose and looked at Brandi. A moment ago, you said that you and Alex have no secrets, that his money is your money. Is that correct?
Brandi tilted her chin up. Thats right! Alex and I grew up together. We have a bond. Someone like you, who only knows how to read financial statements, would never understand.
I nodded. Excellent.
I turned to Alex. And you agree with that statement?
He waved his hand dismissively. Brandi is like a little sister to me. Whats the big deal if she spends a little of my money? Youre my fiance, cant you be a little more generous? Dont be so petty. Its a bad look.
I hit the Enter key.
The cursor blinked on the screen.
I began to speak, my voice steady and clear, loud enough for the recorder to pick up every word.
According to federal law, any employee of a corporation or enterprise who uses their position to illicitly appropriate company assets for personal use, where the amount is substantial, shall be subject to a prison term of up to five years.
Alexs credit card is linked to the corporate account.
Brandi is not an employee of the company, yet she used ten thousand dollars of corporate funds for a personal expense.
I looked at Alex. You are the CEO. I am the Chief Risk Officer. You authorized a non-employee to misappropriate company funds for personal luxury consumption.
I paused.
If this isnt classified as embezzlement, then it must be an illicit transfer of assets within the context of an extramarital affair.
Alex, your company is in the critical phase of its pre-IPO audit. A ten-thousand-dollar expense without a valid business receipt will cause the auditors to immediately fail your financial compliance review.
The table fell into a dead silence. The man who had laughed earlier froze with his wine glass halfway to his lips.
Alexs face turned a blotchy, furious red. He shot to his feet, the chair screeching against the floor.
Cade! Are you insane? This is between me and Brandi! Who are you to make it a federal case? Embezzlement? Prison? Are you that desperate for attention that you cant stand to see me be nice to anyone else?
Brandis eyes instantly welled up. Tears streamed down her face. Cade, why are you humiliating me like this? I just bought a bag If youre upset that Alex is nice to me, take it out on me. Dont ruin him.
Sobbing, she buried her face in Alexs chest. He patted her back protectively and pointed a finger at me.
Cade, you apologize to Brandi right now! Or this wedding is off!
I saved the document.
Closed the laptop.
Turned off the recorder and placed it back in my briefcase.
I stood up.
Whether we get married is not your decision. But whether the companys books are balanced, that is mine.
If that ten thousand dollars is not returned to the corporate account within three days, I will file a report directly with the financial crimes division.
Furthermore, I said, looking at Brandi, your admission that you and Alex have no secrets has been recorded.
According to the companys articles of incorporation and the supplementary clauses of our prenuptial agreement, I have the right to initiate an asset freeze in the event of any high-risk relationship that could lead to a loss of company assets.
I took out my phone and, in front of all of them, dialed our banks corporate accounts manager.
This is Cade Sterling. There is a significant risk event associated with the corporate account ending in 7788 under Alex Vances name. As Chief Risk Officer, I am ordering an immediate freeze on all non-payroll expenditures from this account.
A professional voice replied, Understood, Ms. Sterling. Its done.
Alexs phone vibrated again.
This time, it was a notification of the account freeze.
He stared at his phone, then at me, in disbelief. Cade, are you serious?
I smoothed the lapels of my blazer. In my world, there are no jokes.
With that, I turned and walked out of the private room.
Behind me, I heard the sound of shattering porcelain and Alexs enraged roar.
Cade! You just wait!
2
Monday morning. Alex Vances company, Finance Department.
I was sitting in my office, the Chief Risk Officers office, with a stack of expense reports in front of me.
The door was pushed open.
Brandi sauntered in, wearing a miniskirt that barely covered her thighs and carrying a cup of bubble tea. The finance manager followed her, looking mortified.
Ms. Sterling Im so sorry, Miss Brandi insisted on coming in.
I didnt look up. I was using a six-figure Montblanc pen to circle items on the reports. Get out.
The manager fled as if granted amnesty.
Brandi plopped herself down on my desk, setting her bubble tea directly on my documents. Condensation seeped into the paper, smudging the ink. I stopped writing and finally looked up at her.
