The Dark Rings of Power

"You're firing me?" Kaiden Toliver asked.

He was in total disbelief as he gazed at the man dressed in a navy blue suit standing before him. It was his father-in-law, Elias Macaulay who had a grim look on his face as he stared at him.

"Didn't you get that?" He demanded.

Kaiden was confused. Why would he fire him all of a sudden?

Elias' blonde hair shone in the morning sun that washed into the office. His ocean blue eyes gazed at hi

as they pierced through his soul. His nostrils flared up in rage, and that made Kaiden know immediately that he wasn't kidding.

"I don't, sir."

Elias shook his head in disbelief. He pushed the blue file that was in front of him towards him.

"Open it."

Kaiden obeyed and got hold of the file, flipping through it. As he gazed at what was in it, his eyes lit up in shock. There were documents in there which stated that he had embezzled the company's funds. Kaiden was perplexed at this. He dropped the file and gazed at Elias who was now standing by the glass wall with his back to him.

"I don't understand," Kaiden confessed.

"You think I'm stupid?" Elias asked as he turned to face him.

Kaiden cranked an eyebrow at him.

"No? I'm just questioning the legitimacy of these documents. It says here that I..."

"Are you questioning the evidence that is out there? After everything I've done for you, Kaiden. This is the way you can repay me?" Elias asked now with his hands placed on the desk and with his eyes fixed on him.

Kaiden gulped hard.

"There must be some sort of misunderstanding," Kaiden tried to explain. "I would never do such a thing to you."

Elias chuckled and shook his head slowly.

"You think I'm that gullible, Kaiden?" He asked. "I always knew that this would happen someday. I should never have let you marry my daughter. What am I going to tell her?"

Kaiden's heart skipped a beat as his mind came across his wife, Uriah. What was she doing to think of him when this got to her? Surely she was going to believe that he would steal from them? There was no point in stealing funds from the company when he was already content with what he had; being married to her.

There had to be some mistake in this. But Kaiden knew that this wasn't going to be enough to convince Elias. Elias had always disliked him from the first day that Uriah had introduced him to the family. He had always hated that she had married someone so average like him. How did Kaiden know this? Elias had said it to his face countless times. There was no way that he would skip an opportunity to get rid of him like this.

There was no question that someone inside the company did this to him. He had been framed, but would Elias believe him? Not a change in the world.

Kaiden clenched his jaws as he looked up at Elias who was now back at the glass wall. The morning sun washed into the room bathing the office with its golden light and also illuminating Elias' gold blond hair.

"Do you really think I would steal from you? I work hard for this company every single day. I wouldn't dare."

Elias shook his head with a soft chuckle before turning to him.

"I know you, Kaiden. You're useless. My daughter literally made you the man you are today," Elias said, turning to him. "Why wouldn't you be enticed about the idea of stealing something from the company? I mean, you thought that nobody would notice because you work in the finance department."

"I wouldn't dare!" Kaiden said, slamming his fist on the wooden deck. "I wouldn't."

"But you did, Kaiden. The evidence is right there."

Kaiden, all dressed in a black suit, tried to control his emotions but they weren't working. He was getting angry that Elias wouldn't listen to him for one second.

After everything he went through in his hands, was this how it was going to end? There was no coming back from this. He was going to get fired.

"The only thing you can do right now is accept the truth, Kaiden. You stole from me."

Kaiden closed his eyes and thought about it for a few moments. If he accepted it, there was a possibility he would go to prison. And if he didn't, he would still face the same fate. The only thing that he could do now was tell the truth.

"I didn't do it, sir. I would never steal from you."

Elias came back to the desk and shook his head. He took a seat and placed his hands on the desk.

"I'm disappointed in you, Kaiden. I have always been disappointed since the day my daughter married you, but you have gone too far. You leave me with no choice."

"Just let me prove to you that I'm innocent," Kaiden said.

"There's nothing to prove Kaiden."

Kaiden clenched his jaws as he heard that. There was no going back from here. He was getting fired, but he still had his dignity intact. He wasn't to accept the fault for something he never did. Elias may not have framed him, but Kaiden was certain he knew who had done it.

"I'll get my things then," Kaiden said, rising from the chair.

"That won't be necessary."

And with that, the door opened and two security guards stepped into the office with two boxes containing all of his stuff.

Kaiden got it from them and turned to Elias.

"This isn't over," he said.

Elias chuckled and leaned back on his desk.

"It is already over, Kaiden and I won. Now leave my office, before I call security."

Kaiden clenched his jaws and looked at all his stuff in the boxes.

