Page 41 of Promised to the Demon King (The Demon Brides #1)

The office was filled with warm bodies. Timothy had to fight tooth and claw to get this meeting with his father. His parents have been distancing themselves from him lately due to all the scandals surrounding him. If that wasn't bad enough, he had been removed from his position as Deacon at his church, a position he had held for nearly twenty years. He was determined to set everything back now; with the information he had been given, this was his chance.

"Sir, the information provided by Timothy's source has proven accurate. He has been set up to take the fall for the acts of another: his wife. Luckily, we could reclaim the deleted video footage from that day. We witnessed--" William Scott, his father's assistant and right-hand man, spoke clearly.

"What? You were able to restore the deleted footage all this time but didn't until now?" Timothy stared at his father's personal assistant as though he had two heads. He couldn't believe they could solve this matter sooner but didn't until now. Why?

"My apologies, Sir, but your father told us not to waste time on your private residence for evidence. We were ordered to investigate and focus on the company's losses." William offered a small smile, then turned his attention back to Carter Sr, Allister and Phillip. All three of these men sat in tailored suits and stone expressions. They were there to take in the information but not to consort with Timothy. He was considered a stain on the family's reputation at this point, and they wanted to wipe it clean sooner rather than later.

"Unbelievable. Father? Did you not wish to disprove the false accusation on your son?" Timothy challenged the room before William continued to relay his findings.

Carter Sr. didn't speak for a long time. His darkened eyes burned into Timothy's, and his disappointment was conveyed loudly in the room. "Timothy, you have brought a lot of negative attention to the family's image. How can you expect me to stand beside you when I have an empire to reinforce from the damage you and yours have caused it?"

"Father, I didn't do it," Timothy shouted.

"Which we would understand better if you would stop interrupting William's report, " Phillip said in his typical bored tone.

"Fine. Go ahead." Timothy mocked, rolling his eyes.

"Thank you, Sir." William focused on Carter Sr. "It would appear as though Mrs. Carol Carter has been stealing from the company for some time, under the guise of the account manager, Patricia Cruz and Mr. Timothy Carter's authorization numbers. Typically, the money has been returned within forty-eight hours. She was playing on Mrs. Cruz, having a slight gambling habit, however, I have investigated, and Mrs. Cruz has never taken a dime unauthorized by the company, Sir. All the missing money has been your daughter-in-law, Carol." William finished.

"I don't understand how this went unnoticed for so long," Phillip said. Timothy's eyes mocked him, but Timothy refused to take the bait. He needed to remain calm and claim back his seat at the company. Once he does, he'll take care of Phillip.

"That is a great question, Phillip." Carter Sr. agreed. "It's called neglect. We could blame those beneath the leader, but this falls on the head of the company. Timothy, it was one small untied string. Look at all the unravelling it has done. Your life is a mess now. That blame rests on your slumped shoulders. You thought you were untouchable, but the higher you rise, the bigger the fall. I have tried to teach you this throughout the years to prevent exactly what has happened. You had no business consorting with a married woman all those years ago, but you continued to allow this poisonous woman to infiltrate your life. Now look where it has taken you. Did you truly need to maintain the position of Deacon all those years ago once the affair was discovered? You should have let it go and dealt with the minimal backlash, just as your mother and I had advised you to do, but instead, you married her. A woman who betrays one can never be loyal to another. You were a fool, Timothy!"

Timothy didn't like the direction his father's words were going.

"What would you like me to do with this information, Sir?" William spoke first while Timothy calmed his internal panic. This was not going the way he thought it would. His father didn't seem bothered that he wasn't the one responsible for the embezzlement charges.

"Timothy, are you still getting your divorce?" Carter Sr. finally asked.

"I am. I don't know how she did it, but the court case is set for the day after tomorrow." Timothy straightened in his seat.

"That's rather sudden. How did she get a judge to clear his schedule and take the case quickly?" Phillip challenged, the smirk on his face hiding nothing.

"Again, I don't know how she did it, but she will not get anything from me. She is rushing in there with false evidence of adultery. The evidence she has has already been debunked by Allister a while ago." The room turned its attention to the silent Allister. He nods to confirm Timothy's words.

