Ten Years Married, I Took My Money & Divorced

Chapter 4

"Serena, I'm giving you one last chance."

That evening, a text came through from Victor on a new number.

Victor: Come back and apologize to me right now and return the money. For the sake of our ten years of marriage, I can overlook this little tantrum of yours. Otherwise, we'll see each other in court. Don't forget, the house we live in and the company we started together—I am the registered agent for everything. You've worked hard for ten years, only to walk away with nothing in the end. Are you really okay with that?

This was his ace in the hole, his biggest leverage. He was certain that to avoid losing everything, I would eventually cave. He was convinced that all my hard work was deeply tied to him and that I would have nothing without him. He even assumed that I still loved him and couldn't leave him.

Reading the text, the smile on my face widened until I finally burst into laughter. My mother walked in with a plate of fruit and looked at me with concern. "Serena, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mom." I wiped away the tears of laughter. "I've never felt better."

I picked up my phone and dialed Victor immediately. He answered almost instantly.

"Have you come to your senses?" he asked, his voice laced with unmistakable smugness.

"Victor, did you forget something?" I asked softly.

"Forget what? Forget how much you love me and can't live without me?" He scoffed, certain that he had already won.

"No." My voice was calm and steady, yet it carried an undertone that made him shudder. "The core business of your company—that Phoenix AI recommendation algorithm that helped you secure tens of millions in venture capital—have you forgotten whose name is on the patent certificate?"

Silence filled the other end of the line. I could imagine the color draining from his face, and the smile on my face grew wider.

"Oh, and by the way, on my drive to my parents' home, I happened to meet with a lawyer. I've already granted the exclusive usage rights of that patent to your biggest rival, Ascend Technologies."

"The licensing fee wasn't high, just exactly five million dollars."

I paused, delivering the final blow, word by word.

"Victor, without that core algorithm, is your company worth a single penny anymore?"