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Billionaire Thought He Ruled the Hotel—Until His Wife Exposed She Owned the Entire Empire — Transcript

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0:00The man who checked into the
0:01presidential suite of the Aurelia Grand
0:03New York wasn't just a guest. He was, in
0:06his mind, the king. He swept through the
0:09lobby on a wave of unearned arrogance,
0:12his arm draped around a woman who was
0:14decidedly not his wife.
0:17He demanded the best of everything, the
0:191998 Dom Pérignon on ice, the
0:23reservations at Le Ciel, the undivided
0:26attention of the staff.
0:28He used his wife's name like a platinum
0:30key, unaware that every smile he
0:33received, every door that opened was
0:36reporting directly back to the woman who
0:38didn't just have the key. She owned the
0:40entire building.
0:42Wesley Ford felt the cool, polished
0:45marble of the Aurelia Grand flagship
0:47under his Italian leather shoes and
0:50sighed in satisfaction.
0:52This, he felt, was his proper
0:54environment.
0:57The lobby was a symphony of quiet
0:59wealth, a three-story atrium, a
1:01cascading crystal chandelier that looked
1:04like a frozen waterfall, and the subtle
1:07scent of white tea and peonies pumped
1:10through the vents.
1:12Isn't it breathtaking, baby? He murmured
1:14to the woman beside him.
1:16Bethany Reed, 26 and poured into a
1:20crimson dress, looked around with wide,
1:22appraising eyes.
1:24It's
1:26nice, Wesley.
1:27But you said the one in Paris has a
1:29better view of the tower.
1:31Wesley chuckled, a low, patronizing
1:34sound. Patience, my dear.
1:36We'll get to Paris.
1:38But for our anniversary.
1:40He paused, letting the lie settle.
1:42I wanted the best suite in New York, the
1:45Aurelia Grand Presidential. Nothing but
1:48the best for you.
1:50Our six-month anniversary, she
1:52corrected, tapping her long acrylic
1:55nails on her phone.
1:57And I hope it's better than that place
1:58in
2:00The thread count felt cheap.
2:02Wesley's smile tightened.
2:05Bethany was expensive,
2:07but she was also, in his opinion, a
2:09necessary expense.
2:12A trophy for a man of his stature.
2:14A man married to a woman who cared more
2:17about spreadsheets than sleeping in.
2:20They approached the private check-in
2:21desk reserved for VIPs and high-tier
2:25loyalty members. The concierge, a young
2:28woman named Sarah, smiled warmly.
2:31Welcome to the Aurelia Grand, sir,
2:33ma'am. May I have the name on the
2:35reservation?
2:37Ford, Wesley said, puffing his chest
2:39slightly.
2:41Wesley Ford. You'll find I have a
2:44standing preference here.
2:47Sarah's fingers flew across the
2:48keyboard.
2:49Her professional smile didn't waver, but
2:52her eyes flickered for a fraction of a
2:53second.
2:55The Ford account.
2:57That was Mrs. Julietta Ford, the
2:59founder, the CEO, the woman who owned
3:03all 88 properties worldwide. The
3:05reservation was indeed under Wesley Ford
3:08using the Founders Circle account, which
3:11guaranteed any request anytime.
3:15But the internal note on the file was
3:17clear.
3:18Primary guest, Julietta Ford.
3:22Accompanying
3:23guest, Wesley Ford, spouse.
3:26Sarah had been trained for this.
3:29Of course, Mr. Ford, we have you in the
3:30presidential suite, 524001.
3:34We've taken the liberty of stocking the
3:35bar with your preferred Macallan 25.
3:38See?
3:39Wesley whispered to Bethany.
3:41They know me.
3:42As a bellman collected their luggage, a
3:45matching set of Louis Vuitton trunks,
3:47the general manager, Mr. Howell, emerged
3:50from his office.
3:51He was a man in his late 50s, impeccably
3:54dressed, with a demeanor that was both
3:56welcoming and fortress-like.
3:59He had been with Julietta since she
4:01opened her property 20 years ago.
4:04Mr. Ford, Howell said, extending a hand.
4:08His smile was perfectly polite,
4:11but his eyes were steel.
4:13A pleasure to welcome you back.
4:15We weren't expecting you.
4:18We had Mrs. Ford's itinerary marked for
4:20London until the weekend.
4:23Wesley waved a dismissive hand.
4:26Last minute change of plans, Howell.
4:29You know how it is.
4:30Business in the city.
4:32Just need a place to unwind.
4:35He gestured to Bethany.
4:37This is my associate, Miss Reed. She'll
4:40be joining me.
4:41Mr. Howell's gaze rested on Bethany for
4:44precisely 1 second.
4:46It was enough time to log her face, her
4:48dress, her demeanor.
4:51Miss Reed, he said with a slight formal
4:55bow.
4:56Welcome. Of course, the suite is ready.
4:58We trust everything will be to your
5:00satisfaction.
5:02It better be,
5:03Bethany muttered.
5:05Please allow me to escort you up, Howell
5:07offered, his professionalism a flawless
5:10shield.
5:12As they walked toward the private
5:13elevator, Wesley felt a surge of power.
5:17He loved this, the deference, the
5:19luxury. He felt he deserved it. He was
5:23the one who had to endure the endless,
5:25boring dinners, the robotic
5:27conversations about profit margins and
5:30emerging markets.
5:32Julietta was the brains, sure, but he
5:34was the face. He was the one who made
5:36her life bearable.
5:39This
5:40This was just his bonus.
5:43Meanwhile, 7,000 km away in a London
5:46boardroom, Julietta Ford was
5:48methodically dismantling a team of
5:50hostile investors.
5:52And so, she concluded, her voice calm
5:55and even, your leveraged buyout attempt
5:58is not only ill-conceived, it's based on
6:00flawed data.
6:02The Hong Kong market isn't shrinking.
6:05Your share is.
6:07Aurelia Grand, however, has seen a 14%
6:10growth quarter over quarter.
6:12The board rejects your offer
6:15unanimously.
6:16She closed her binder.
6:19The room was silent.
6:21Julietta was a handsome woman in her
6:22late 40s, not beautiful in the classical
6:25sense, but radiating an intensity and
6:28intelligence that was magnetic.
6:31She wore a simple, severe navy blue
6:33suit, her dark hair pulled back in a
6:36tight chignon.
6:38She looked more like a surgeon than a
6:39hotel magnate.
6:41Her assistant, Nina, a sharp-eyed woman
6:43in her 30s, handed her a tablet.
6:47Flight is confirmed for 8:00 p.m.
6:48tomorrow, Julietta. Wheels up to JFK.
6:51Good, Julietta said, standing. The
6:54investors scrambled to their feet.
6:57Thank you for your time, gentlemen. I
6:59suggest you re-evaluate your positions.
7:02She walked out, Nina in her wake.
7:05Once in the armored car, Julietta let
7:07out a long breath and loosened her hair.
7:11The severe CEO softened just a little.
7:15God, I'm tired, she said, rubbing her
7:17temples.
7:19And I miss Wesley.
7:20Did you get him that case of wine he
7:22wanted?
7:23The 82 Petrus?
7:25Yes, it was delivered to the house
7:27yesterday, Nina confirmed.
7:30Good. He's been working so hard on that
7:32new fund. I feel like I haven't seen him
7:35in weeks.
7:37She picked up her phone.
7:38I'll call him.
7:39It's
7:41what, 3:00 p.m. in [clears throat] New
7:42York. He should be between meetings.
