Author's note: This is a companion piece to Chapters 103 & 107: Getting the Dirt (Without Getting Dirty). (Takes place after Caroline was fired.) Special thanks to KiaraAlexisKlay who requested that I write Klaus' POV for this story. I hope you enjoy!

Warning: Angst.

Summary: Klaus was watching his world crumble. The woman he loved was about to take everything — and he only had himself to blame.


"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."
― William Congreve


It happened all at once. But also slowly. There was a time that Klaus' relationship with Caroline was the most important facet of his life. He loved her with a fierce passion that threatened to overwhelm him. The day he learned of her betrayal was the day his relationship ended. But had his relationship been ending piece by piece before that? His work consumed him; his loyalty to his family couldn't be denied. Was that when he started to lose Caroline?

Klaus stared blankly out his office window, his morose thoughts preventing him from appreciating the beauty of the sun illuminating the glasslike surface of White Oak River. It had been a few weeks since he'd confronted her in his office, and yet he still replayed that scene on a continuous loop in his mind. Why was he punishing himself? There was a devastated, hurt look on her face when he told her that Enzo's legal team had discovered the incriminating emails she'd sent to Stefan — almost as though she was the one who'd been betrayed.

Caroline always had the worst poker face he'd ever seen — for Valentine's Day, he'd decided to surprise her with a private concert and while she'd squealed adorably at the sight of John Legend sitting at a gleaming white baby grand piano on his patio, she couldn't hide her knowing grin in the limo or the way she'd been flustered and giddy the week leading up to his surprise. Which is why he couldn't stop thinking of how she'd looked surprised and hurt rather than guilty when he confronted her about Stefan.

It's one of the reasons why he'd been so quick to anger when he couldn't see the betrayal on her face. Perhaps he'd never really known her. He'd been enraged, accusing her of using their relationship to learn the combination to his safe in order to steal the USB drives and give them to their business rivals, the Salvatores.

"You don't put much stock in my loyalty, do you?! First I'm a thief and then I'm a whore? Fuck you, Klaus! I don't steal and I certainly don't whore myself out for the sake of my career."

Caroline's fury had been magnificent; her passion never failed to thrill him. Even in the midst of their argument, he couldn't help but pause to admire the ferocious gleam in her blue gaze. She wanted to eat him alive. But it was what she said next that completely took Klaus by surprise.

"And the reason I was acting weird when you gave me the earrings is because I thought you were going to propose."

Propose. She'd thought he was going to propose. Sure, they'd been together for some time and had talked about finding a place and moving in together at some point, but he didn't think they were there yet. He couldn't imagine loving anyone the way that he loved her, but that kind of commitment was...terrifying. Klaus had done his best to reign in his emotions, not wanting to reveal how she'd completely blindsided him. Never reveal your weakness to an enemy. And now Caroline was his enemy.

He let out an angry growl, sweeping away the useless things that cluttered his desk, the angry clattering somehow soothing against the oppressive silence of his office. The stubborn way she tried to hold back her tears had gotten to him, making his heart clench even as he raged. And then he kicked her out of the building. And out of his life. A bitter smile graced his lips when he recalled how Caroline had told him to go to hell. She'd gotten her wish — he'd been living in it every day since.

How many times had he stared at her number in his phone since that day? No matter how many times he reminded himself that Caroline had betrayed his company — had betrayed him — he still swiped to her contact information and for a few torturous moments, fantasized about what it would be like to hear her voice again. But he never called. Bloody coward. Instead, he embraced that Mikaelson steel spine and denied his heart. 'Family above all' was the only connection he needed.

"Niklaus, you've caused quite the commotion, banging about in here — the staff has grown quite alarmed — did you break another window during one of your tantrums?"

Klaus grimaced at Elijah's judgmental tone. "It was the balcony door — not a window," he corrected flatly, foolishly assuming if he failed to look at his overbearing brother, Elijah would become irritated and leave.

Elijah let out a long-suffering sigh, regally perching in one of the dark leather armchairs across from Klaus' desk. Threading his fingers together, he regarded his brother gravely. "There's been a development with your...with our recent troubles. Caroline has contacted our legal department."

