PART 3: The Contract
PART 3: The Contract
That evening, Ethan and Linda finally met Claire at her attorney's office.
Linda arrived furious.
"This is all because of some stupid clothes?"
Claire almost laughed.
"No."
She opened a folder.
"This is because you spent years showing me exactly who you are."
The attorney pushed another document forward.
Ethan stared at the title.
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT.
The contract he had signed years earlier.
The one he never bothered reading.
Claire pointed toward a paragraph.
"Page forty-three."
His eyes moved across the text.
Then stopped.
Then widened.
A special executive clause.
Any employee using company resources for unauthorized personal expenses would forfeit severance benefits, stock incentives, performance bonuses, and deferred compensation.
Ethan suddenly remembered.
The luxury trips.
The private purchases.
The family vacations billed to company accounts.
Linda's shopping sprees.
Thousands.
Then hundreds of thousands.
Then millions.
His face turned white.
Claire didn't need to say anything.
The numbers spoke for themselves.
"What happens now?" Ethan whispered.
The attorney answered.
"You owe the company reimbursement."
Linda nearly fell from her chair.
"You can't do this!"
Claire looked directly at her.
May you like
"I already did."
For the first time since she'd known her, Linda had no response.
