9.99 Million Dollars for a Lie

The countdown to our company's IPO was closing in, with only one week left. Everyone was tense; even the break room conversations couldn't stray from IPO preparations. But my husband, Chip Silva, did something at this crucial moment that took me completely by surprise. He spent 9.99 million to hire a female influencer named Reese Sullivan, saying she would help promote our products and give our company's IPO an extra boost. The first time I saw Reese in the meeting room, she was wearing a pink dress, her hair styled in fluffy curls, and spoke with a deliberately sweet tone. "Mr. Silva, Ms. Donald, rest assured." She was holding a folder but didn't even open it to take a look. "My followers trust me completely. This promotion will definitely sell fifty million worth of products!" I felt uneasy right then. Fifty million isn't a small amount—could she really deliver on those "trusting followers" she kept mentioning? But Chip Silva looked completely approving and even patted Reese Sullivan on the shoulder: "I trust you. Do a good job." I wanted to question it, but Chip Silva stopped me with a look. The product promotion live stream was scheduled for Wednesday night at 8 PM, and many people in the company were glued to their screens, waiting to see the results. Chip and I sat in the office, staring at the computer screen together. Reese was energetically promoting our company's products in front of the camera. At one moment, she picked up a skincare product and said, "Girls, I use this every day. My skin is so soft it practically glows." The next moment, she held a health supplement and said, "My parents both take this, and they're in great health." But the order numbers at the bottom of the screen hardly moved. By the time the livestream ended and the backend data came in, I could hardly believe my eyes. The total sales were only two hundred dollars, and it was just one employee who bought a lipstick herself to support Reese Sullivan. The meeting room fell completely silent, all eyes on Reese Sullivan. Reese's face instantly went pale, her eyes quickly reddened, and tears began streaming down like broken beads. "I'm sorry, Mr. Silva, I'm sorry everyone." She choked up, her voice breaking intermittently. "I don't even know how it came to this. Maybe I just wasn't prepared enough this time and ended up disappointing everyone..." Just as I was about to say something, Chip Silva stepped forward, handed Reese Sullivan a tissue, and patted her on the back to comfort her. "It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes." "You're new. It's inevitable to run into issues when you're just starting out with product promotion. Just gain more experience from here—we all support you." "New?" I was stunned for a moment. Reese Sullivan had been active online for over two years—how could she still be considered new? We spent 9.99 million hiring a "newcomer" to promote products, and in the end, only sold 200 dollars—and they still defend her like this? I couldn't hold back my anger and said in front of everyone, "Chip Silva, this isn't about whether she's a newcomer." "A 9.99 million collaboration fee and only 200 dollars in sales—that's not just a mistake anymore." "Ms. Sullivan clearly exaggerated her abilities. We should sue her and recover our losses." Reese cried even harder when she heard the word "sue," clutching Chip's sleeve and apologizing nonstop: "Mr. Silva, I really didn't mean to do it. Please don't sue me—I can't afford to pay..." Chip Silva frowned and looked back at me, his voice tinged with reproach: "Nancy Donald, aren't you going too far?" "Reese Sullivan has already apologized, and she didn't do it on purpose. Why are you still holding on? Do you really want to blow this out of proportion?" "Blow it out of proportion?" I could hardly believe my ears. "Chip, we spent 9.99 million!" "That's the company's money, not our personal savings! The company is about to IPO. Aren't you worried this will hurt the IPO?" "It won't hurt it," Chip said firmly. "I'll handle it, so stop making a fuss." "Making a fuss?" Looking at this familiar yet strange man before me, my heart felt stabbed with needles. We've worked so hard together all these years, building from a small studio to a company about to go public in an IPO. I thought our goals were aligned. But now, he blames me for making an unreasonable fuss—all because of an outsider. At that moment, something inside me seemed to break. I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to stay calm: "Chip Silva, if you think I'm making an unreasonable fuss, then there's nothing left to say. Let's get a divorce." Chip Silva froze, clearly not expecting me to say those two words. He frowned. "Nancy Donald, stop being ridiculous. Do you want a divorce over something so trivial?" "Trivial?" I laughed, bitterness seeping through. "In your eyes, 9.99 million is trivial, and the company's interests are trivial." "Then what is important? Reese Sullivan?" Reese stood off to the side, head down, her shoulders trembling slightly, looking both wronged and innocent. I couldn't bear to look at them anymore. I turned, grabbed my cell phone, and called the lawyer. "Lawyer Dawson, please help me draft a divorce agreement. The sooner, the better." After hanging up, I didn't look at Chip Silva or Reese Sullivan again and walked straight out of the meeting room.