Klaus couldn't help the involuntary twitch of his body at her name, his gray eyes snapping up to meet Elijah's steady gaze. "What? Whatever for?" He was proud of the way his voice carried the perfect combination of anger tinged with condescension. No need for his brother to know how the mere mention of Caroline felt like an impossible weight had settled on his chest, threatening to choke him.

"Caroline has retained legal counsel. Enzo spoke directly with her attorney and has ordered his entire department to start work immediately."

"The entire legal department? Surely his staff can be put to better use than batting away a frivolous lawsuit," Klaus scoffed, surprised at the way the color had drained from his brother's face. "Caroline must've spun quite the pitiful tale to earn the sympathies of an attorney foolish enough to take on Mikaelson Inc. Who is it?"

"Katherine Pierce."

"Bollocks." Klaus considered his brother, noting the way Elijah kept straightening his tie in a nervous gesture he seldom showed. Katherine had divorced Elijah after he foolishly cheated on her with an intern, and then catching the family off-guard when she won a settlement against Elijah that included nearly all of his shares of Mikaelson Inc. and left him destitute. Of course, Esther couldn't have her favorite son's financial difficulties made public, so she swiftly made arrangements to ensure his accounts were flush once more.

Elijah cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Yes, well, we were made aware of her prowess as a litigator during our divorce. Now, she's built quite the formidable reputation practicing corporate law winning landmark class action cases." He hesitated, seeming to measure his words carefully. "If she's taken Caroline as a client, there must be a reason. What do they know that we don't, Niklaus?"

Klaus could hear the edge in his brother's voice. Elijah was nervous. "I can't imagine what it would be. Caroline was caught committing corporate espionage. If she insists upon a frivolous lawsuit, we'll retaliate."

"Indeed. It's merely scorned women bonding over their bitterness."

As much as Klaus wanted to trust in the hopeful note Elijah's voice carried, it did little to soothe his worries.


This pretrial conference was a critical part of the litigation process. The judge and lawyers would review evidence and clarifies issues relevant to the dispute. The future of Mikaelson Inc. was at stake and yet Klaus was completely distracted by smell of vanilla sugar. He would recognize Caroline's fragrance anywhere and it set his teeth on edge even as his pulse raced.

The last day they'd been together, she'd left a lipstick print on his dress shirt, but when he finally noticed it, he couldn't bear to part with it. Bloody hell, the shirt was still wadded in a ball at the back of his closet. He couldn't bring himself to toss it away. Their final tryst was seared into his flesh and it took all of his focus not to race across the room and breathe her in once more. Caroline was his enemy. She'd betrayed his family. If he repeated it over and over, surely he could move on. She meant nothing.

But then she turned to observe him, her long blonde curls carelessly pinned back with a few strands resting near her cheek. His fingers itched to reach out and stroke that ivory skin that he knew would still be impossibly soft. Klaus used to delight in making her blush, bringing out a lovely rosy hue that seemed to be reserved just for him. But there was no playful glow today; her once-expressive face was coldly indifferent as her gaze flicked to him for the briefest of moment before staring resolutely ahead. He did this to her.

Rebekah sniffed, haughtily telling him, "Your former plaything is shameless; apparently, she couldn't be bothered to dress for the occasion." With a sigh of irritation, Klaus sat next to his sister at the end of the long conference table, wondering why her pettiness seemed more vexing than usual. He ventured another look at Caroline, his breath catching once more as he admired the classic lines of her well-tailored suit. "The blue brings out her eyes," he muttered, wincing as he realized he said that out loud. Bloody hell, pull yourself together.

Fortunately, he was spared Rebekah's ire as Enzo and Elijah joined them, each opening their briefcases to remove an impressive stack of files. "They have nothing," Enzo told them confidently, twirling a paperclip between his knuckles as he added, "Ballsy bluster and not much else." As Katherine slid into the chair next to Caroline and tossed back her shiny brunette mane, Enzo's mouth opened slightly and he wryly observed, "But those legs with that hair may be worth a more careful study of her motions."

"Enough. This nonsense requires your utmost professionalism," Elijah coldly interjected, his gaze carefully avoiding Katherine despite the fact that she sat directly across from him and clearly could hear every word. Despite his brother's seemingly aloof demeanor, it was clear by the twitch along his jaw that seeing his ex-wife had shaken him.