He turned back to Elias one more time before stepping out of the office.

Elias picked up his phone and dialed a number. The line only rang once.

"Hello?"

"It is done," Elias said.

"He's gone."

"Shit!" Kaiden yelled as he ran his fingers through his jet-black hair.

He was staring at his MacBook now and his green eyes were lit in surprise. He had been job hunting for a week now and had been unsuccessful on several attempts. This was his last choice and he had just gotten a letter that denied him any opportunities in the company.

Kaiden was getting frustrated now. At this point, he would have to start working in a fast-food restaurant to be able to pay the bills. And he dreaded that. He was too good for that. He sighed once more and rubbed his forehead slowly.

Maybe Elias had something to do with this. Before leaving his office, he had threatened him saying this wasn't over. Kaiden knew that Elias had something to do with the documents. He knew that they were fake but he had still gone along with it.

Kaiden had felt so useless when he had come home. That had been two weeks ago. He had told Uriah about him getting fired, and she had consoled him telling him that she would speak to her father about him. She had been gone all weekend and he feared that Elias was going to brainwash her into believing that he had done it.

Frustrated by the letter of rejection, he closed the MacBook and sighed.

Just then, the front door opened and Uriah stepped into the house. He smiled as he watched her walk towards him, but when he saw the expression on her face, he knew that something was wrong.

Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back roughly into a ponytail and her ocean-blue eyes were lit in rage. In her hands was a big brown envelope which drew his attention.

"Uriah. You're home?" I asked, rising from the dining table.

Uriah arrived and placed the brown envelope on the table. I looked at her in confusion.

"Why did you lie to me?" She asked.

This left him flabbergasted.

"What did I lie about? What are you talking about, Uriah?"

Uriah looked at him with her brows furrowed. She didn't seem like she was in the mood for hugs.

"Open the envelope," she said.

"Babe?"

"I said open the envelope."

Kaiden sighed and reached for the envelope. He tore the seal and pulled out a document from the envelope. When he looked at it and I recognized it, he sighed. It was the document that showed him stealing the company's funds.

Kaiden dropped the document on the table and sighed.

"You're not going to say anything?" She asked.

"I didn't steal anything, Uriah. I'm being framed," Kaiden replied.

"You lied to me, Kaiden. Why didn't you tell me that you were involved in something like this?"

"I didn't want to tell you until I proved my innocence," Kaiden replied.

"Lies. More lies!" She yelled at me.

It was then that Kaiden knew he had made a big mistake. Perhaps she should have told her rather than her finding out from Elias. That had been a very stupid thing to do. And now he was paying the price for that.

"I would never lie to you, Uriah."

Uriah shook her head. Kaiden became scared of what this might spiral into.

Uriah picked up the envelope and reached into it hurriedly bringing out another document. She placed it before him and Kaiden could do nothing but watch him.

"What is that?" Kaiden asked.

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

Kaiden sighed and picked up the document, reading it. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what he was staring at. They were divorce papers. Kaiden looked up at Uriah who was still fuming.

"Sign them," she ordered.

"Uriah. I think we should talk about this first," Kaiden said calmly.

"There's nothing more to talk about. My father had warned me that you only married me so you go have a taste at the company's money and I thought he was just being paranoid. It turns out he had been right all along."

Kaiden could feel his heart shatter into a million pieces. This was what Uriah thought of him now. Elias had been able to destroy his life in a week. There was nothing left for him now. He had been able to brainwash Uriah into believing that he was the bad guy.

"Uriah," Kaiden said calmly.

"Sign the divorce papers, Kaiden."

Kaiden sighed and turned around to the dining table. He sat on it and picked up the papers looking at it one more time. His eyes fell to the foot of the document and he saw her signature already on one of the dotted lines.

This disappointed him. She had already made her mind up before she came to the house. Elias had been successful. Maybe if he hadn't threatened him, he would still have Uriah. But now he was left with nothing and no way to go.

Uriah handed him a pen and he placed it on the dotted line. His heart was thumping hard against his chest as he contemplated the outcomes of this moment.

Then, he pressed the ink on the paper and signed the document. When he was done, he handed over the papers to Uriah who got it from him and placed it back into the envelope.

"Now. Leave my house."

"What?" Kaiden asked in confusion.

She was asking him to leave the house. Where would he go? He had nowhere else apart from here and she knew that. There was no need to question her attitude, he had seen this coming. Elias had been able to manipulate her into believing that he had stolen from them.

"Uriah. You know I can't leave," he pointed out.

