Chapter 2
Alexander stared me down, then glanced at the powerful black sedan parked outside, his eyes full of suspicion and confusion.
"Who was that? Renee, are you getting mixed up with shady people again?" he asked.
He snatched my phone, trying to check the caller ID.
I looked at him coldly, making no move to stop him. The call had already ended.
Shady people? Alexander, was everyone beneath you unless they were part of the Ford family?
"Give it back," I said, holding out my hand.
"Tell me who's outside first," he demanded, gripping my phone like he was interrogating a criminal.
I laughed. My laugh sent a chill down Alexander's spine. "Alexander, what gives you the right to question me?"
"Because I'm your husband."
"Not for much longer," I said, pronouncing each word clearly. "From the moment I walk out that door, we will have nothing to do with each other ever again."
"How dare you?" His anger erupted like a lit fuse. He grabbed my phone and smashed it hard against the floor.
The screen shattered into pieces on impact.
"Renee, without me, you're nothing. Who do you think you are? You are some orphan from the middle of nowhere. I gave you everything you have.
"The food you eat, the clothes on your back, everything you own comes from the Ford family. And now you're pulling this stunt?
"What, you want to walk out with nothing and crawl back to that small town you came from?"
His words stabbed right through me, each one laced with poison.
In my previous life, he kept playing the "I saved you" card, manipulating me for years until I actually believed I owed him and the Ford family everything.
I gave up my research for them and put everything I had into it, even my life.
And what I got was "You're a nanny for their kids."
What a joke.
I stared at Alexander, his face twisted with rage, and said coolly, "Alexander, let's settle the score.
"Your Ford Group's StellarTech has developed seven core patents over the past three years. The optimized superconducting material alone brought you a 10 billion boost in market value.
"The new composite ceramic coating landed you military orders worth tens of billions. And that's not all..."
With each item I listed, Alexander's face lost more color.
These were all top-level company secrets. He couldn't wrap his head around how I knew them in such detail.
"All those patents? Their foundations came straight from the research notes I brought with me when I married you," I said.
I pointed at my suitcase right here by my feet. "Now, I'm reclaiming what's mine. That's only fair."
"As for all that food, clothes, and stuff you keep bringing up..." I glanced around the fancy villa with disdain. "You could think of it as payment for three years of busting my ass for the Ford family."
"You... Stop making things up." Alexander's eyes started to dart around, his voice faltering. "Those patents were all the R&D team's hard work. They had nothing to do with you."
Was he still acting tough, huh? Without my core theories, his precious R&D team wouldn't know where to begin.
I wasn't going to waste my breath arguing with him anymore. Soon enough, the facts would do all the talking.
I walked around him and headed for the door. Right then, the villa door was flung open.
My mother-in-law, Margaret Ford, stormed in wearing a Chanel robe.
"Renee. You troublemaker. Can't you stop causing drama in the middle of the night? Are you pestering Alexander again?" she barked.
She came at me, reaching for my hair.
I stepped back, shooting her a cold glare. "Margaret, Alexander and I are getting divorced. Starting now, I'm no longer your daughter-in-law."
Margaret paused for a moment, then cackled with contempt. "Divorce? Who are you trying to scare? Without the Ford family, you'd starve.
"Ungrateful snake. Alexander must've been unlucky to marry someone like you."
Still cursing, she lunged at me, her razor-sharp nails slashing straight for my face.
Alexander stood off to the side, watching with icy indifference, not lifting a finger to stop her.
How nice. The whole family was all here.
As Margaret's hand was about to grab me, two men in black suits suddenly appeared behind her. One on each side, they grabbed her arms with ease, making sure she couldn't move at all.
"Who the hell are you? Let me go. Do you know who I am?" Margaret screamed, thrashing around and cursing like a banshee.
Alexander's face went pale, and he barked, "Who are you? How dare you break into my house and lay hands on us? I'm calling the cops right now."
But nobody paid them any mind.
An elderly man with silver hair and an unmistakable aura strode in, escorted by a respectful entourage.
He wore faded clothes, his shoes showing signs of wear, but his piercing hawk-like eyes carried a silent authority that made the air feel heavy.
This was Charles.
Charles didn't glance at Alexander or Margaret. He strode right up to me, his eyes a little cloudy but burning with emotion and genuine concern. "Kiddo, you've been through hell, haven't you?"
His words weren't loud, but they landed like a punch to Alexander and Margaret's guts. They were totally stunned.
Charles stooped down, treating my suitcase like it was worth a million bucks, and took it from me himself.
Then he turned to the side, making way for me to head out.
He said, "Ms. Wells, the National Academy of Sciences has granted you the highest-level clearance, and the chief engineer position for the Stardust Project is waiting for you. Now, let's go home."