Chapter 5 - The Arrogance of the Fools
In the suburban house on Long Island, the living room smelled of stale beer and expensive perfume.
Richard Vance stood in front of the hallway mirror, adjusting the silk bow tie of a brand-new, bespoke midnight-blue tuxedo. It had cost him four thousand dollars—charged directly to his corporate credit card, which he was certain would be cleared once his promotion was announced tomorrow night.
On the leather sofa behind him, Vanessa sat in a shimmering, skin-tight emerald gown with a plunging neckline, sipping champagne from a fluted glass.
"Are you sure she’s not going to show up and embarrass us, Dickie?" Vanessa asked, admiring her fresh French manicure. "That video I posted got half a million views. If she crawls back here during the gala, it could look messy."
Richard sneered, smoothing his slicked-back hair with pomade. "Maya? Please. She’s probably sleeping on a cot at a women’s shelter in Brooklyn, crying her eyes out. I shut her debit card down fifteen minutes after she walked out the door. She doesn't have ten dollars to her name."
The front door opened, and his mother, Olivia, bustled in, carrying a fur wrap over her arm. Her eyes lit up as she saw Richard.
"Oh, look at my handsome boy!" Olivia gushed, walking over to kiss Richard’s cheek. "A Vice President at thirty-two! I always told your father you were destined for greatness. It’s an absolute blessing that pathetic waitress finally packed her bags. She was a dead weight holding you back from real society."
"I told you, Ma," Richard said smugly, checking his gold watch. "You handle women with a firm hand from day one. Shoving her face in that cake was the best thing I ever did. It proved who was boss. She ran with her tail between her legs."
"And the child?" Olivia asked, waving her hand dismissively. "Lily?"
"Maya will realize she can't feed her by Tuesday," Richard laughed, pouring another splash of champagne into Vanessa’s glass. "She’ll come crawling back on her knees, begging for grocery money. And when she does, I’ll take full custody of Lily, hand the kid over to a nanny, and Maya won't get a single penny in alimony. She doesn't have the brains to hire a lawyer."
Vanessa giggled, leaning over to kiss Richard’s neck. "You’re so ruthless, baby. I love it."
"You have to be ruthless to swim with the sharks in Manhattan," Richard declared, puffing out his chest. "Tomorrow night, Vance & Cross is being absorbed into a multi-billion dollar joint venture with Sterling Global Capital. My uncle told me the mystery majority owner of the parent trust is personally attending the gala to sign my contract. Once Julian Sterling sees the numbers I’ve put together, I’ll be running the entire East Coast division."
His phone chimed on the console. It was a message from his uncle Donald:
*Board meeting at the Plaza confirmed for 8:00 PM. The majority shareholder has reviewed your dossier. Wear your best suit, Richard. Tomorrow changes your life.*
Richard showed the screen to his mother and Vanessa. "See that? 'Tomorrow changes your life.' I told you."
Olivia clapped her hands together in delight. "We’re finally taking our rightful place among the elite. To the Vance family!"
"To the Vance family," Vanessa echoed, clinking her glass against Richard’s.
None of them noticed the black surveillance SUV parked two hundred yards down the quiet suburban street. Inside, two private security operatives working directly for Julian Sterling transmitted high-definition audio and video files directly to the 40th floor of Sterling Tower.
In the penthouse, Maya watched the live feed on a tablet screen. She saw her mother-in-law laughing. She saw Vanessa kissing the man who had abandoned his daughter without a second thought. She saw Richard bragging about leaving his wife penniless on the street.
Julian stood behind her chair, resting a warm, steady hand on her shoulder. "Do you want us to shut down his corporate card tonight? Cancel his hotel suite?"
May you like
"No," Maya whispered, closing the tablet screen. Her voice was pure steel. "Let him dream. The higher he climbs, Julian, the harder he’s going to hit the ground."
***
