Chapter 5 - The Retaliation
The news of Claire Whitmore filing for divorce hit the New Orleans social registry like a hurricane.
Preston Whitmore was furious. Losing his wife was one thing; losing control of the narrative was unacceptable. When he discovered that Claire had personally intervened to save Baptiste Catering’s business license, his embarrassment transformed into absolute rage.
At his corporate office overlooking Poydras Street, Preston slammed his phone onto his glass desk, shattering the edge.
"Find me something on Daniel Baptiste!" Preston barked at his private investigator sitting across from him. "I don't care if it's a unpaid parking ticket from ten years ago or a delayed tax filing! I want him discredited!"
"Mr. Whitmore," the investigator said cautiously, "the chef is clean. He's an army veteran, served six years, honorably discharged, built his catering company from a single food truck. The community loves him."
"Everyone has a weak spot!" Preston spat, his eyes bloodshot. "Check his suppliers! Check his leases! Buy the building his kitchen is in! Evict him!"
"Sir..." the investigator hesitated. "The building that houses Baptiste Catering... is owned by the O’Connor Family Trust."
Preston froze. The O’Connor family was Claire’s maiden side of the family. He couldn't touch the building.
Meanwhile, at Daniel’s kitchen, the atmosphere had shifted from panic to quiet determination. Although the health board threat was neutralized thanks to Claire, the damage on social media was still spreading like wildfire. The edited video had amassed over two million views across various platforms. Negative reviews were flooding Daniel’s business page from people who had never even set foot in Louisiana.
"We have to post the footage, Daniel," Tasha insisted, pointing at the monitor. "Our phone is ringing off the hook with hate calls. People are leaving fake health violation claims on Yelp!"
"No," Daniel reiterated firmly. "If we post the full video, Carter’s face will be plastered across national news. A kid made a terrible mistake fueled by a terrible father. I won't ruin an eleven-year-old's life for public vengeance."
"Then how do we survive this?" Tasha asked, her voice trembling. "We have two weeks before the big Mayor’s Charity Gala. If we lose that contract, we go bankrupt."
Just then, the back door of the kitchen opened.
It wasn't a health inspector or an angry troll. It was Marcus Vance—the head organizer of the Mayor's Charity Gala, the single most lucrative culinary contract in New Orleans.
Marcus walked in, folding his arms as he looked around the pristine kitchen. His face was unreadable.
"Daniel," Marcus said, his voice deep and authoritative. "We need to talk about the Gala."
Daniel wiped his hands on his apron and stepped forward. "Marcus. I assume you’ve seen the video."
May you like
"The whole city has seen the video, Daniel," Marcus replied cold. "The mayor’s committee is meeting in two hours to decide whether to terminate your contract and award it to Preston Whitmore’s hospitality group instead."
Daniel’s heart pounded in his chest. Preston wasn't just trying to destroy his business privately anymore. He was trying to publicly replace him.
