Chapter 19: Victoria Comes Back
981 Words
Victoria Hale-Smith.
Aiden’s ex-fiancée.
She hadn’t been in the country for 3 years.
And she chose the worst possible day to come back.
It was Thursday. 4 PM. I was picking up the twins from school.
Lucas and Lily ran to the car screaming about art projects and snack time.
“Mom look!” Lily held up a paper. “I made us!”
It was 4 stick figures. Big, small, small, small. Me, Aiden, Lucas, Lily.
“That’s perfect, baby,” I said, heart full.
My phone buzzed. Unknown number.
`Zuri. Coffee. The Hale Tower. 5 PM. We need to talk. - V`
My stomach dropped.
Victoria.
---
I almost didn’t go.
But Aiden was in meetings until 7 and I wasn’t a coward.
I dropped the twins with my mom. “Just an hour, okay?”
“Be careful,” she said. “That woman is trouble.”
Hale Tower. 50 floors of glass and ego.
Victoria was waiting in the cafe on floor 30. Blonde. Perfect. $3000 suit.
She didn’t stand when I walked in.
“Zuri,” she said. Like she was tasting something sour.
“Victoria.”
Silence.
“Cut the crap,” she said finally. “You and Aiden. It’s over.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. The board hates that you’re still here. The shareholders think you’re a gold digger. My father is buying shares to force a vote.”
I took a sip of coffee. My hands were shaking but I hid it.
“And what do you want?”
“I want you to sign these.” She slid papers across the table. Divorce papers. “$5 million. Walk away. Today.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it.
“You think I’m here for money?”
“I think you were a bartender 5 years ago and now you live in a mansion. So yes.”
The old me would’ve cried. The new me? I was a mom now.
“I don’t want your money, Victoria. I want my husband. I want my kids. I want the life we built.”
“You don’t have kids,” she snapped. “Those aren’t yours.”
“They are,” I said quietly. “Biologically and every other way that matters.”
Her face twisted. “He’ll get bored of you. He always does.”
“Maybe,” I said, standing up. “But right now he’s not bored. Right now he’s at home waiting for me to come home to OUR family.”
I left the papers on the table.
---
I got home and immediately regretted not telling Aiden.
He was in the kitchen making mac and cheese. Lucas was “helping” by eating the noodles. Lily was drawing on the counter.
“Hey,” he said, kissing me. “How was pickup?”
“Good,” I lied. “Tiring.”
He saw it on my face though. He always did.
“Zuri. What happened?”
I told him. About the coffee. About the papers. About Victoria.
His jaw tightened. That CEO look.
“She had no right—”
“She thinks she does,” I said. “Aiden, what if the board—”
“Stop.” He took my face in his hands. “Look at me. The board doesn’t get to decide my wife. I do. And I chose you. 5 years ago. And I choose you today.”
Lily climbed onto his leg. “Are you mad, Daddy?”
“No, baby,” he said, picking her up. “Mom and I are just talking about grown up stuff.”
That night was hard.
Aiden got 20 calls. Lawyers. Board members. His assistant.
I put the kids to bed alone. Read 4 stories. Sang 2 songs.
When I finally laid down at midnight, he was still on his laptop.
“Come to bed,” I said.
“In a minute.”
“Aiden.”
He closed it. Came over. Pulled me into him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“For what?”
“For her. For this. For making you deal with it.”
“It’s not your fault.”
We laid there in silence.
“Do you think she’s right?” I asked. Small voice. “About the board?”
“No,” he said immediately. “But I’m going to fight anyway. For us.”
---
Friday morning. Board meeting.
Aiden kissed me goodbye at 7 AM. “Don’t watch the news.”
“Too late.”
It was everywhere.
`HALE CEO’S MARRIAGE IN CRISIS`
`MYSTERY WIFE VS EX-FIANCÉE`
`SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND ANSWERS`
Comments were worse.
“Gold digger”
“Bartender”
“She trapped him”
I turned it off.
At 10 AM, Aiden texted: `It’s done.`
`What’s done?`
`Come to the office. Now.`
---
The Hale Industries lobby was chaos. Reporters. Cameras.
Security walked me straight to the 50th floor.
Boardroom. 12 people. Victoria sitting in the back like she owned the place.
Aiden stood at the head of the table. No tie. Sleeves rolled up. Tired but furious.
“Zuri,” he said when I walked in.
Every head turned.
“This is my wife,” he said. Loud. Clear. “Zuri Hale. Mother of my children. Partner in my company. And the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Victoria stood up. “Aiden, don’t do this—”
“I’m doing it,” he cut her off. “You want to talk about shares? Fine. I’m giving 10% of my personal shares to Zuri. Effective immediately.”
Gasps.
“You can’t—” one board member started.
“I can,” Aiden said. “And I am. Because I trust her more than I trust any of you.”
He walked to me. Took my hand.
“The marriage isn’t in crisis. The
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