Uriah seemed to be angered by his words. She couldn't stand him. She was irritated by his presence. After everything she had done for him, this was the only way he could repay her. He had stolen from them, which hurt her so badly. It was so bad that she had to bow to her father's orders. She should have listened to him from the start when he had warned her about Kaiden, but she hadn't listened and now she was paying the price. But that didn't matter presently.

She had successfully divorced him just like her father had instructed. There was nothing linking Kaiden to their family anymore. It was over.

"I don't see how that is a concern to me," she said. "I need you out now."

Kaiden clenched his jaws at that. He was at the mercy of his wife but she wasn't going to let him stay. Not even for the night. Where would he go? He couldn't even afford a motel tonight. By divorcing her, all his finances will be cut off. Kaiden wasn't ready for life without Uriah as well. What would he do without her? He loved her so much that it hurt.

"Uriah. Please just listen to me this once," he begged.

Uriah seemed to have calmed down, and it looked like she was ready to pay attention to what he had to say. He was lucky that she was willing to hear him out.

"Fine. But you only have a minute."

Kaiden was satisfied by that. One minute was all he needed to convince her that he was innocent. He wasn't sure who had framed him with those documents, but there was a certainty that Elias had a clue.

"Uriah, I..."

Before he could complete his sentence, the front door swung open and Elias stepped into the house. Kaiden felt his heart sink. His opportunity had gone right before his eyes with Elias' arrival. He wasn't going to let him talk.

Uriah rushed to her father who looked enraged to see him sitting at the dining table.

"Daddy!" She said,

Kaiden gulped hard.

"What is he still doing here?" He asked her. "What is that traitor still doing in my house?"

Kaiden clenched his jaws as he heard that. The house was gifted to them by Elias on their wedding day. It was their wedding gift. And now he was revoking it. He was going to take custody of it once more. Kaiden couldn't believe that his life was about to be over.

"I want you out of my house now!" Elias ordered coming towards him.

Kaiden was racking his mind thinking of what to do, but it was too late. As long as Elias was here, his hope of having a second chance was gone.

"I was talking to your daughter," he said. "Just let me finish."

"You think I'm going to let you brainwash her again?"

Kaiden could feel his blood boiling. He balled his hands into fists. The accusations were hurtful and angered him. They were treating him like garbage and he was running out of patience.

"I don't care what you're going to do to me after this, but I am not leaving without talking to Uriah," Kaiden said.

Elias was surprised by his bold Kaiden was. He seemed to have clicked into another gear. Just like he had done in the office. But it was pointless. Elias wasn't going to let him win. He already had the cards in his favor and there was nothing Kaiden could do about that.

"There's nothing to talk about, Kaiden. I want you gone," she said.

Elias grinned at that. He trusted his daughter to go ahead with the plan. If there was one thing his daughter had gotten from him, it was his stubbornness. He hated it whenever it was used against him, but when she was on his side, it was one of his strongest weapons.

Kaiden was surprised at Uriah's words. Of course, Elias had made her change her mind. She would willingly listen to him. His eyes fell to her hand and she was gripping the brown envelope tight. Kaiden wasn't sure she had thought this through. She was just following Elias's orders and he couldn't blame her. But she had chosen a side, and that was all he needed to know.

"Alright then, I'll let you be," he said. "I'll leave, Uriah."

And with that, Kaiden got upstairs and began packing his belongings. He was furious as he shoved his clothes into his suitcase. He was done with the Macaulays. They had made him look like a fool and he was tired. He couldn't keep up with being mistreated by the family. His love for Uriah wasn't worth it. It was time he focused on something else.

A few minutes later, he was back downstairs with his suitcase in his hand. He found Uriah waiting by the dining table. His eyes fell on his MacBook and he walked over to get it from her. But she shut it and pulled it towards her bosom.

"This is mine. Or have you forgotten?"

Kaiden glared at her. For the first time in his life, he felt nothing when he looked into her ocean-blue eyes. His love for her had been flushed immediately. It was truly over.

"Fine then. Keep it," he said coldly and walked towards the door.

Kaiden paused by the door and turned around looking at them once more. Elias gave him a sinister smile as he waved him goodbye. Kaiden left the house and closed the door behind him.

Elias turned back to his daughter who was sitting at the dining table clutching the MacBook to her chest. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him.

"You did the right thing," he said.

Uriah nodded at that.

***

Elias reached into the breast pocket of his suit and pulled out his phone. He was standing just outside the house as he dialed a familiar number. The line rang only once.

"Did you do it? Is he finally gone?"

Elias smiled at that.

"Yes."

The voice chuckled at the other end of the line.

"Now. We move to phase two."