7:46She dialed.
7:47It rang four times, then went to
7:49voicemail.
7:51Hi darling, it's me. Just wrapping up in
7:53London. It was a bloodbath, but we won.
7:56Of course. I'll be home Saturday
7:58morning. I can't wait to see you. I love
8:00you.
8:02She hung up, a small, sad smile on her
8:05face.
8:06She loved her husband.
8:08He her anchor,
8:10her one soft place to land in a life of
8:12hard edges.
8:14Back in suite 5401 Wesley's phone buzzed
8:17on the marble nightstand. He saw my
8:20Julietta flash on the screen. He
8:22silenced it with a guilty jolt.
8:24Who's that? Bethany asked, emerging from
8:27the cavernous gold-leafed bathroom,
8:30wrapping a plush Aurelia a grand robe
8:32around her body.
8:34Nobody,
8:35Wesley said, tossing the phone onto a
8:37chair.
8:38Just
8:39work.
8:41Now,
8:42where were we?
8:44He pulled her close, gesturing to the
8:46floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked
8:48Central Park.
8:49Look at that, baby.
8:51I own this city.
8:53We own this city.
8:55Mr. Howell stood in his pristine,
8:58glass-walled office just off the main
9:00lobby
9:01long after Wesley and Bethany had
9:03disappeared into the elevator.
9:05His posture was rigid.
9:07He had worked for Julietta Ford for 22
9:10years.
9:11He'd been the front desk manager at her
9:13very first hotel in upstate New York, a
9:16struggling boutique property she'd
9:18inherited and rebuilt with her bare
9:21hands.
9:22He remembered her at 25 fixing a leaking
9:25pipe in the basement herself because
9:28they couldn't afford a plumber.
9:30He owed his entire career to her.
9:33Her loyalty to her core staff was
9:35legendary.
9:36In return, their loyalty to her was
9:38absolute.
9:40The Aurelia Grand hotel chain wasn't
9:42just a business to Julietta.
9:44It was her life, her family.
9:47And Mr. Howell, like many of the senior
9:49staff, felt a deep, almost paternal
9:53obligation to protect it
9:55and to protect her.
9:58He had seen Mr. Ford with associates
10:01before. Usually, it was a discrete lunch
10:04at the restaurant, a quick meeting in
10:06the bar.
10:07Howell had always maintained a
10:09professional distance.
10:10A spouse's private life was not his
10:13concern.
10:14But this was different.
10:16Checking into the presidential suite,
10:18her suite, the one she personally
10:20designed under her name with a woman who
10:23was clearly not a business associate.
10:27It was a violation.
10:29It was a grotesque disrespect, not just
10:31to his boss,
10:33but to the brand itself.
10:35He picked up his desk phone, which had a
10:37direct, secure line to Julietta's
10:40executive assistant. He bypassed all
10:43switchboards.
10:44Nina's voice was crisp on the other end.
10:47Nina Romano.
10:49Miss Romano, it's Martin Howe at the New
10:51York flagship.
10:53Nina's tone warmed instantly.
10:56She knew and respected all of Julietta's
10:58original team. Martin, a pleasure. Is
11:01everything all right? I know Julietta is
11:04expecting to be there Saturday.
11:06That is
11:07why I am calling, Howe said, choosing
11:11his words with surgical care.
11:13We have a guest who just checked in. I
11:15felt it was my duty to confirm the
11:17itinerary as there seems to be a
11:19discrepancy.
11:21Oh.
11:22Who checked in?
11:23Mr. Wesley Ford, Howe said. There was a
11:27beat of silence.
11:29Wesley? He's there? He's not supposed to
11:31be. He told Julietta he was
11:34in client meetings in Connecticut.
11:37He has checked in, Miss Romano. He
11:39arrived approximately 20 minutes ago. He
11:41is in suite 5401.
11:45The
11:46the presidential suite, Nina said, her
11:48voice dropping a full octave, losing all
11:50its warmth. I see.
11:53And is he
11:54alone?
11:55No, Miss Romano. He is accompanied by a
11:57female. She is registered at the desk as
12:00Miss Bethany Reed.
12:02They are here for, in his words, a few
12:05days.
12:06The silence on the other end of the line
12:08was heavy.
12:09Nina was processing. She wasn't just an
12:12assistant. She was Julietta's
12:13gatekeeper, her memory, and her most
12:16trusted confidant.
12:19Martin, Nina said, her voice now
12:22dangerously quiet,
12:24I need you to do two things for me.
12:26First, this conversation never happened.
12:29Your duty is to the guest, and Mr. Ford
12:32is a guest.
12:33He is to be treated with the standard or
12:35really a grand courtesy.
12:37Do not under any circumstances let your
12:40service falter. Understood?
12:43Of course, Howell said.
12:45He had expected this. Professionalism
12:48above all.
12:50Second, Nina continued,
12:52I need a copy of the check-in security
12:54footage from the private desk,
12:56timestamps from the elevator, and the
12:58name on the credit card used for
13:00incidentals.
13:02He didn't provide one, Howell said,
13:04anticipating her. He charged all
13:07incidentals directly to the primary
13:09account, to Mrs. Ford's Founders Circle
13:12master bill.
13:14Nina's sharp intake of breath was the
13:16only sound of emotion she allowed. The
13:19audacity. He was making his wife pay for
13:21his affair.
13:23Send me the footage, Martin. Secure
13:25server. And
13:26thank you. You did the right thing.
13:29For Mrs. Ford, Howell said simply and
13:32hung up.
13:33In London, Nina stared at her screen.
13:36She felt a cold, white-hot rage building
13:40in her chest.
13:41She had never liked Wesley. She found
13:43him shallow, weak, and completely
13:46unworthy of a woman like Julietta.
13:49But she had kept her thoughts to herself
13:52because Julietta loved him.
13:54Now he had crossed a line.
13:57He had brought his filth into her house.
14:01Julietta was currently in a celebratory
14:03dinner with the partners who had helped
14:05her win the negotiation.
14:07She was relaxed, smiling,
14:10and for a few hours, just a woman
14:12enjoying a meal.
14:14Nina refused to destroy that.
14:16This news could wait until morning,
14:19but Nina would not wait.
14:21She pulled up the secure server.
14:23The footage from New York arrived. She
14:25clicked play.
14:27She watched Wesley smug and proud, his
14:31arm around the younger woman.
14:33She watched him name drop.
14:35She watched him sign the bill, charging
14:37it to Julietta.
14:39Then
14:40Nina began to dig.
14:43She was Julietta's proxy in all things,
14:45which included full access to all joint
14:48financial accounts.
14:50She opened the Founders Circle Amex. She
14:52saw the charges from the past six
14:54months.
14:55Miami,
14:56AW Hotel,
14:5815,000.
15:00Paris, a Four Seasons, 22,000.
15:04An online jeweler, Boudoir Gems, 18,000.
15:09And then transfers, large five-figure
15:13transfers from the joint household
15:15account, the one Julietta kept topped up
15:18for property taxes and staff salaries,
15:21into a private account under Wesley's
15:23name only.
15:24This wasn't just an affair.
15:26This was theft.
15:28Nina stared at the numbers, her blood
15:31running cold.
15:32She looked at the clock.
15:3411:00 p.m. in London.
15:36Julietta would be back at her hotel
15:38soon.
15:39This couldn't wait until morning after
15:41all.
15:42Back in New York, Wesley and Bethany
15:44were living in grotesque luxury. They
15:47had polished off the champagne.
