Chapter 18 Anthony kept Linda in the basement for an excruciating three days , without a morsel of food or a sip of water . Come the dawn of the fourth day , he ordered the basement door swung open . The air was thick with the stench of neglect . Anthony held his hand over his nose and mouth . " Ready to make that trip to the courthouse for a divorce ? " Linda , her appearance a mess and her body frail , struggled to her feet , her eyes wide with terror . " Anthony , just let me out , I'll do whatever you say . " Anthony grabbed a bag of dog food from his assistant and tossed it onto the floor . " Finish this , and you're free . " Desperate , Linda scrambled on the floor , shoving the kibble into her mouth . The assistant , phone in hand , captured every moment . " Make sure that's saved . I'm gonna show Jess exactly how I dealt with her little friend . " He stamped on Linda's hand , and she winced in pain . " Animals don't use their hands to eat , do they ? No hands allowed ! " Linda collapsed , crying uncontrollably , the uneaten dog food spilling from her lips . Anthony , dragging the disheveled Linda , arrived at the County Clerk's Office to file for divorce . He slid their marriage certificate and IDs across the counter . " Hi there , we need to get a divorce . " The clerk , visibly startled , turned to Linda . " Ma'am , are you okay ? Do you need help ? " Linda , intimidated , shook her head frantically . " No , no , just please … make it quick . " The clerk worked efficiently , but Anthony had overlooked the mandatory one - month waiting period . " What , a month ? We don't need to wait . I want this divorce now . " The clerk calmly explained that it was the law , and they had no choice but to wait . Anthony's assistant lunged to stop him in his tracks . " Mr. Harris , we need to find Mrs. Harris first . If you end up behind bars for starting a fight , you won't be able to search for her at all . " That was when Anthony reluctantly lowered his fist , which had been cocked to shatter the window . Seething with anger , he grabbed Linda and tossed her to the bodyguard behind him . " Throw her back in the basement . Give her just enough water and dog food to keep her alive . " 1/3 Chapter 18 With those harsh words , he stormed off , leaving Linda crouched on the ground , howling . The whole ugly scene was caught on video and went viral , drawing a flood of mockery online . +25 Bonus [ That hothead in the video is Anthony ? I just saw him on TV not long ago , all suited up and accepting an award for being an outstanding young entrepreneur . ] [ His wife dumps him , and suddenly the jerk realizes he's been a fool , showing off by mistreating his mistress . Who's he trying to impress ? ] [ Harris Group has lost all credibility . Let's band together , shareholders , and vote them out ! ] By that evening , shareholders were dumping their stocks in droves . One major client after another was on the phone , canceling their deals . The assistant broke the news to Anthony , but he just shrugged it off . " I built my empire from the ground up . This is just a bump in the road , " he boasted . Just then , the assistant let him in on the secret that had catapulted him to the top of the industry in no time . It turned out that the initial investments that launched Harris Group were all courtesy of the Sullivans . " Mrs. Harris had no clue . The investor always kept their identity a secret . I only stumbled upon the truth by chance , " the assistant confessed . Anthony was in utter shock . He had always prided himself on growing Harris Group from a tiny outfit with a handful of employees to a powerhouse with a workforce in the hundreds , all thanks to his smarts and charisma - or so he thought . The harsh truth hit him : the crucial investment that saved his company from going under had come from Jessica's wealthy parents . " Mr. Harris , you've pushed Mrs. Harris away , and now Sullivan Group has pulled their funding . If we don't figure something out fast , we're done for , " his assistant warned . It was like a punch to the gut for Anthony . Then his phone buzzed with a call . The voice on the other end claimed to have information on Jessica's whereabouts , but the price tag was a steep 750 thousand dollars . His assistant whispered urgently , " Mr. Harris , we're broke . " Anthony barely heard him . His world narrowed to one thought : Jessa . " Put the company up as collateral , " he ordered . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!