Chapter 4

Back then, James held my hand and said, "Olivia, when my company succeeds, half of its shares will be yours forever."

It turned out "forever" had an expiration date. It lasted just a few years.

*****

At three in the afternoon, I sat in Alex's office and slid the hard drive across the desk.

He didn't try to comfort me or ask about my marriage. He just asked, "Have you thought it through?"

I nodded.

Alex asked, "Do you want a divorce, or do you want to dig deeper?"

I replied, "Both."

Alex glanced at me, his eyes lingering on my baby bump, and his voice softened. "You need to take care of yourself, both emotionally and physically, especially at this stage. Tell me, what's the thing you absolutely can't tolerate right now?"

I lowered my head and touched my belly, surprised at how steady my voice was.

"It's not about James helping Celia. It's that he crossed the line, and then accused me of being overly sensitive," I said.

"Anything else?" Alex asked.

"He took our marital property and spent it on Celia and the baby she's carrying," I said.

"Anything else?" Alex asked.

I looked up at him. 'I'm pregnant, but I'm starting to feel like an outsider in my own home.'

Alex was silent for a few seconds before taking the hard drive.

"Then this isn't just a fight. It's about cutting your losses," he said.

His words sliced clean through all the tangled emotions I'd been wrestling with lately.

He turned on his laptop, scanning through the files as he asked, "Which of the company's main assets are registered under your name?"

"The trademarks, copyrights of brand visuals, and design patents for our two flagship series. I also have contacts for our initial core distribution channels," I replied.

He looked up, a bit surprised. "You never transferred those to James?"

"No. They were just licensed for use, and the license renews each year automatically," I replied.

"You're more level-headed than I thought," Alex said.

I forced a smile. "I never imagined I'd ever have to terminate the license."

Alex flipped through the files, his voice steady and firm. "If James spent a large chunk of your shared money on Celia without any real family reason, you can demand it back.

"As for crossing the line emotionally, the law can't really do much about that, but the financial evidence you've got is enough to give him hell."

I looked at Alex, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest.

It turned out not every door was shut after all.

"If I want a divorce, how quickly can I get this done?" I asked.

"First, secure your assets. Then, terminate the licenses. Next, gather the evidence. Finally, negotiate the divorce terms," Alex said, turning his laptop toward me. "Don't let him see you're done with him yet. Right now, his biggest mistake is thinking you need him."

I took in his words and nodded slowly.

James was so sure that with a baby on the way, I'd never leave him.

That was why he felt free to use my card to buy baby bottles for Celia.

That was why he could call me dramatic without a shred of guilt.

*****

On my way home, I got a call from Mrs. Carter, James' mother.

As soon as I answered, she started in on me. "Olivia, forgive me for being straightforward, but you've been so moody lately. James was only lending Celia a hand. Did you really have to make a scene and embarrass him in public?"

I stood by the roadside, the wind making my face sting, and out of nowhere, I just laughed.

"Mrs. Carter, news really does travel fast with you," I said.

"Celia called me and cried for a long time. She said she was so worried about ruining your marriage she couldn't even eat. Olivia, you're about to be a mom. How can you still act so childish?" Mrs. Carter said.

I looked up at the billboard across the street, my voice flat. "James used our family's money to buy baby supplies for Celia."