“I am,” I said, meeting his eyes with no trace of warmth. “I don’t want a single thing from your family—as long as you divorce me.”
He gave a short and incredulous laugh, the corner of his mouth twisting into a smirk.
“Fine. Just don’t come crawling back later. You think I’ve been dying to stay married to you? Oh, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time!”
He snatched up a pen and scrawled his name across the bottom of the last page.
“There. Now get out! And don’t ever come back!”
I took the divorce papers, folded them without showing any trace of hesitation, and slipped them into my bag.
“I won’t,” I said simply.
I had built this company from the ground up. And yet—every face in the room watched me go as if they were finally rid of a curse.
Without taking so much as a pen, I walked out through the front doors, not once looking back.
On the way down, I sent my assistant the message I hadn’t had the chance to send earlier.
[Pull out the investment. Effective immediately.]
Then, without hesitation, I headed straight to the airport. Cradling my child’s urn, I boarded a plane home.
Meanwhile, everyone in Dorance Industries must be cheering, “Good riddance to that bossy bitch! From now on, Thalia will be the CEO’s wife!”
Inside those walls, they’d be celebrating. Cortland would be lifting Thalia’s hand like a trophy, his face alight with triumph.
“From now on,” he’d declare, “Dorance Industries begins a brand-new chapter. We’ll lead the company to new heights!”
Finally, he wouldn’t have to put up with me anymore. No more trailing after me like some useless tagalong.
I could almost hear the thunderous applause—whistles, cheers, and praises like “A perfect couple!” and “A match made in heaven!”
In their minds, I was gone for good, my exit nothing more than the punchline to a joke.
But then, the conference room doors would burst open. Cortland’s assistant would rush in, drenched in sweat.
“Sir! Something’s wrong!” he’d blurted.
Cortland’s brow would knit. “Something’s wrong? What happened?”
“Sir…” Kenney began to explain carefully, “our largest shareholder just announced they’re pulling out all their investments.”
Cortland would go still. Then, in a flash, he’d shoot to his feet. “What?!”
“She… and she’s revealed her identity,” the assistant would add, swallowing hard.
Finally, he would stammer, “Sir, the mysterious, never-seen shareholder… it’s—it’s the former VP.”