The room was eerily silent. Brendan’s confident smirk faltered, Diane looked uneasy, and Jessica’s laughter died.
Drenched and shivering, I felt calm. The humiliation they planned had backfired—they were the ones squirming.
Brendan cleared his throat. “Cassidy, this isn’t funny—”
A loud buzz cut him off. Their phones vibrated. One by one, they read the messages, faces draining of color.
“It’s… the board,” Brendan stammered. “Everything’s shutting down. Every account, every project—we’re locked out.”
Shock hit them. Their empire, wealth, and power were slipping through their fingers—and I held the scissors.
“You did this,” Diane hissed. “You underestimated me,” I said calmly.
Jessica’s hands trembled. “Brendan, do something!” she begged, but he could only stare, angry and bewildered.
“For years, you dismissed me,” I said. “Mocked me. But while you played your games, I was building an empire you all depended on. Now, you’ll learn what it means to lose everything.”
Diane seethed, Brendan looked crushed, Jessica teared up. None could stop what was happening.
I turned to leave, feeling their stares. I had walked in as the “burden” they despised, but walked out as the woman who dismantled their world with a single call.
Stepping into the evening air, I smiled. For the first time, I was free.