15:49Bethany was taking selfies in the grand,
15:52free-standing marble tub filled with
15:55bubbles.
15:56Wesley, she called out, this is amazing,
15:59but
16:00when are you going to do it?
16:02Wesley was standing on the terrace,
16:04overlooking the park, feeling like a
16:07master of the universe.
16:09Do what, my love?
16:11Leave her,
16:12Bethany said, her voice suddenly sharp.
16:15You keep saying soon, soon.
16:18You keep taking on these trips, but
16:19we're still hiding. I'm tired of hiding.
16:23I want this. She gestured around the
16:25suite to be mine.
16:27Ours.
16:29When are you going to leave, Julietta?
16:31Wesley's good mood evaporated.
16:34This was the part he hated.
16:36The feelings part.
16:38Bethany, we've talked about this.
16:40It's
16:41complicated. The finances, the the
16:45assets. It takes time to untangle
16:48things.
16:49How much time? She pouted, stepping out
16:52of the tub and wrapping the robe around
16:54herself.
16:55It's been six months.
16:57I thought you said she was just a
16:58business partner, a cold fish.
17:02You said you didn't even love her.
17:04I don't, he said too quickly. I don't. I
17:08love you. She's just she's complicated.
17:12But I'm handling it.
17:13This trip, this is a sign that I'm
17:16serious, isn't it?
17:17I'm taking you to her hotel. I'm not
17:19afraid.
17:21Then prove it, Bethany challenged,
17:23moving close to him.
17:25Call her.
17:26Call her right now and tell her it's
17:28over.
17:29Wesley's blood ran cold.
17:32What?
17:33Now?
17:34It's
17:35it's the middle of the night in London.
17:38I can't.
17:40Why not?
17:41She pushed. If you're done, you're done.
17:44Or are you just a coward? I am not a
17:47coward, he seethed.
17:49He was stung. He grabbed his phone from
17:52the chair, his false courage fueled by
17:54champagne. [snorts] He saw the missed
17:56call from my Julietta.
17:59Fine, he said, his jaw set. Fine. You
18:03want me to prove it? I'll prove it.
18:06He didn't call. He was too cowardly for
18:08that. Instead, he opened a text message.
18:11His fingers hovered, shaking slightly.
18:14He typed.
18:16Julietta,
18:17we need to talk when you get back. I am
18:19not happy.
18:20I think I want a divorce.
18:22He stared at it.
18:23It was weak, but it was a start. It
18:26would break the ice.
18:28Bethany watched him, a cruel, satisfied
18:30smile on her face.
18:32Send it.
18:33He hit send.
18:35A moment later, his phone buzzed, a
18:37reply. He opened it, confused. It wasn't
18:41from Julietta. It was an automated
18:43message from his carrier. Message
18:45failed. The recipient's phone is
18:47currently turned off.
18:49She
18:50she must be on the plane already, he
18:52lied, slipping the phone back into his
18:55pocket.
18:56It didn't go through. I'll tell her.
18:58I'll tell her when she lands.
19:00You better, Bethany said, her voice a
19:03low threat.
19:05Because I'm done being a secret.
19:08Now, order me some more of that
19:10champagne.
19:11The good stuff.
19:13Wesley nodded, feeling a sudden, sharp
19:16headache.
19:17He called room service, his voice overly
19:19loud, full of false bravado.
19:23Yes, this is Wesley Ford in the
19:24presidential suite. Send up another
19:26bottle of the '98 Dom
19:28and
19:29and a dozen oysters.
19:31Charge it to the room.
19:33He felt like a king.
19:35He had no idea he was just a jester in
19:37his wife's court.
19:40Julietta returned to her suite at the
19:42Aurelia Grand London, a mirror image of
19:45the New York property, but overlooking
19:47Hyde Park,
19:48feeling the deep, bone-weary exhaustion
19:52that only comes after a high-stakes
19:54victory.
19:55She unpinned her hair, letting it fall,
19:58and massaged her neck.
20:00All she wanted was a hot bath and to
20:03dream of being home with Wesley.
20:06Nina was waiting for her in the suite's
20:08private study, her face pale and set.
20:11Nina?
20:13What is it?
20:14You look like you've seen a ghost. Did
20:16something happen with the deal?
20:18The deal is fine, Julietta, Nina said,
20:21her voice uncharacteristically
20:24Please, sit down.
20:26Julietta's stomach fluttered with
20:27anxiety.
20:29Nina was never gentle.
20:31What's wrong? Is it my mother?
20:34Your mother is fine.
20:35This is
20:36about Wesley.
20:38Julietta sat, her posture immediately
20:41straightening.
20:42What about him?
20:44Is he all right? Was there an accident?
20:46No,
20:47Nina said.
20:48She placed her tablet on the desk
20:50between them.
20:51He's fine.
20:52He's in New York.
20:54New York? That's impossible. He's in
20:56Connecticut. He has that client retreat.
20:58Julietta trailed off as Nina's words
21:00sank in.
21:02He's in New York.
21:04He's at the flagship, Julietta,
21:06Nina said softly.
21:08At
21:09at the hotel.
21:10Why?
21:11A smile touched her face.
21:13Is he
21:14is he surprising me?
21:16Is he flying to London? No.
21:19Nina took a deep breath and turned the
21:20tablet around.
21:22She pressed play.
21:24Julietta watched the silent,
21:25high-definition security footage.
21:28She saw her husband, Wesley, his face
21:30beaming, his arm possessively around a
21:33young, beautiful woman.
21:36She watched him lean in and kiss the
21:38woman's temple.
21:40She watched him sign the check-in slip
21:42with a flourish.
21:43The room went utterly silent.
21:46The only sound was the distant traffic
21:48on Park Lane.
21:50Julietta did not cry.
21:52She did not gasp.
21:54Her face, which had been soft with
21:56exhaustion, slowly hardened, the muscles
21:59in her jaw tightening until she looked
22:02like she was carved from marble.
22:04She watched the 30-second loop three
22:06times.
22:08Who is she? Julietta asked, her voice
22:11flat, devoid of all emotion.
22:13Her name is Bethany Reed, 26,
22:16aspiring lifestyle influencer, according
22:19to her social media,
22:21which, Nina added, swiping to a new
22:23screen, is filled with pictures from
22:26Miami, Paris, Aspen, all [clears throat]
22:29locations where Westley has supposedly
22:31been on business this past year.
22:35Julietta stared at the screen, at
22:37[clears throat] the pictures of this
22:38girl posing in hotels,
22:41not her hotels, she noted with a bitter
22:43flicker of irony, holding champagne,
22:47wearing jewelry.
22:48He's been lying, Julietta stated. It
22:51wasn't a question.
22:53For at least six months, it seems, Nina
22:55said.
22:56And
22:58it's worse.
22:59Worse?
23:01Worse than bringing his mistress into my
23:02hotel, into my suite and paying for it
23:05with my money?
23:07Nina swiped again, bringing up the bank
23:10statements.
23:11He's been embezzling, Julietta.
23:13I can't be sure of the total amount
23:15without a full audit,
23:17but from a quick look at the household
23:19and discretionary accounts,
23:21it's over $4 million.
23:24He's been transferring it to a private
23:26account in the Cayman Islands.
23:29The air left Julietta's lungs.
23:31This was the true betrayal. The affair
23:33was a deep, personal wound, a
23:36humiliation.
23:38The theft was a declaration of war.
