Chapter 10
The Q&A session at the press conference dragged on for forty minutes.
Every question was about the same thing: LaneBio Group was finished.
"Ms. Nolan, are you saying that every product LaneBio currently sells is now infringing on your patents?" a reporter asked.
"Yes. The three core patents cover the basic formulas for all of LaneBio's products," I replied.
"Is HarperTech going to sue LaneBio?" another reporter asked.
Victor took the question, "Our legal team is already getting everything ready. We'll officially file the lawsuit within three business days."
"What's the amount you're suing for?" the reporter pressed.
"500 million dollars, for now," Victor replied.
The room buzzed with excitement.
My phone buzzed more than thirty times during those forty minutes.
Every single call was from Andrew.
I didn't pick up a single one.
After the press conference, I stepped out of the hall and pulled out my phone.
Forty-seven missed calls.
From Andrew.
From Crystal.
From LaneBio's CFO.
From LaneBio's legal director.
And one unknown number. I figured it was LaneBio's lawyer.
I shot Andrew a quick text: [No need to sign the agreement anymore.]
Three seconds later, my phone rang. "Susan. Are you out of your mind? You sold it to HarperTech? One billion dollars? How could you..."
"Why wouldn't I? The patents are mine."
"You're my wife. You can't do this."
"That's the only reason I waited this long. If I wasn't your wife, I would've said yes to Victor three months ago."
"Three months ago?"
"Yeah, three months ago. You were the one who pushed me out, Andrew. One hundred million for Crystal, 300,000 dollars for me; did you really think I'd sign that slave contract of yours?"
"You..."
"And you can tell your legal team to stop wasting their time. My patent files are squeaky clean. There was nothing to do with LaneBio."
"Susan. How dare you."
"And that's not all. I sold the patents, and I'm HarperTech's new Chief Research Officer now."
Andrew went completely silent on the other end.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Are you divorcing me?"
"Yes."
"I won't agree to it."
"Whether you agree or not doesn't matter. I've got over thirty screenshots of your credit card charges, plus all those hotel stays. That's all the evidence I need."
"You."
"Andrew, let's make a clean break."
I hung up.
I heard footsteps behind me.
Jessica walked over, holding two cups of coffee. "What did he say?"
"He said he won't agree to the divorce," I replied.
"Figures," Jessica said, handing me a coffee. "He's not going to agree now. He's still hoping to use the marriage to claim the patents."
"Can he actually pull that off?"
"Not in his wildest dreams. Everything's in black and white in the prenup. It's all your personal property from before the marriage. He could hire every top lawyer and still lose."
"So what else can he try?"
"Two plays," Jessica said, raising two fingers, "One, drag it out. Refuse to divorce and hope you crack first. Two, stir up drama. Use the media to paint you as the greedy wife who sold out her husband for a pile of cash."
"He's already doing the second one."
I pulled up a push notification on my phone and showed it to her.
It was a post from some gossip blog.
The headline screamed: [LaneBio CEO Stabbed in the Back by Wife. Core Tech Stolen and Sold to the Competition.]
Only thirty minutes ago.
"Damn, that was fast," Jessica said, glancing at the screen, "Crystal's behind this, right?"
"Most likely," I replied.
"What are they calling you in the article?"
"A money-hungry witch."
I put my phone away. "Let her stir up all the drama she wants. Once the court rules, those articles will be her own scandal."