"Indeed, it is all fake evidence. Mrs. Cruz came to me a while back and explained that Carol had been attempting to extort her for company evidence and proof of infidelity on Timothy's part. I loaded a USB stick with some curious evidence and the false pictures and claims that had come to my attention weeks ago. All had been proven false, so what Timothy is stating is true. Carol will not be able to breach that prenup. She will also have to explain why she has stolen company files." Allister. spoke calmly as he sipped his coffee.

Carter Sr. nods in understanding.

"Perfect. We don't need any more scandal. Timothy, ensure this is handled swiftly; I will not tolerate any more of your messes in the media. Am I clear?" Carter Sr. spoke firmly. His eyes were calculating and cold.

"I promise, Father, I will clear up everything, but I want my seat back," Timothy challenged.

"I need time to process everything before I agree to anything. Handle this divorce matter, and then I shall make my decision after that." Carter Sr. refused to commit to anything until he thought everything through. Timothy had brought much negative attention to the family lately, and it would take drastic action to clear it all up. The board members were breathing down his neck for a resolution, and he could only push it off for so long before they started to turn on the entire Carter family.

"I will. I will handle everything. Don't worry, father." Timothy stood up and dismissed himself eagerly. He would get everything back; he just needed to get rid of Carol first. In two days, he would be free of her and reinstated as CEO of the Carter family.

With new hope, Timothy rushed to meet with his lawyer to update him on everything and devise the best tactic to resolve this divorce matter quickly. He wanted to be back in his seat in the company by Monday.

The day passed quickly; before anyone realized it, it was the morning of Carol and Timothy Carter's divorce trial.

The rumours had fed the media, and Carol ensured everyone knew she had filed for divorce. The image she portrayed was one of a heartbroken housewife of an unfaithful tyrant of a billionaire husband. She wanted to ensure that the media was on her side long before the court date, and it worked. They saw Timothy as a monster, an emotionally abusive husband who sought women and power. He still hadn't been officially cleared of the embezzlement. They wanted to wait to get Carol on this charge immediately after the divorce was finalized so that Timothy would not be tied into it, as it would reveal her part in the murder of her late ex-husband, Jonathon Thompson and the conspired plot to also have her estranged daughter, Nova Thompson murdered.

All that would wait, however. First, the divorce needed to be resolved.

Timothy sat with his lawyer. He was calm and eager to get through the court day. He would call his father after the verdict and divorce were granted. To Timothy, all of his problems were tied to Carol. Everything would fall back into place once she was removed from his life.

He should never have had an affair with her all those years ago. She trapped him in a miserable life and nearly cost him everything. But all that would change after today.

After the prosecution presented their evidence of infidelity, the judge turned to Timothy and his lawyer. "Counsel, you may proceed with your defence."

Timothy remained calm. He watched as his lawyer efficiently tore through all the falsified proof. Timothy glanced over at Carol and her attorney. He saw the colour drain from her face when the realization that she was tricked came to light. She had been deliberately fed false information, made a fool of, and about to lose her case. There was no way she stood a chance of challenging the prenup now. There was no authentic evidence that Timothy had stepped outside their marriage at any time.

"Objection!" Carol jumped to her feet.

"Counsel," the judge appears unimpressed. "Control your client, or I will have her held in contempt of this court proceedings."

"Apologies, your honour." Her lawyer quickly pulled Carol back to her seat. It didn't silence her, however.

"He tried to sneak into my teenage daughter's bedroom. I have it on camera!" she shouted. Gasps were heard throughout the courtroom.

"Do you have evidence of this, Mrs. Carter?" the judge responded.

"Well, not anymore. I deleted it." Carol mumbled.

"And why might I ask, Mrs. Carter, would you delete your husband's apparent attempt to sneak into your teenage daughter's bedroom?"

"I—" Carol had no response. It would paint her much more negatively if people thought she didn't care for her daughter's safety but rather her social image.

"I think I have heard enough." The judge sighed. "In the ordinates of the prenup, there has been no actual evidence submitted to substantiate Mrs. Carter's claims of Mr. Carter's infidelity but rather attempted to utilize fabricated evidence to mislead the court. You, Mrs. Carol Carter, can not challenge the prenup standing. I will approve this request for the divorce since both parties have not disputed the desire for such, but Mrs. Carter, I can not overrule the prenup in place."