23:41Westley wasn't just a bored husband, he
23:44was a common criminal, a fool who had
23:46been robbing her blind while living off
23:48her name. [clears throat] The high-risk
23:50fund he was supposedly managing for
23:53clients was likely a sham.
23:56It was just him gambling with her money
23:59and losing. The transfers were to cover
24:01his losses.
24:03The sadness that had been a dull ache in
24:05her chest vanished, replaced by a
24:08glacial, purifying rage.
24:11The same focus she'd used to destroy the
24:13investors hours earlier now lasered in
24:16on her husband.
24:18He's not just an adulterer, Julietta
24:20said, her voice a whisper.
24:23He's a thief.
24:24What do you want to do? Nina asked.
24:27I can call Martin Howell. I can have him
24:30and his
24:31guest thrown out of the hotel within the
24:34minute.
24:35I can have his corporate cards frozen.
24:38Julietta held up a hand.
24:39No.
24:41No.
24:42Not yet.
24:43A scene.
24:44A scene is messy.
24:46It makes the brand look weak.
24:48It makes me look like a hysterical wife.
24:51I am not a hysterical wife.
24:54She stood up and walked to the window,
24:56looking out over the park lights.
24:58She was thinking.
24:59Not as a wife.
25:01As a CEO.
25:04He's arrogant.
25:05Julietta said, thinking aloud.
25:08He's stupid.
25:09He's gotten so comfortable living in my
25:11shadow
25:12that he thinks he's invisible.
25:14He thinks I'm just the money.
25:17He doesn't remember who I am.
25:19[clears throat] He doesn't remember who
25:21built the company he's stealing from.
25:23She turned back to Nina, her eyes bright
25:26and cold. He didn't just come to the
25:28hotel for a tryst, Nina.
25:30He came because he's a fool. He came to
25:33brag, to show that woman his power.
25:36My power.
25:38Julietta.
25:40What are you going to do?
25:42I am going to let him continue to be a
25:44fool. Julietta said. For now, he is a
25:47guest. A very, very important guest.
25:51He is to be given exactly what he asks
25:53for.
25:55Nina looked confused. I
25:57I don't understand.
25:59He's in my world now. He's in my
26:01building. He thinks he's the king, but
26:04he's just a rat in a cage he doesn't
26:06see.
26:07He's to be treated perfectly.
26:09But
26:10I want to know everything.
26:12I want a private security detail,
26:15plain clothed, assigned to his floor.
26:19I want a log of every room service call,
26:22every bottle of champagne, every meal.
26:25I want to know when he leaves, where he
26:27goes.
26:29A A surveillance. Nina clarified.
26:32A guest service profile,
26:34Julietta corrected, using the corporate
26:37term.
26:38He is a high priority guest and we are
26:40going to anticipate his every need.
26:44And what about you?
26:45Your flight home?
26:47Julietta's smile was thin and
26:49terrifying.
26:50Change it.
26:52I'm not going home.
26:53I'm going to New York tonight.
26:56Book me a suite at the Carlyle.
26:58I don't want to be in my own property.
27:01Not yet.
27:03And
27:04the legal team?
27:05Get Ms. Albright on the phone.
27:07Have her meet me at the Carlyle tomorrow
27:09at 9:00 a.m.
27:11with the forensic accounting team.
27:14I want to know where every single dollar
27:16went.
27:17And I want her to draft the divorce
27:19papers.
27:20Irreconcilable differences and gross
27:23financial misconduct.
27:25And the criminal charges? Nina asked
27:28quietly.
27:29Julietta paused.
27:31Draft those too.
27:33I'll decide whether to file them later.
27:36Right now,
27:37I need to see the cage I'm building.
27:40She picked up her phone and saw the
27:42missed call from Wesley.
27:44And then she saw the text message he'd
27:47attempted to send.
27:49Message failed.
27:51Her phone had been off during the
27:53dinner.
27:54I'm not happy. I think I want a divorce.
27:57A small, sharp laugh, like breaking
28:00glass, escaped her. The arrogance,
28:02[clears throat]
28:03she whispered. He's going to
28:06He's going to divorce me.
28:08She toggled her phone's settings,
28:10marking his number to go straight to
28:12voicemail. She wouldn't be hearing from
28:14him. [clears throat] Nina,
28:16Julietta said, walking to her bedroom to
28:19pack.
28:20Call Martin Howell back. Tell him Mr.
28:22Ford is to enjoy his stay.
28:24But I want his room key to accidentally
28:27demagnetize.
28:29I want it to happen at least twice a
28:31day.
28:32I want him to have to down to the front
28:34desk from the 54th floor and ask for a
28:38new one.
28:39Nina blinked. Then a slow, appreciative
28:42smile spread across her face.
28:45Yes, Julietta.
28:46And the dinner reservation he made at Le
28:48Ciel tonight.
28:50Yes.
28:51Lose it.
28:53Wesley woke up the next morning with a
28:54pounding headache and a dry mouth. The
28:57sunlight streaming into the massive
28:59suite was offensively bright.
29:02He looked over.
29:03Bethany was still fast asleep, splayed
29:06across the frette linens.
29:08He felt a pang of
29:10not guilt, precisely,
29:12more like inconvenience.
29:15He had to deal with Julietta.
29:17He checked his phone.
29:18No reply.
29:20He grumbled, assuming she was ignoring
29:22him.
29:23It was just like her.
29:25He'd drop a bomb like divorce, and she'd
29:27probably reply with a question about the
29:29quarterly taxes.
29:31But first, coffee.
29:32He padded to the high-tech espresso
29:34machine built into the suite's custom
29:36bar.
29:37He pressed the on button.
29:39[clears throat] Nothing.
29:41He pressed it again.
29:43The machine remained dark.
29:45Damn it, he muttered.
29:47He jiggled the plug.
29:49Still nothing.
29:50Fine. He'd call room service.
29:53He picked up the sleek touchscreen phone
29:56on the desk. The screen was blank.
29:59Dead.
30:00Unbelievable, he seethed, his irritation
30:04growing.
30:05You pay $20,000 a night for a suite and
30:07the power is out.
30:09But the lamps were on.
30:11[clears throat] The TV worked. It was
30:12just the phone and the coffee machine.
30:15He huffed and located his room key.
30:18I'll be right back, he said to the
30:20sleeping form of Bethany.
30:22Going to get coffee.
30:23He walked to the elevator, swiped his
30:26key.
30:27The light flashed red.
30:29Access denied.
30:31He tried again.
30:33Red. He swiped it fast, then slow.
30:37Red,
30:38red,
30:40red.
30:41A curse exploded from his lips. He was
30:44locked out of his own floor. He was
30:46forced to take the service elevator,
30:49located down a hallway which let him out
30:51in the staff corridor.
30:53He stalked through the lobby to the
30:54front desk, his hair a mess, wearing
30:57only his silk pajama bottoms and a robe.
31:01Sarah, the concierge from yesterday, was
31:04at the desk. She looked up, her face a
31:07mask of polite concern.
31:09Mr. Ford?
31:11Is everything all right?
31:12No, nothing is all right, he snapped.
31:16My key doesn't work, and the phone and
31:18coffee machine in 5 I 401 are broken.
31:22Send an engineer up immediately.
31:25My deepest apologies, sir, Sarah said,
31:28her voice dripping with practiced
31:30sincerity.
31:32Sometimes the key cards demagnetize if
31:34they're too close to a mobile phone.
31:36I'll issue you a new one at once.
31:39She typed for a moment, handed him two
31:41new keys.
