“Because you forgot who was behind you,” I said calmly. “You thought you were self-made. You thought I was a burden. But I was the foundation.” Ryan started laughing, a hysterical sound. “You? You who couldn’t even go to work? You who wore workout clothes all day?” I sighed. “Those workout clothes you looked at with disdain were from brands you couldn’t afford. The job I didn’t go to? I ran your company from the kitchen table while you slept.” He said nothing. The shock was total.
“I bought Vertex Dynamics five years ago, Ryan. I put you in charge because I believed in you. But you didn’t just fail as a husband, you failed as a leader. You mistreated your staff, you misused company funds for your own parties, and you thought you were untouchable.” I hung up before he could answer. That was enough words for now. He needed time to let the truth sink in. I knew this was just the beginning of his downfall.
Chapter 7: Legal Consequences
After the call, I called my lawyer. “We need to secure everything,” I said. “He could try to take files with him, or damage the company’s reputation in retaliation.” The lawyer assured me that all the security measures were in place. Ryan no longer had access to the servers. All of his digital traces had been blocked within minutes of his termination. But there was more than just his job at stake. It was our marriage, our assets, and the future of our children.
I sent him official papers by courier that afternoon. Divorce papers. Custody claims. And a list of assets he had to return. He had no right to the house, the car, or the savings we had built up together, because everything had been purchased with my money before we were married. The prenuptial agreement we had signed in secret, before he knew who I really was, would now become his worst enemy. He had signed everything away without reading it.
Chapter 8: Ryan Seeks Allies
Ryan tried to reach out to board members, old friends, and even competitors for support. But the doors were closed. No one wanted to associate with a man who had been fired by the secret owner for bad behavior. Word of how he had treated me also began to leak out. One of the waiters from the party had seen the scene at the emergency exit and shared the story on social media. #RyanCollins started trending, but not for the right reasons.
He showed up outside my hotel two days later. Security stopped him before he could enter the lobby. I saw him through the security camera. He looked older, more worn. His beard was ragged, just like mine had been the night he humiliated me. There was an irony that wasn’t lost on me. He knocked on the glass door and called my name. Guests stared. I gave the order to have the police deal with him for harassment. There was no turning back for him now.
Chapter 9: The media gets wind in its sails
