"The first sound I heard after my parents fell into the swimming pool was laughter.

Within forty-eight hours, the news broke.

I officially submitted my resignation to Sterling Financial and filed a formal police report against Olivia Sterling for assault and battery, backed by footage captured by several party guests on their smartphones.

Olivia tried to use her political connections to bury the charges, but Marcus Vance ensured the video leaked to every major news outlet in the country. By noon, the video titled "Billionaire Olivia Sterling Pushes In-Laws into Pool" had forty million views.

The public outcry was swift and devastating.

Sterling Financial’s stock dropped 8% in a single day. Sponsors began pulling out from Olivia’s charity foundations.

Ethan showed up at my small house that evening. He looked disheveled, his tie undone, dark circles under his eyes.

"Clara!" he yelled from the driveway as I walked to my car. "Clara, stop!"

I paused, turning to face him. "You shouldn't be here, Ethan."

"You leaked that video!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to my family? My mother is facing criminal charges! Our stock is plummeting!"

"Your mother assaulted my parents," I said coldly. "And you stood there and watched."

"She was upset! She made a mistake!" Ethan pleaded, trying to grab my hand, but I stepped back. "Clara, I love you. Come back to the firm. We can fix this. My mother will apologize publicly—I'll make her!"

"It's too late for apologies, Ethan," I said, opening my car door. "And as for the firm... you should check the news. I just accepted a position at Vance Global. And my first assignment is shorting Sterling Financial stock."