31:43And I will notify engineering about the
31:45appliances.
31:46We'll send someone right up.
31:49Wesley snatched the keys and stalked
31:51back to the elevator, feeling
31:52humiliated.
31:54He passed Mr. Howell, who nodded
31:56politely.
31:58Good morning, Mr. Ford.
32:00I trust you slept well?
32:02Wesley just grunted and stabbed the
32:04elevator button.
32:06When he got back, Bethany was awake and
32:08furious.
32:10Where were you? I'm starving, and this
32:13coffee machine doesn't work.
32:15I know, he said. I had to go down and
32:18get new keys. It's a whole thing.
32:20They're sending someone up.
32:23Well, I want to go shopping, she
32:24declared.
32:26You promised me Fifth Avenue,
32:28and then I want to go to that restaurant
32:30tonight,
32:31the one with the stars,
32:33Le Ciel.
32:35Yes, yes,
32:36Wesley said, desperate to placate her.
32:40I made the reservation, eight o'clock,
32:41[clears throat]
32:42prime table.
32:44An hour later, an engineer, a polite man
32:47who looked baffled, showed up.
32:49He checked the coffee machine.
32:51Sir, the
32:53the plug was pulled from the wall, just
32:55slightly. See?
32:58He pushed it in.
32:59The machine whirred to life.
33:02Wesley stared.
33:03He knew he'd checked that.
33:05And the phone, sir?
33:07It appears to have been unplugged from
33:09its data port. The engineer crawled
33:11under the desk, fiddled for a second,
33:13and the screen lit up.
33:15All set, sir.
33:17Very sorry for the inconvenience.
33:20Wesley felt a strange, paranoid chill.
33:24Had Bethany done this?
33:26No. He shook it off.
33:28Just bad luck.
33:30The rest of the day was an exercise in
33:32frustration. Their shopping trip on
33:34Fifth Avenue was a disaster.
33:36At the Chanel boutique, the Founders
33:39Circle Amex, the one Wesley used for all
33:42his discrete purchases,
33:45was declined.
33:47Declined.
33:49He'd never seen that word before.
33:51He blushed, stammering to the sales
33:53associate.
33:54Run it again. It's
33:56it must be your machine.
33:58She ran it again. I'm sorry, sir.
34:01Declined.
34:02Bethany's face was thunderous. Wesley,
34:05what is going on? It's nothing. He
34:07hissed. It's a fraud alert, probably.
34:10I'm
34:11I'm in a different city. I'll call the
34:13bank.
34:14He quickly used his own personal card,
34:16the one linked to his stolen funds. The
34:19purchase went through, but it made his
34:21stomach clench.
34:23That was his money, not Julietta's.
34:26He stepped aside and called the Amex
34:28number. He was put on hold for 20
34:30minutes. Finally, a crisp voice told
34:34him,
34:35I'm sorry, Mr. Ford,
34:36but we show this card was reported
34:38compromised by the primary account
34:40holder.
34:41It has been locked and a new card is
34:43being issued.
34:45We cannot unlock it over the phone.
34:47Julietta,
34:49she had locked the card.
34:50Why?
34:52Did she get his text?
34:53Was this her petty, passive-aggressive
34:56revenge?
34:57Fine,
34:58he muttered.
35:00Fine.
35:01He was rattled. He needed the night to
35:03go well. He needed to impress Bethany.
35:07That evening, they dressed for dinner.
35:09Bethany in a backless, glittering silver
35:11dress, Wesley in his best Tom Ford suit.
35:16They arrived at Le Ciel, the hotel's
35:18three Michelin star restaurant, at 8:00
35:21p.m. on the dot.
35:22The maître d', a tall, imposing man
35:25named Jean-Pierre, looked at the
35:27reservation book. He frowned.
35:30Monsieur Ford, is it?
35:32Yes, Wesley said, annoyed. Ford, table
35:35for two, 8:00 p.m.
35:38Jean-Pierre scrolled through his tablet.
35:40I am
35:41deeply sorry, sir. I do not seem to have
35:44a reservation under that name.
35:46[clears throat]
35:47What? That's impossible. I made it
35:49myself, from the suite.
35:51Perhaps it was for tomorrow night.
35:54It was for tonight, Wesley seethed, his
35:58voice rising.
36:00Several diners looked over.
36:02Sir, if you would lower your voice. We
36:05are fully booked, as you can imagine.
36:08I have
36:09nothing.
36:10This is an outrage. Wesley slammed his
36:13hand on the lectern. I am a guest in the
36:16presidential suite. I am Wesley Ford.
36:19Don't you know who I am?
36:21From the back, Mr. Howell materialized,
36:24his face the picture of deep concern.
36:27Mr. Ford, Jean-Pierre, is there a
36:29problem?
36:31This this idiot, Wesley sputtered, says
36:34he lost my reservation.
36:36A thousand apologies, Mr. Ford, Howell
36:39said, shooting a disappointed look at
36:42the maître d'.
36:43This is an unacceptable oversight.
36:45Jean-Pierre, we must accommodate Mr.
36:47Ford.
36:49>> But Monsieur Howell, there is nothing.
36:51>> Then we will make something, Howell said
36:54firmly.
36:55He turned to Wesley with a placating
36:57smile.
36:59Sir, it is not the window table you
37:01doubtless requested,
37:03but we have
37:05one table.
37:06We can set it for you immediately.
37:09Please accept a glass of champagne on
37:11the house for this
37:13terrible error.
37:15Wesley, slightly mollified, nodded
37:17curtly.
37:19Fine.
37:20They were led past the main dining room
37:23with its sweeping views and plush velvet
37:25booths,
37:26past the secondary, quieter room,
37:29and into a small alcove.
37:31It was, technically, still the
37:33restaurant,
37:35but it was also directly adjacent to the
37:37main swinging door of the kitchen.
37:39[clears throat] They were seated at a
37:40small, wobbly table.
37:43The music of the restaurant was drowned
37:45out by the clatter of pans, the muffled
37:48shouts of chefs, and the swoosh-thwack
37:51of the kitchen door opening and closing
37:53every 30 seconds.
37:55Bethany looked horrified. Wesley,
37:57this is this is It's temporary, he
38:00hissed. They'll move us.
38:03But they were not moved.
38:05The complimentary champagne arrived. It
38:08was not Dom. It tasted like cheap
38:11prosecco. Their waiter was slow,
38:14flustered, and kept apologizing. Their
38:16food took over an hour.
38:19This, Bethany said, pushing her lobster
38:21bisque away, is a joke. You said you
38:24owned this place. You can't even get a
38:26decent table.
38:28I
38:29I am practically the owner, Wesley
38:32insisted, his face slick with sweat.
38:35Howell knows me. This is
38:38This is just a series of mistakes.
38:40They look like mistakes to you? Bethany
38:43sneered. It looks like we're the
38:45mistakes. They're treating us like, like
38:48garbage. I'm humiliated." She stood up,
38:51throwing her napkin on the table. "I'm
38:53going back to the room. This us, it's
38:56not working. You're not the man you said
38:59you were, Wesley."
39:01She stormed out, leaving him alone at
39:03the worst table in New York's best
39:06restaurant.
39:07He sat there, fuming as the kitchen door
39:10swooshed thwacked again.
39:13This was Julietta's doing. It had to be.
39:16She was locking his cards, canceling his
39:18reservations.
39:20She was trying to humiliate him.
39:22[clears throat] Fine.
