Page 144 of Light My Fire Three Times
I feel my heart skip a beat, but it’s the last sentence in that note that completely knocks the wind out of me:She’s the perfect target. Vulnerable, disgraced, and nobody will believe her.
I almost dropped my phone. This whole thing was never about me being a disgruntled employee or a careless worker. He set me up. He knew I’d fall apart the second he accused me, and he knew that no one would believe me.
I stare at the screen, my mind reeling as I try to process what I’m seeing. The complexity of his web, the sheer manipulation. It’s almost too much to bear. And yet, here it is.
The proof.
My hands are shaking, but it’s not from fear. Not anymore.
Don’t hesitate. I know it’s him. I know exactly what I’m about to do. I dial Richard’s number.
The phone rings once, twice, and then he picks up.
“Olivia,” Richard’s voice slides through the phone, smooth, like he’s always been the one in control. “I’ve been expecting your call.”
The arrogance in his tone makes my skin crawl, but I hold my ground. I’m not some vulnerable pawn anymore. I’ve got him by the throat, and I’m not going to let go.
“Funny, Richard,” I say, cold and sharp, “because I wasn’t expecting to call you at all. But I’ve got something you might want to hear.”
The silence on the other end is deafening. I can practically feel him stiffen, the wheels in his head turning as he tries tofigure out what’s coming. But he won’t be able to outthink me this time.
“I’ve got the full file, Richard,” I continue, leaning against the counter as I feel the weight of the words. “Everything. The offshore accounts, the falsified invoices, the fake debts, the cover-ups… I’ve got it all. And guess what?” I pause, letting the silence hang, the power shifting in my direction. “It’s all you. Not me.”
His voice changes then, a crack slipping into his calm façade. “Olivia, listen, I… I don’t know what you think you have, but this isn’t what you think it is. There’s been a misunderstanding. A huge mistake.”
I smile, a cold, wicked smile that doesn’t reach my eyes. “A mistake? Really? Investigative journalists don’t make mistakes like that. You’ve been embezzling from the company for years, Richard. Using me as your scapegoat. Setting me up to take the fall while you hide behind your lies.” I take a breath, feeling the weight of it all settle on my shoulders. “I’ve got the receipts. The bank transfers, the memos. Even the note you wrote about how you planned to make me the fall guy. You know the one… ‘Olivia Quinn is expendable.’”
There’s a long pause on the other end, and then his voice cracks, just for a second. “Olivia… please, this isn’t what you think. You don’t understand?—”
“I understand perfectly,” I cut him off, stepping away from the counter, the adrenaline starting to pulse through my veins. “You’ve been stealing for years. And now, you’re going to pay for it.”
I can feel the panic creeping in. “Olivia, please… you don’t know what you’re doing. You can’t make this public. You’ll ruin everything. You’ll ruin yourself!”
“Oh, I think you already ruined everything,” I snap, fueled by the anger that’s been building up for so long. “I’m done beingyour pawn, Richard. I’ve been through too much to let you get away with it. You’re going to drop this case, and you’re going to stop trying to destroy my life. Or I swear I will make sure every single person knows exactly what kind of monster you really are.”
He’s scrambling now. I can hear it. The panic, the desperation. “Olivia, please… we can fix this. We can make this all go away. Just… just don’t publish it. Please. Think about the consequences.”
“Consequences?” I laugh, bitter and full of disbelief. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m thinking about them. I’m thinking about how you used me as a scapegoat for your crimes. I’m thinking about how you thought you could break me, but instead, you’ve made me stronger than I ever was before. And now you’re begging? You’re begging me to keep your dirty little secret?”
He’s silent for a long moment. I can almost hear him calculating his next move. But I’m not giving him any more chances. I’m done.
“No, Richard,” I say. “It’s over. You can’t fix this. You can’t run from what you did anymore. You’ve been lying, cheating, and stealing. And I’ve got the proof. The whole world will see it. I’m going to make sure of it.”
His voice shakes now. He’s lost all sense of control. “Olivia, please… don’t do this. I’ll lose everything. Don’t take this to the press. I’ll do anything. Just… just let me handle it.”
I stand up straighter, my heart pounding with power. “You should have thought about that before you tried to ruin my life, Richard. You made your bed. Now you can lie in it.”
And then, just to drive the final nail in, I add, “You’re finished. I’m not going to make your life any easier. The story is going public, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. It’s already too late.”
I can almost hear him choking on his words, and it’s music to my ears.
“Goodbye, Richard,” I say, cold as ice. “I’ll make sure everyone knows who you really are.”
I hang up The silence that follows is deafening. I feel the adrenaline rush coursing through me, but this time, it’s not from fear. It’s from triumph.
I don’t need to say anything else. I’ve already won.
I can breathe. And I know that this is only the beginning.
