Chapter 20 Scapegoat
Rachel was floored.
She didn't know much about stock funds, but she had dabbled in them before, with Steven handling everything.
In the first year she bought them, Steven would update her on any major changes, but she couldn't make heads or tails of it and trusted him completely, so she stopped asking for updates.
If not for the text message, she had no idea about her stock earnings.
The next morning, she looked up Zenith Technologies Ltd.
It was a tech company that had just gone public two years ago, specializing in robotics, drones, and electronic chips.
Its market value was $1.13 billion.
The current stock price was $3.50 per share.
The price was relatively low.
Rachel didn't hesitate and registered a new account in the stock market, directly buying 20,000 shares.
To her surprise, within a week, the stock price soared to over $100, netting her over three million dollars.
While she was still basking in the joy of her windfall, the tax department officially sent someone to investigate Radiant Beauty Spa's finances.
As the legal person in charge, even if she was just a figurehead, she couldn't escape scrutiny and had to be thoroughly investigated.
When Rachel arrived at Radiant Beauty Spa, Heather was explaining the situation to the police regarding the deputy head of the finance department.
The deputy was a middle-aged man who appeared calm and composed.
Rachel knew he was the scapegoat Heather had pushed forward, undoubtedly promising him something.
After the police left, she walked up to Heather, her face pale with disbelief, "Mom, how could there be tax evasion? What's going on?"
Heather was calm but still somewhat heavy-hearted. Seeing Rachel's frightened expression, she quickly stepped forward and held her sweaty hand.
"Don't worry, Rachel. This was my oversight. I just found out someone in the finance department was cooking the books. The police have already taken him away. Don't worry, this has nothing to do with you. Once they finish their investigation, we'll pay the owed taxes and fines, and everything will be fine."
Rachel's palms were sweaty from nervousness.
She had wanted to anonymously report the issue but felt uncertain since it was her first time doing something like this.
Although the situation caught Heather off guard, she clearly had a plan in place.
She found a scapegoat.
Rachel nodded and hesitantly asked, "So, the spa will have to temporarily close for rectification?"
"Exactly, this is such a mess."
Heather sighed and looked at a middle-aged woman in a black suit among the crowd, "Juniper, please apologize to the customers and try to finish their current treatments. If there's any inconvenience, ask for their understanding, especially with our VIP clients."
Juniper Fox, the spa manager, nodded, "I've already called the VIP clients. I'll go check on things."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Rachel's gaze followed her, her eyes faint. She understood what Juniper meant.
The so-called VIP area was likely the basement level.
Radiant Beauty Spa usually opened at 9:30 AM, and it was only around 10 AM now. Were there already customers downstairs?
The tax department's audit would take time. Rachel's hand was still held by Heather, and she couldn't break free to investigate.
Half an hour later, Steven arrived and saw Rachel's pale face, his eyes filled with concern. He hugged her shoulders.
"I'm here, don't be afraid."
Rachel suppressed her inner repulsion, not pushing him away. Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out, "Why did you take so long?"
Steven's heart sank as he held her tight, trying to soothe her. "It's my fault, Rach. It's just a routine check, don't worry."
Soon, a tax department officer called out, "Who's the legal representative of this spa?"
Steven guided her inside, immediately stepping in front of her. "Hi, my wife is the legal representative, but only in name. She's never been involved in the spa's operations or finances."
Heather's eyes sparkled with cunning as she chimed in, "My daughter-in-law hasn't been involved in the spa's decisions or operations at all. I just found out about the tax evasion myself."
While they spoke, Rachel discreetly turned on the voice recorder in her bag, still looking nervous and fearful.
The tax department officer glanced at her. "We need to copy these ledgers for our records. Radiant Beauty Spa is officially notified to pay the owed taxes within seven business days, submit fines, and close for 20 days for rectification. The written notice will be delivered by this afternoon or tomorrow."
With that, they left with the documents.
Heather secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seven million dollars? She could handle that. As long as the shady business continued, it would be enough.
After dispersing the crowd, Rachel and Steven went to her office.
Once the door closed, Steven couldn't hold back. "Mom, why don't we revoke Rachel's legal representative status? She doesn't participate in the spa's operations or decisions, and look how scared she is."
Heather frowned slightly but, seeing Rachel's pale face, she took a deep breath and said softly, "I didn't expect this to happen. It's my fault for trusting them too much."
Steven added, "The spa's only been open for a little over a year. The management needs a thorough review."
"Indeed, it does."
"And Rachel's legal representative status, I don't want her to be scared like this."
"This was an accident," Heather sighed. "Alright. Let's have a shareholder meeting this afternoon and revoke Rachel's legal representative status."
Rachel's heart had been in her throat since Steven spoke, and her breathing finally eased.
This was the perfect opportunity to remove herself from the legal representative position.
Especially through Steven's suggestion, Heather would never suspect her.
When Heather agreed, Rachel exhaled deeply.
This ticking time bomb was finally removed.
It was much easier than she had imagined.
She was momentarily dazed before remembering she was still a shareholder of Radiant Beauty Spa. The shady business was still connected to her.
She wasn't completely free yet.
Heather would definitely keep her involved through dividends.
Radiant Beauty Spa had four shareholders, including Rachel.
They were all prominent women from Dawnlight City. Rachel didn't know if they were aware of the shady business, but removing her legal representative status went smoothly, passing unanimously.
Once Heather resolved the tax issue, Rachel successfully signed the legal representative change application.
Heather watched her leave, her brows furrowing slightly. Just then, her phone rang.
"Heather, we found out who the whistleblower is."
"Who?"
"Benjamin, the lead attorney at Azure Sky Law Firm."
"Benjamin?"
Heather's voice rose, eyes filled with disbelief, recalling the recent time she saw Rachel dining with a stranger.
That man was Benjamin.
She narrowed her eyes, a hint of suspicion rising. The person on the phone continued, "Heather, Gemstone Beauty Parlor's legal advisor is a senior attorney from Azure Sky Law Firm."