39:23Two could play at that game. He was done
39:26with this. He would go to her lawyer.
39:28He'd demand his half. He stormed out of
39:31the restaurant, not even signing the
39:33bill.
39:34When he got to the 54th floor, he swiped
39:37his key.
39:38Red.
39:40Access denied. He swiped again. Red.
39:42[clears throat]
39:43She had done it again. He was locked
39:46out. He roared in frustration, slamming
39:49his fist against the wall. He had to go
39:51all the way back down to the lobby,
39:53sweaty and furious, to get another key.
39:57Across the street, in a dark penthouse
40:00suite at the Carlyle Hotel, Julietta
40:02Ford sat with Ms. Albright, her lawyer.
40:05Nina was with them, holding a phone to
40:08her ear.
40:10"Mr. Howell confirms, ma'am," Nina
40:12reported, a small smile playing on her
40:15lips.
40:16"Ms. Reed has returned to the suite. Mr.
40:19Ford is currently at the front desk,
40:22requesting another key.
40:23His voice," she added, was described as
40:27apoplectic."
40:28Good," Julietta said, taking a sip of
40:31water.
40:32"Let him simmer.
40:34The forensic team has a preliminary
40:35number," Ms. Albright, a severe woman
40:38with gray hair, said, pushing a file
40:40across the table. "He wasn't just
40:42covering gambling losses. He was funding
40:45Ms. Reed's influencer business. He also
40:48purchased in cash a condo in Miami in
40:51her name.
40:53Julietta's face darkened.
40:56He bought her a home with my money.
40:59It's wire fraud, plain and simple,
41:01Julietta.
41:02On top of the embezzlement,
41:04we have him.
41:06The question is, how do you want to
41:08proceed?
41:10Julietta looked at the file, at the
41:12pictures of the Miami condo.
41:14She looked at the bank transfers.
41:16He's not just a fool, she said. He's a
41:19parasite.
41:21And you don't bargain with a parasite.
41:23You exterminate it.
41:25Nina, call him.
41:27Call
41:28Wesley? Nina asked, surprised.
41:30Yes.
41:31Use your phone. Tell him I'm I'm
41:34devastated. I got his text. Tell him
41:37tell him I'm flying back and I want to
41:39save our marriage. Tell him I'm
41:42I'm willing to renegotiate our prenup to
41:45make him happy.
41:47Allbright and Nina stared at her.
41:50Julietta, are you He's desperate,
41:53Julietta cut in, her voice like steel.
41:56He's been humiliated. His money is cut
41:59off. He's terrified I'm going to ruin
42:01him.
42:02But his ego
42:04his ego will believe I still want him.
42:06He'll believe I'm the weak, forgiving
42:09wife.
42:10Tell him I'm hosting a private dinner
42:13tomorrow night, just the two of us, in
42:15the founders room at the New York
42:17flagship
42:18to
42:19reconcile.
42:21A trap, Allbright said, a look of
42:24profound respect in her eyes.
42:27A performance review, Julietta replied.
42:30Now, make the call.
42:32Wesley finally made it back into the
42:34suite, his rage a palpable force.
42:37The door slammed shut behind him,
42:39rattling a priceless vase on a nearby
42:41pedestal. Bethany! He roared.
42:45The suite was quiet.
42:47He stalked through the living room into
42:48the master bedroom.
42:50She wasn't there.
42:52Her suitcases, the Louis Vuittons he had
42:54bought her,
42:55were gone.
42:57On the bed, in the center of the vast
42:59empty mattress was a single
43:02diamond-encrusted earring,
43:05one of a pair he'd bought her from
43:06Boudoir Gems.
43:08Next to it was a note scrawled on
43:11Aurelia Grand stationery.
43:13You're a fraud, Wesley. I'm not going
43:16down with you. Don't call me.
43:18He sank onto the bed, the fight draining
43:21out of him,
43:22replaced by a cold, hollow dread.
43:26She was gone.
43:27The card was locked. Julietta was
43:30somewhere plotting against him.
43:33He was alone in this monument to his
43:35wife's success,
43:37and he had never felt so small.
43:39His grand fantasy of a new life,
43:43a life where he was the man in charge,
43:46had evaporated in 24 hours.
43:49All that was left was the reality.
43:51He was a 50-year-old man who had stolen
43:54millions from his wife,
43:56and he had just been caught.
43:58He saw his life flashing before his
44:00eyes, the lawsuits, the press, the page
44:03six headlines, Hotel Queen's husband in
44:06cheating and embezzlement scandal.
44:08He would be ruined. He would be broke.
44:11He might even go to
44:14No, he couldn't even think it.
44:16He had to fix this. He had to beg. He
44:18had to grovel.
44:20He scrambled for his phone to call
44:22Julietta, to preemptively apologize, to
44:25invent a story, a breakdown, a midlife
44:28crisis, anything.
44:30When the phone buzzed in his hand, the
44:32caller ID was Nina Romano, Julietta's
44:35attack dog. His blood turned to ice.
44:39This was it, the call from the lawyers.
44:41He answered, his hand shaking.
44:44Hello?
44:45Wesley.
44:47Nina's voice was cold, professional.
44:49Julietta is aware of your text message.
44:52Nina, listen. I She is
44:54deeply, deeply distressed, Wesley,
44:58Nina said, her voice suddenly softening.
45:00The shift in tone was so unexpected, it
45:03threw him off completely.
45:06She she is, he stammered.
45:09She's cutting her trip short. She's
45:11flying back tonight. She
45:13Wesley, she loves you. She doesn't want
45:15this to be the end. She's distraught.
45:18She blames herself, her work, her
45:21travel.
45:22Wesley blinked.
45:24He was
45:25stunned.
45:26Distraught,
45:27blaming herself.
45:29He had been prepared for rage, for
45:30lawyers, for threats. He was not
45:33prepared for guilt.
45:35A slow, insidious flicker of hope and
45:37arrogance reignited in his chest. Of
45:40course,
45:41she was powerful, yes,
45:43but she was still a woman.
45:45She was lonely.
45:47She needed him.
45:49He just pushed her too far. This was
45:52this was leverage. She
45:55she does, he said, his voice instantly
45:58changing from terrified to concerned
46:00husband.
46:02Nina, I
46:03I've been so unhappy. I've been so
46:05lonely. I
46:07I did something stupid.
46:09But it was a cry for help.
46:11She knows, Nina said, her voice dripping
46:14with false sympathy, that over the phone
46:17Wesley mistook for the real thing.
46:20She knows she's been distant.
46:22She wants to make it right. She
46:25she's willing to discuss everything,
46:27even the prenuptial agreement.
46:31Wesley sat bolt upright. The prenup, the
46:34ironclad you leave with nothing but the
46:37clothes on your back document he'd been
46:40forced to sign.
46:41She
46:42she is
46:43she wants to
46:45reinvest in the marriage, she said. She
46:48wants to make you a full partner
46:50in everything.
46:52This was it.
46:54This was the payday,
46:55his gamble. It had worked. She was
46:58scared of losing him.
47:00That
47:01that idiot Bethany had left just when
47:04things were about to get good.
47:06Where is she? I'll meet her at the
47:08house, he said eagerly.
47:10No, she's she's embarrassed. She wants
47:14this to be private, away from the staff
47:16at home. [clears throat] She's landing
47:18late tomorrow.
47:19She wants to meet you for a private
47:21dinner
47:22tomorrow night, 8 p.m.
47:24the Founders Room at the New York Hotel.