Judge Fell entered the room, nodding to the stenographer to begin recording. "Before we begin, please be reminded that the words you speak here will be recorded and preserved for the trial — if one is deemed necessary. The purpose of this pretrial conference is to establish a timeframe for concluding all pretrial activities and set a tentative trial date if needed. This time also will be used for the lawyers to reach an agreement regarding the undisputed facts of this case and relevant points of law. If I may speak candidly, I also would encourage both sides to consider reaching a settlement, given the evidence presented."

What evidence? To Klaus' knowledge, no evidence had been presented; certainly nothing that would encourage them to settle such a frivolous lawsuit. Elijah and Rebekah exchanged an unreadable glance, which roused Klaus' suspicion, but before he could speak, Enzo gave a derisive snort and said, "The plaintiff's evidence is scant at best, and certainly not worth your Honor's time."

The triumphant smile on Katherine's face seemed to make Elijah sink further into his chair. It was as though she'd claimed the victory before declaring the war. "Unfortunately, it seems the defendants' attorney has been a bit lax in reading the pretrial memorandum I filed that listed the full extent of charges and anticipated evidence."

Klaus was distracted by Caroline handing Katherine multiple binders with colorful tabs that were distributed to the group. He recognized the color-code scheme that Caroline always used and felt his heart give a funny little tweak. Clearing her throat, Katherine flipped through several pages, pausing for dramatic effect as she announced, "My client is suing Mikaelson Inc. for breach of contract, wrongful termination, and defamation of character. In addition, we've turned over evidence to state law enforcement who formally begin their independent investigation of Mikaelson Inc. starting today."

While Katherine's smile grew into something twisted and vicious, he was much more focused on the slight upturn of Caroline's lips. She was the picture of calm, cool satisfaction. That was the moment Klaus started to worry.

"Utterly preposterous," Elijah scoffed, Rebekah nodding beside him as her knuckles turned white.

"Exhibit lists tabbed in pink are pertinent to my client's case against Mikaelson Inc. Exhibit lists tabbed in blue have been cross-filed with the upcoming state law enforcement's investigation of Mikaelson Inc. I suggest council familiarize himself with this evidence prior to what I'm confident will be a long, humiliating and permanently damaging trial," Katherine explained in a voice full of mocking sweetness.

With trepidation, Klaus turned the page, the lists of evidence daunting. Suddenly, his gray eyes widened as he came across the transcripts of emails between Stefan and...Rebekah. The color drained from his sister's face as she hastily turned the pages. Her voice was broken and desperate and she said, "Nik, I swear, I didn't mean...it was just harmless shagging but then we...I mean, I thought there was a we, but then Stefan told me..." she trailed off dejectedly, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.

"It's best not to make any further statements, Rebekah," Enzo swiftly said, his carefree attitude dissolving into horror the longer he stared at the exhibits. Klaus gave a humorless smile as he realized Enzo had completely unwound the paperclip he'd been toying with earlier. Bollocks.

Caroline had been set up; she hadn't betrayed him or the family. It was Rebekah. So much for family above all. He could barely look at his sister; his fury rising as he thought back to the hurtful things he'd hurled at Caroline. He'd betrayed her. She loved him and instead he chose his family and then he'd broken her trust so thoroughly, what had been between them could never be repaired. He took a shuddering breath, valiantly trying to catch Caroline's attention, but she resolutely wouldn't look at him. From the rigid way she held herself, it was clear she'd no intention of acknowledging him unless absolutely necessary. Not that he blamed her.

Enzo, Elijah and Rebekah carried on a hushed, urgent conversation; the look of utter horror on his sister's face revealed worry for the likely extensive criminal proceedings that would be brought against her.

Judge Fell observed the controlled chaos of the room, raising her voice until they quieted. "Ms. Pierce, does your client wish to add anything further to her written statement presented in the pretrial memorandum?"

Klaus' heart beat a rapid tattoo in his chest as Caroline finally looked at him, and he immediately tried to convey his burning regret with a single glance. Maybe he still had a chance?

Caroline's voice was cold and impersonal as she said firmly, "No."