She swung her legs, the toe of her shoe nearly kicking me in the face. Youre so petty, Cade. Freezing Alexs accounts? He had to borrow money from a friend just to get gas this morning. How embarrassing for him.
She reached for the expense reports on my desk. And these the finance department said they wont process them without your signature. Its just a few outfits. Alex said its part of building the companys image.
I held the reports down, then pulled one out and held it up for her to see.
Victorias Secret. Lace lingerie. Three sets, total four hundred fifty dollars. Category: Office Supplies.
I looked her in the eye. Miss Brandi, could you please clarify which office function requires this particular type of supply? Should I make a special note in the audit report that Alex Vances office offers specialized services?
Brandi didnt even blush. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a dark red mark on her neck. A hickey. Displayed for my benefit.
Oh, come on, Cade. Dont be such a prude. Alex is under a lot of stress. I help him relax in the office. Doesnt that require a special uniform? Im contributing to the company.
She reached for the pen in my hand. This is a nice pen. Let me see it.
I didnt let go.
She yanked it hard. Her nail scraped across the back of my hand, drawing a thin line of blood. The pen was in her grasp.
She uncapped it and, right on my mahogany desk, drew a crude caricature of me. Then she scrawled two words across it: THE WITCH.
Hehe, what do you think, Cade? Doesnt it look just like you? So stiff and boring.
She spun the pen in her hand, then tapped it against the corner of the desk twice. The nib bent.
A limited-edition pen worth over a hundred thousand dollars, ruined.
I looked at the pen, then at the drawing on my desk.
I took out my phone and took a picture of the desk.
Then I took a picture of the scratch on my hand.
Brandi pouted. Pictures, pictures, thats all you know how to do. Go ahead, tattle. Alex wont care.
The door opened again. Alex walked in.
He glanced at the mess on the desk and the pen in Brandis hand. He didnt ask why my hand was bleeding.
Instead, he frowned at me. Cade, why are you giving Brandi a hard time again? She was just coming to get my signature and you held her hostage in your office?
Brandi immediately jumped off the desk and into Alexs arms. Alex! Cade was so mean to me! She said the lingerie I bought was for indecent things. But youre the one who said you liked it
Alex patted her head and glared at me. Cade, Ive seen those expense reports. I approved them. You cant be so rigid. Its a few thousand dollars. Do you want people to think Im so broke I cant even cover that?
I pointed to the stack of reports. Its not just lingerie.
Theres also a two-thousand-dollar spa membership, a five-thousand-dollar hotel suite bill, and even three hundred dollars for designer dog food.
All of them are labeled Office Supplies or Business Entertainment.
Alex, this is called falsifying invoices. Its a form of tax evasion.
Alex strode over and snatched the reports from my desk.
Rrrrrip.
He tore them to shreds. Paper rained down over me.
There. Now theyre gone, he sneered. You wanted evidence? Its gone. Cade, stop trying to run my life with your stupid auditor rules. This company has my name on it, not yours. If you dont like it, you can get the hell out.
Brandi clapped. Youre so cool, Alex! Its about time someone put this old hag in her place.
She carelessly tossed the broken pen into the trash. Useless pen. A cheap ballpoint works better.
I stared at the pen in the wastebasket.
It was the last gift my grandmother gave me before she passed away.
I bent down.
I retrieved the pen from the trash.
Using a tissue, I carefully wiped away the smudges.
I placed it in the inner pocket of my blazer.
Then, I opened my desk drawer.
I took out a new document.
Notification of Revocation of Chief Financial Officer Authority.
I didnt show it to Alex. I simply placed it in my briefcase.
I looked at him. You tore up the receipts, but the digital records still exist. The bank transactions are still there.
Alex, you didnt just tear up paper.
You tore up your last way out.
Alex scoffed and wrapped his arm around Brandi. Youre insane. Come on, Brandi, Ill buy you something new. Well really give her something to be mad about.
At the door, Brandi turned back, made a face at me, and flipped me the middle finger. Old witch.
First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "320027" to read the entire book.
MotoNovel
Novellia
Bookworm« Previous Post
The $5,000 Laptop Revenge
Next Post »
This is the last post.！