Designing My Husband's Demise

The banker's words landed like a punch to the gut.

My most trusted apprentice and my most intimate partner had colluded to orchestrate this ultimate betrayal.

A designer, completely oblivious to a conspiracy hatched right under her own roof.

I hung up the phone before my fury could erupt.

Just as I put my phone down, a new message from Andre popped up on my screen: Brooke, why is my card frozen? I have a meeting with arms dealers today, and I can't access a single dollar. This is going to ruin the whole deal.

My scalp prickled.

For our so-called "power family," I had poured out my blood, sweat, and fortune. The capital I invested was enough to buy several nightclubs outright.

To save him from any embarrassment, I had given him a black card with no preset limit.

Did he really think I cared about the money in those deals?

I ignored him. Instead, I printed out the investigation report the banker had just sent me.

Ten minutes later, Andre called again. He sounded furious. "Brooke, what the hell is wrong with you? I have a tens-of-millions-dollar project waiting for funding, and you froze my accounts? Are you trying to destroy my future in the family?"

My God. The sheer audacity. He steals my files, betrays me, and then calls to yell at me? Has he completely lost his mind?

I gripped my phone, unable to hold back any longer.

"Go to hell. I have nothing to say to a family traitor."

With that, I hung up on him.

Hearing the commotion, my mother-in-law, Sylvia Cavanaugh, who had been arranging flowers in the living room, came over to ask what was happening.

I briefly explained the situation to her.

Sylvia's brow furrowed immediately. Her expression was filled with disbelief. "Andre would never do something like this! Brooke, there must be some misunderstanding. He's a Cavanaugh man—impulsiveness is in his nature, but what would he know about conspiracy?"

I gave her an icy stare. "Are you suggesting I'm framing him?"

Sylvia sighed and took my hand. In a patient and earnest tone, she said, "Brooke, I know you're under a lot of pressure. But Andre is your husband. Men sometimes do foolish things to save face in front of others. As his wife, you should be more understanding, not freeze his accounts and push things to the brink."

Half an hour later, Andre stormed through the front door.

"Brooke, what the fuck are you doing?"

Sylvia immediately stepped forward, feigning a scolding. "Andre, is that any way to speak to your wife? Do you have any idea you were about to face the family's sanctions?"

Andre cut her off with an angry wave of his hand. "Mamma, stay out of this! Giselle is a wreck over this mess, crying her eyes out! She thinks I dragged her into it!"

The moment he finished, a dead silence fell over the room.

A moment later, Andre turned to me. His voice was sharp and full of blame. "Brooke, can't you just for once consider my position? Giselle said that if you just unfreeze the accounts and stop bothering her, she'll pretend none of this ever happened."

Hearing this, Sylvia also turned her gaze to me, trying to persuade me.

"Brooke, why don't you just unfreeze the accounts for now? Andre's career is finally starting to take off, and you know it hasn't been easy for him."

I stared hard at them. Then, I laughed.

"Let me get this straight. Not only are you two not apologizing, but you're demanding that I forgive a thief and a traitor?"