Ten Years Married, One Day Divorced

Chapter 4

The entire exhibition hall fell dead silent. I turned slowly, my gaze locked on Jack's face, twisted beyond recognition with rage.

My dad died when I was young. With the money he left, my mom set up a small medical foundation for rare diseases. After Jack's company took off, he jumped at the chance to fund it, just to polish his image as a charitable businessman. Now he was using that very foundation as a weapon against me.

"Say that again." I stared straight into his eyes.

Jack flinched, then squared his shoulders a second later, pretending he hadn't been rattled at all. "Unfreeze that list and come home with me, and I'll keep funding the foundation like nothing happened. Refuse, and I pull every cent tomorrow."

Kate chimed in beside him, her voice sickly sweet. "Tamara, Jack is just looking out for you. What's the point of killing yourself over a career anyway? At the end of the day, a woman still needs a man to rely on. Just apologize, okay? This will all blow over."

I looked at the two of them, working together so smoothly it was almost impressive, and let out a sharp, cold laugh. "Jack, do you really think you have me cornered?"

"I'm just teaching you to face reality." He straightened his tie, slipping right back into his cocky executive act. "Lawson Jewelry is launching this year's core collection at 3 p.m. today. You'd better make up your mind before then." He spun on his heel and stormed off, Kate scurrying after him like a loyal lapdog.

I stood frozen, watching them disappear into the crowd.

Anna walked over and handed me a tissue. "Tamara, are you okay? That man has no shame."

I took the tissue and dabbed at the corner of my eyes. "I'm fine."

"Are you still going to watch Mr. Lawson's press conference this afternoon?" Anna asked.

"Yeah." I took a deep, steady breath. "Of course I am."

By 3 p.m., the area around the stage was packed shoulder-to-shoulder.

Jack stood on stage in a custom-tailored suit, smug as ever, addressing the reporters and buyers below. "Lawson Jewelry wouldn't be where it is today without our commitment to innovative design. Today, we are thrilled to officially unveil this year's flagship collection: 'Tears of the Deep Sea.'" He stepped to the side, and the big screen behind him lit up with design sketches. "And I'd also like to introduce the lead designer of this collection, Lawson Jewelry's Chief Creative Director, Ms. Kate Anderson."

Kate stepped onto the stage in a glittering gown to a roar of applause. She beamed and gave the crowd a polite bow.

I stood at the very back, my eyes glued to the sketches on the screen.

Tears of the Deep Sea.

I knew that design better than the back of my own hand. Three years ago, I spent a whole month locked alone in my studio working on it as a tribute to my dad. The craftsmanship was so complex I never released it. I locked the drafts in my home safe instead.

"The inspiration for this collection comes from my deep love for the ocean," Kate droned on from the stage, reciting her fake creative journey like she actually believed it.

I pushed through the crowd, each step deliberate, heading straight for the stage. "Hold on a second." My voice boomed through the speakers, cutting through the noise and reaching everyone in the room.

The whole place went silent again.

The second Jack spotted me, his face twisted in furious shock. He stormed off the stage, clamped down hard on my wrist, and snarled under his breath. "Tamara! What is wrong with you? Get out of here right now!"

I wrenched my hand free, my gaze fixed on Kate on stage. "Ms. Anderson, since you designed this collection, why don't you explain to everyone where the stress point is on the clasp for the center stone?"

Kate's smile froze. "I... That's a trade secret. I can't disclose that right now."

"Is it a trade secret, or do you just not understand the blueprints in the first place?" I turned to the reporters. "The ''Tears of the Deep Sea'' collection Lawson Jewelry is launching today is stolen. It's my unpublished work."

A buzz rippled through the room, shocked murmurs and gasps everywhere.

Jack was livid, jabbing a finger at me. "Security! Get this crazy woman out of here! Don't listen to a word she says! She's my wife. We're in the middle of a divorce, and she's just here to cause trouble over our property settlement!"

A few security guards closed in. Jack stared at me, his eyes glinting with warning and smug satisfaction.

Just as the guards were about to grab me, a deep, commanding voice boomed from the entrance of the hall.

"Who dares touch her?"