47:27The Founders Room? he said, impressed.
47:30That was the ultra private dining room
47:32on the top floor reserved for Julietta
47:35and the board.
47:36Just the two of you, Nina said, to
47:40talk.
47:41To save your marriage, Wesley. She's
47:44asking you to be there.
47:46She's saying
47:47she's saying
47:48she's sorry. Yes, Wesley said, his voice
47:51full. Yes, of course. Tell her tell her
47:54I'm sorry too. Tell her I love her.
47:57[clears throat] I'll be there.
47:598 p.m.
48:00She'll see you then, Wesley, Nina said
48:02and hung up.
48:04Wesley leaped from the bed. He was
48:06laughing. He had done it. He had won.
48:09She was caving. The hotel key fiasco,
48:12the dinner reservation, the credit card.
48:15That was just her initial petty lashing
48:18out.
48:19But when it came to the crunch, she
48:21couldn't lose him.
48:22He had her.
48:24He suddenly felt starved. He picked up
48:27the now working phone and dialed room
48:30service.
48:31This is Wesley Ford in 5401.
48:34I want a 32 oz porterhouse steak, medium
48:37rare, a bottle of the 05 Petrus, and a
48:41slice of your best chocolate cake.
48:43Charge it to the room.
48:45He had a long, luxurious bath.
48:48He slept the sleep of the righteous, or
48:50at least the victorious.
48:53He spent the next day in the suite,
48:54ordering in, enjoying the view,
48:57magnanimously forgiving the staff for
48:59their errors the day before.
49:02He was once again the king.
49:05He preened, practiced his concerned but
49:08firm speech.
49:10He'd admit to being lonely. He'd admit
49:12to a mistake.
49:13He wouldn't mention Bethany by name,
49:16but he'd hold firm.
49:17He needed to be a full partner.
49:20The prenupt had to go.
49:22That evening he dressed with meticulous
49:24care.
49:25He chose a dark conservative Zegna suit,
49:29a serious suit.
49:30He wore the Patek Philippe watch she had
49:32bought him for their 10th anniversary.
49:36He was ready.
49:37At 7:55 p.m. he rode the private
49:40elevator up to the 60th floor, the
49:43executive level.
49:45He walked down the hushed, art-filled
49:47corridor to the founders' room. The
49:50double doors were imposing, carved from
49:53dark mahogany.
49:54He pushed them open.
49:56The room was not what he expected. It
49:58wasn't set for a romantic dinner.
50:01The long 40-ft boardroom table was gone.
50:05[clears throat] The room was dark,
50:06almost empty, except for a single small
50:10table in the very center, illuminated by
50:13a harsh spotlight from above.
50:15Julietta was sitting at the table.
50:17She was not in a dinner dress.
50:20She was wearing a crimson red power
50:22suit, her shoulders sharp, her hair
50:25pulled back so tightly it stretched the
50:28skin at her temples.
50:30She looked like a queen,
50:32a hanging judge.
50:34She was not alone.
50:35[clears throat] In the shadows, standing
50:37against the far wall, were two large,
50:40imposing security guards.
50:43And at a small desk in the corner sat a
50:45woman he didn't recognize,
50:47a severe-looking woman with gray hair
50:50and a laptop.
50:51Miss Albright.
50:53Wesley, Julietta said, and her voice was
50:56not the voice of a distraught wife. It
50:59was the voice she used in boardrooms,
51:02The voice that ended careers.
51:05Hello darling, she said, her voice
51:07echoing slightly in the vast, empty
51:10room. Please sit down. We have so much
51:13to reconcile.
51:15Wesley's triumphant smile faltered,
51:18freezing on his face.
51:20This was not a reconciliation.
51:22This was an ambush.
51:24Julietta,
51:25what is this? He stammered, his eyes
51:28darting to the guards, then to the
51:30lawyer in the corner.
51:32Where's the dinner? I
51:34I thought we were going to talk.
51:36Oh, we are, Julietta said, her voice
51:39dangerously pleasant.
51:41We are going to talk about so many
51:43things.
51:44Please Wesley,
51:46sit.
51:47She gestured to the single,
51:49uncomfortable looking chair opposite
51:51her.
51:52He sat, perching on the edge.
51:55The spotlight was hot, making him feel
51:57like he was under interrogation.
52:00You look nervous, Wesley, Julietta said.
52:04There's no need.
52:05This is just a
52:07performance review.
52:09After all, you've been working for me
52:11for 15 years.
52:13I thought it was time we assessed your
52:15value.
52:17Julietta, stop this. This
52:19This is cruel.
52:21I came here. I
52:23I know I made a mistake. I was lonely.
52:25You're never here. I
52:28I was a fool.
52:29A fool, she agreed, nodding slowly.
52:33That is the first true thing you've
52:34said.
52:35But your mistake wasn't the affair,
52:38Wesley.
52:39Your mistake was thinking I was stupid.
52:42She slid a thin file across the table.
52:45Open it.
52:47His hands trembled. He opened the
52:49folder. It was a photograph, a high
52:52resolution, crystal clear still from the
52:54hotel security camera.
52:56Him.
52:57Bethany.
52:58His arm around her, his smug expression.
53:02Bethany read, Julietta said, as if
53:05reciting a resume.
53:06Age 26, a failed actress turned
53:09influencer.
53:11You met her at the bar at the Standard
53:13six months and two weeks ago.
53:16You've spent
53:17Let's see.
53:19She glanced at the lawyer, who read from
53:21her screen.
53:23$472,000,
53:25Miss Albright said,
53:27on gifts, travel, and sponsorships for
53:30her
53:31brand.
53:33Wesley's blood ran cold.
53:35You
53:36You spied on me,
53:38he whispered. You flaunted her, Juliet
53:41corrected, her voice rising for the
53:43first time. In [clears throat] my lobby,
53:45in my suite. You used my name, my
53:48account. That's not spying, Wesley.
53:51That's inventory.
53:53She pushed a second, much thicker file
53:55toward him.
53:56This
53:57This is the real problem.
53:59He opened it. It was bank statements,
54:02wire transfers, account numbers, the
54:05Cayman Islands account, the Miami condo
54:07deed in Bethany Reed's name
54:10for point two
54:13million
54:14dollars. Juliet enunciated every
54:16syllable. You didn't just make a
54:18mistake, Wesley. You stole from me, from
54:21this company, from the people who work
54:23for me.
54:24You took money that was earmarked for
54:26employee pensions and year-end bonuses,
54:29and you bought your a condominium.
54:32No, he cried, standing up. It It was
54:36investments, high risk, the market. It
54:39went bad. I was trying to
54:42to make my own money so I could be your
54:44equal. The two guards tensed, but Juliet
54:48held up a hand.
54:50Sit down.
54:51He fell back into the chair.
54:53You have never been my equal, she said,
54:55her voice low and filled with a contempt
54:58that seared him.
54:59[clears throat] You were my husband.
55:01I loved you.
55:02I trusted you.
55:04And you were a parasite,
55:06a common, pathetic thief.
55:09Juliet, please, he begged, the tears now
55:12real.
55:13I
55:14I can pay it back. We can We can work
55:16this out. Don't Don't do this. I'll I'll
55:19go. I'll sign anything. Just don't tell
55:23anyone. The press, it would ruin us. It
55:26would ruin the brand.
55:28He tried to find her last weak spot.
55:32The brand.
55:33Juliet actually laughed, a cold, sharp,
55:36mirthless sound.
55:38The brand?
