Rise of Marcus Reid: Betrayal to Dominance

Chapter 2

The words glared from the top of the document in bold letters.

Marcus hurled the papers back at the attorney and immediately dialed Sophie’s number. To his surprise, she answered.

“Sophie, what does this mean? Why is your lawyer handing me separation documents? Divorce papers? After you’ve been unfaithful and manipulating me for years?”

It was the first time Marcus had ever raised his voice at Sophie. His patience had evaporated. The anger he’d been holding back came pouring out.

“I could take legal action against you,” he said harshly.

But a sharp, mocking laugh burst through the speaker, making his eyes narrow with fury.

“Listen to you. I’m the Regional Finance Director now, a woman of substantial wealth. You want to pursue legal action against me? You’d end up incarcerated.”

“Damn it.” He clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. If she were standing in front of him, he would have confronted her physically. He’d lost everything anyway. What else did he have to lose?

In just over a week, they would have marked their sixth anniversary together. Yet here he was, holding divorce papers.

He’d already begun thinking of small ways to surprise her, to demonstrate his affection, gestures that didn’t require much money.

“What did I do wrong? Explain it to me. Why are you pushing for this separation?” he demanded, needing absolute clarity before he took action. He couldn’t have this turn out to be some elaborate hoax, only to regret his response later.

A heavy silence stretched between them, pregnant with tension. Kevin’s unease only deepened.

“I’ve decided you’re inadequate as a spouse. I need to preserve my reputation. Having a financially disadvantaged partner diminishes my standing as Regional Finance Director. That should be explanation enough.”

Marcus lowered his head gradually, dragging his fingers through his hair in bewilderment and despair.

“Hmm…”

“Are you saying there’s no one else involved? That you haven’t found somebody superior and that’s why you want this?” he asked, still struggling to accept her reasoning.

“Absolutely not! If I were to replace you, it wouldn’t be with someone of your caliber. It would be someone matching my status, or exceeding it. You make me look bad.”

Marcus fell silent, unable to process her words.

Sophie grew impatient, convinced Marcus was wasting her time. She’d expected him to explode with rage, sign the documents, and disappear.

“Stop with the interrogation!” she demanded. “I’m driving over personally so you can put your signature on these. After that, I’m severing all connection with you.” She ended the call.

Within twenty minutes, her vehicle pulled up to the property. She approached Marcus with aggressive energy. He stood motionless, glowering at her with cold intensity. She felt a tremor of fear, witnessing his lethal expression, but she forced herself to project confidence.

“What more do you want? Why won’t you simply acknowledge that I’ve moved on and sign these documents? I’m not wasting another moment on you,” she said with cutting sharpness.

The children’s ears perked up at her arrival. “Mom! Mom! You’re here!!” They squealed with joy, sprinting toward her without even acknowledging Marcus. They clearly had been told something.

Marcus’s foot came down hard. “This is unacceptable. You’ve poisoned these children against me? What did you tell them?”

Sophie interjected smoothly. “I explained that you were filling in as their temporary father until their real one returned. Well, he’s back now, so your services are no longer needed.”

She gestured to Roman and Eva. “Go inside, sweethearts. Your biological father has returned to the country. He’ll be home shortly.” They laughed, scurrying away.

Marcus couldn’t fathom that the children he’d fed, clothed, and sacrificed for over years could abandon him so swiftly. He shook his head in disbelief.

He seized Sophie by her shirt collar. “Tell me exactly what you said to those kids. They couldn’t have turned against me this quickly.”

“Fighting for someone else’s offspring now?”

His grip released. Marcus retreated slowly, as though walking through a dream. He’d never imagined something like this was possible. He wanted to rage, but shock had paralyzed him.

In that instant, the reality crystallized. She genuinely despised him. “I’ve never encountered anyone as depraved as you,” he said coldly, breathing hard. Then his voice climbed.

“I’m curious what becomes of your position as Regional Finance Director if this narrative goes public.”

“By whose hand?” Sophie snapped defensively. “You’re going to ruin me?” Her voice wavered slightly. Marcus observed her with a thin smile, shaking his head with bitter regret. Vengeance ignited within him, but not swift vengeance. He wanted something prolonged. Agonizing. Matching the years of torment she’d inflicted on him.

“I’m actually offering you something advantageous,” Sophie continued, attempting to regain composure. “Execute these documents right now, and I’ll transfer ten million to your account. Sufficient compensation for the emotional damage. Surely that’s reasonable.” She was completely assured it would be adequate to guarantee his silence, just another impoverished delivery driver who could be bought off.

She dropped a credit card into his hand with absolute certainty.

“Sign here. Take the money. Disappear from my existence and from my children’s lives. I don’t ever want to encounter you again,” she stated with finality. “That’s compensation for your years of support. And I’m forbidding you from ever speaking our names. Not ever.”

Marcus glared at her with contempt.

He flung the card back toward her. Her expression crumbled. He grabbed the paperwork, scrawled his name across the signature line, and thrust it at her.

“Even if I possessed nothing, not a single dollar, I wouldn’t accept money from someone as utterly corrupt as you. And if I ever search for a partner, it will be someone of genuine worth.”

Shocked, Sophie raised her hand to strike him, but he caught her wrist and twisted it sharply behind her back with considerable force. She shrieked for assistance. The security team, having watched the entire confrontation in stunned silence, began moving forward to intervene, but Marcus clenched his fists. He was prepared for combat.

“Take another step and I’ll shatter every bone in your body,” he growled.

They saw the murderous rage blazing in his eyes. Death itself seemed to hover around him. Even Sophie recoiled.

With one final expression of disgust, Marcus turned away and walked out without a backward glance.