If I Were You, I’d Have Held on to My Husband a Little Tighter," My Husband's Smug Mistress Sneered at the Party. I Just Smiled Softly, Leaned In, and Whispered One Truth in Her Ear That Instantly Ruined Her Whole World.

Part 2

Julian finally walked over to me, adjusting his silk bowtie, a look of mild irritation on his face. "Where on earth did Vanessa go? She was supposed to introduce me to the new hedge fund managers from Greenwich before the main toasts start."

"She had an incredibly urgent matter to attend to, Julian," I said, my voice smooth, calm, and completely untroubled. "Apparently, she suddenly realized she was heavily invested in a failing asset and needed to liquidate immediately."

Julian frowned, looking around the crowded, noisy room. "What is that supposed to mean? Anyway, Eleanor, we need to talk about the Hamptons estate tomorrow. I think we should transfer the title to a new offshore holding company. For tax purposes, you know."

I couldn't help but chuckle softly. It was classic Julian—always scheming, always trying to move chess pieces to shield his assets, never realizing I had already taken his king three moves ago. "The Hamptons house is already fully taken care of, Julian. It’s under my mother's maiden name now. You signed the authorization form along with the corporate restructuring papers last month."

He stiffened, his eyes narrowing as suspicion crept in. "I didn't read any restructuring papers for the residence."

"You really should read things before you sign them, especially when you're distracted by text messages from your marketing director," I replied, tilting my head with a cold smile. I reached into my clutch and pulled out a sleek, silver flash drive, placing it gently into his tuxedo breast pocket. "Everything is in there. The audit reports, the bank statements from your secret Swiss account, and the high-definition photos from your weekend trips to Aspen. Oh, and the certified file stamped by the family court."

Julian’s breath hitched completely. He reached into his pocket, his fingers trembling violently as he pulled out the flash drive. "Eleanor, what did you do? We have a partnership. You can't just ruin me like this in front of everyone."

"You ruined yourself the moment you thought I was too weak and stupid to notice," I said. "The board of directors already received their digital copies an hour ago. By tomorrow morning, you will be officially removed as CEO due to a gross misuse of corporate funds. You used company money to buy Vanessa's luxury apartment, Julian. In this state, that's called embezzlement."

He looked around the room, suddenly terrified that the hundreds of wealthy guests gathered here were laughing at him. He took a desperate step toward me, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Please. Eleanor, we can fix this. We can present a united front to the press. I’ll fire Vanessa tonight."

"It's far too late for that. She already left you. The moment she realized you were broke, she ran," I said, offering him one last, pitying look. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Julian. It's the last expensive party you'll ever attend."

I turned on my heel and walked toward the exit, leaving him standing frozen in the middle of the ballroom.