Chapter 3

He turned back to me, impatient. "Sign the divorce papers, Sarah. The assets are already going to the kids. There's, what, a few thousand left in our joint account? You can have that. For your troubles."

A few thousand. After I'd built a multi-billion dollar tech empire.

The guests whispered.

"She really got played."

"All that money, and he just takes it."

"That Emily woman... she's been with him all along, hasn't she?"

Mark's smirk widened. He loved the attention, even this kind.

Suddenly, Dad lunged.

*Crack*.

His hand connected with Mark's face. A sharp, satisfying sound.

Mark stumbled back, clutching his cheek, shock replacing the smirk.

"You animal!" Dad roared, his face flushed. "You ungrateful bastard!"

Two burly security guards, hired by Mark for the party, moved towards Dad.

"Get him out of here," Mark snarled, pointing a trembling finger at my father. "And the old woman too."

The guards hesitated, looking at me. I was still the one who signed their paychecks.

I gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of my head. They stopped.

Mark's eyes narrowed at me. "You'll regret this, Sarah."

I picked up the pen, the gold one. I clicked it.

Then, I signed the divorce papers. My signature, clear and firm.

I pushed them back towards Mark.

He snatched them up, a triumphant glint in his eyes. Emily smirked, victorious.

"It's done," Mark announced to the room. "She's agreed."

He laughed, a short, ugly sound. "Eighteen years I waited for this. Eighteen years of pretending."

My turn.

"Yes, Mark," I said, my voice carrying in the sudden silence. "Eighteen years is a long time to wait."

He frowned, a flicker of unease in his eyes.

"What are you babbling about?"

"Oh, nothing," I said. "Just that my plan took exactly that long too."