55:40You're worried about the brand?
55:42You brought your mistress to the
55:43flagship. You were declined at Chanel.
55:46You made a scene at Le Ciel.
55:48You are a liability, Wesley.
55:50The brand will be stronger when I cut
55:52you out of it.
55:54She stood up, walking around the table
55:56to stand over him.
55:58You came here tonight thinking I was
56:00going to offer you more, she said,
56:02disgusted.
56:04You thought I was the weak, forgiving
56:06wife.
56:07You thought you'd won. She snapped her
56:09fingers.
56:11Mr. Howell stepped out of the shadows
56:12from a side door. He was holding a
56:15small, silver tray.
56:17You've been
56:19complaining about [clears throat] your
56:20stay, Mr. Ford,
56:22Juliet said.
56:24The service, the reservations, the key
56:27cards.
56:28I believe you made a scene
56:30at Aurelia Grand. We take guest
56:32complaints very, very seriously.
56:36She took a stack of papers from Miss
56:37Albright.
56:38These, she said,
56:40are the divorce papers.
56:42You get nothing.
56:43The prenup is ironclad.
56:46In fact, due to the financial misconduct
56:48clause, you owe me.
56:51She took another document.
56:53This is a restraining order.
56:55You will not come within 500 ft of me,
56:57my home, or any of my properties
57:01ever again.
57:02She took a third file.
57:04And this,
57:06this is the criminal complaint we are
57:07filing with the district attorney's
57:09office tomorrow morning.
57:11Wire fraud, embezzlement, grand larceny.
57:16Ms. Albright is a very good lawyer.
57:18You'll be hearing from her
57:20and from the NYPD.
57:23Wesley was white, hyperventilating.
57:26J- Julietta, no, prison. You wouldn't.
57:29I'm I'm your husband.
57:31You were my husband, she corrected. Now
57:34you're just a thief. And this, she
57:37nodded to Mr. Howell. He stepped
57:39forward. On the tray was a single long
57:42piece of paper, a receipt.
57:45This is your bill, Julietta said, for
57:47the presidential suite, five nights at
57:50the full non-discounted rack rate
57:53plus room service, the Dom Perignon, the
57:56oysters, the Petru, the steak, plus the
57:59damages for the vase you knocked over,
58:02plus the premium for checking in under
58:04false pretenses.
58:06Wesley looked at the total. It was over
58:08$150,000.
58:11My
58:13my cards are locked, he stammered.
58:15I I can't pay this.
58:17I know,
58:18Julietta said, which is why we will be
58:21seizing your assets, the few you had
58:23before me anyway, [clears throat] your
58:25watches, your car, that ridiculous fund
58:29you operate.
58:30Consider this your final performance
58:33review.
58:34You're fired
58:35from the board, from the family, from my
58:38life.
58:39She turned to the guards.
58:41Gentlemen,
58:42Mr. Ford is no longer a guest. He is, in
58:45fact, banned for life from all Aurelia
58:48Grand properties.
58:50Please escort him from the premises.
58:52Julietta,
58:54no, please, Wesley screamed, grabbing
58:57for her.
58:58The guards were on him in an instant,
59:01pulling his arms behind his back.
59:03You can't do this. I'll I'll tell the
59:05press everything. I'll ruin you, he
59:08shrieked, his face red.
59:11Julietta leaned in close, her inches
59:13from his and whispered,
59:16go ahead.
59:17Tell them.
59:19Tell them you're a cheater and a thief.
59:22Tell them you got caught by your wife.
59:25Tell them you're facing 10 to 15 in Sing
59:28Sing.
59:29Who do you think they'll believe,
59:30Wesley? The fool on the pavement
59:33or the queen in the castle?
59:36She turned and walked to the door.
59:39Mr. Howell, she said,
59:42not looking back,
59:43please have housekeeping deep clean
59:45suite 5401.
59:47I want it fumigated.
59:49Yes, Mrs. Ford, Howell said, his voice
59:52filled with profound relief.
59:54Wesley was dragged, screaming and
59:56pleading, out of the room, down the
59:59service elevator, and marched through
1:00:01the staff only exit into the back alley.
1:00:04The guards threw his custom-made suit
1:00:06onto the grimy pavement after him.
1:00:09The alley door slammed shut.
1:00:11Wesley Ford stood there in the cold,
1:00:14misty New York night, smelling of
1:00:16garbage.
1:00:18His phone was dead.
1:00:20His wallet was empty.
1:00:22He had, quite literally, nothing but the
1:00:24clothes on his back.
1:00:26And he knew, with a certainty that
1:00:29chilled him to his soul,
1:00:31that his life was over.
1:00:33Julietta stood in the empty founder's
1:00:35room, feeling hollow but light.
1:00:38The cancer she'd been ignoring was
1:00:40finally cut out.
1:00:41Her legal team confirmed the next steps.
1:00:44Wesley would be arrested by midday.
1:00:47As for Bethany,
1:00:48Julietta was unmoved.
1:00:50The condo, purchased with stolen funds,
1:00:53was a company asset.
1:00:55Ms. Albright's team would repossess it,
1:00:57and Ms. Reed would be evicted.
1:01:00The press, guided by Nina, framed the
1:01:02story perfectly.
1:01:04It wasn't a tale of a wronged wife. It
1:01:07was a story of a brilliant CEO
1:01:10uncovering corporate fraud. Wesley was
1:01:13the fool, and Julietta was praised for
1:01:15her decisive action. Six months later,
1:01:18Julietta stood on a balcony in Dubai,
1:01:21overlooking the construction of her
1:01:23newest, most ambitious hotel.
1:01:26Her vision was clearer, focused on
1:01:29building for herself.
1:01:31She had the New York suite gutted,
1:01:33erasing the past and remaking it in her
1:01:36own clean, modern image.
1:01:38The divorce was finalized. Wesley,
1:01:41facing irrefutable evidence, pled guilty
1:01:44and was sentenced to seven years in
1:01:46federal prison.
1:01:48Julietta didn't attend the sentencing.
1:01:50She was, as always, working.
1:01:53An architect approached her on the
1:01:54balcony.
1:01:56Mrs. Ford, the foundation is set. We're
1:01:58ready to build.
1:02:00Julietta Ford turned, a small, genuine
1:02:03smile on her face.
1:02:04Good.
1:02:06Let's get to work.
1:02:07And that's the story of how Wesley Ford
1:02:10learned the hard way that you should
1:02:13never, ever try to con the person who
1:02:16signs your checks.
1:02:18He thought he was playing a game of
1:02:20chess,
1:02:21but he was just a pawn on his wife's
1:02:23board.
1:02:24He flew too close to the sun,
1:02:27and Julietta didn't just let him fall.
1:02:29She melted his wings, repossessed the
1:02:31wax, and then build him for the fire.
1:02:35What did you think of Julietta's
1:02:36revenge?
1:02:37Was it too cold, or was it the perfect
1:02:40karmic justice for Wesley's betrayal and
1:02:42theft?
1:02:44Let me know your thoughts in the
1:02:45comments below.
1:02:47What would you have done if you were in
1:02:49her shoes?
1:02:51If you loved this story of drama and
1:02:53consequences,
1:02:55please don't forget to hit that like
1:02:57button,
1:02:58share it with a friend who loves a good
1:03:01revenge story, and most importantly,
1:03:04subscribe to the channel so you never
1:03:06miss a new video.
1:03:09Thank you for listening,
1:03:10and we'll see you in the next story.

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