The judge passed his sentence, freeing Timothy from the marriage, and Carol did not gain a single dime from it.

"This is fucking bullshit!" Carol angrily charged around the desk, pointing her finger at the judge attempting to leave the courtroom.

"Carol," her attorney hissed, but she was not listening. She continued to advance on the judge in anger. The bailiff intervened, and two officers came behind her, instantly restraining her in handcuffs.

"Mrs. Carter-- or rather, Ms. Barnes, since you are no longer Carter, do you realize the penalty for advancing on a judge within his courtroom after sentencing?" the judge growled. He was at his end with Carol and her outbursts throughout the trial.

"But you--"

"Enough! Officers take Ms. Barnes to a holding cell for forty-eight hours. That should calm her enough to see the reason for her poor behaviour." The judge turned his attention to Carol. "This is an incredibly generous and light sentence for what you attempted, Ms. Barnes. Don't try that again, or you will be sentenced to genuine jail time."

With that, the officers dragged away the hysterical Carol, and the judge exited the room.

The media was buzzing for the next twenty-four hours. The events of the trial and Carol's arrest for attempting to assault the judge were spread throughout the country. None of this affected Timothy negatively, however. He was being portrayed as a betrayed husband tied to a greedy wife who attempted to defame his reputation. Online commentators began to speculate whether is was Carol who took the money from the company, since she was this money hungry. This was exactly what Timothy wanted to be circulated and he didn’t have to get his hands dirty by doing it; Carol did it all herself with her outbursts.

His lawyer immediately went to work clearing Timothy of the embezzlement charges. They had all the evidence they needed to make it clear that not only did Timothy have nothing to do with these crimes, but Carol had also attempted to frame another employee of the Carter company as a backup. It would only be a matter of time before Carol permanently resided in the prison cells where she belonged.

"Father," Timothy smiled as he spoke into the phone as soon as the call was answered.

"Timothy, what is it this time?" Carter Sr. responded in annoyance. Timothy furrowed his brows in confusion. His father was waiting for this: him to call with positive news.

"Father, the divorce went through. She was arrested, and now I am proceeding with the charges for the crimes she committed against the family."

"I am aware of the events within your divorce trial, Timothy. Why must it be turned into a circus? Do you not think this affects our image as well?"

"But father,"

"Timothy, I have come to a decision.

We shall be pursuing the charges against Carol for what she had done.

Your name will be officially cleared shortly.

We have already made a statement that it appears you were being misled and used as a patsy to take the fall.

With the overwhelming evidence, it will be proven.

However, it still depends on your inability to catch this mistake sooner.

That vile woman was able to rob us on countless occasions.

The employees of our company were even put at risk because they could not challenge the CEO's wife when she demanded their office space.

Your negligence has cost us a great deal and set a poor image for the strength of our company and the family." Carter Sr. sighed as though weighed under the immense pressure of his words.

"Please, Father.

I don't understand. I am clearing my name. I was--" Timothy could feel his knees buckling as he realized what was happening.

"I have thought long and hard, but I have decided that Phillip will continue to take the CEO position over Carter Industries.

You will be given a reduced family allowance, and we will grant you a position overseeing a much smaller side business under the Carter family's umbrella. Still, you can not be reinstated as the head of the family. Too much damage has befallen us because of you."

"A side business?" Timothy's voice caught thick with hurt.

"I am sorry, Timothy.

You are my son, and I love you, but I can not risk you having another scandal. The image of our company would not survive, and to be frank, many of the board members have openly voiced that they will not trust you moving forward. You allowed that woman too many opportunities to destroy us. You will still earn a living and live a comfortable life but must adjust your lifestyle more humbly. I am sorry, Timothy. The decision has been made."

"But—" The call disconnected.

Timothy stared at the receiver in his hand for far too long. His father had just hung up after telling him all he would earn back with all his struggles as a small business to oversee and a meager monthly allowance? As CEO, he was worth billions, but now he would have a much meager monthly salary?

This was all that woman's fault! Timothy's realization ate at him as he destroyed everything around him, leaving the house in complete disarray.

He would make sure that Carol suffered.