Introduction

For ten years, I was the unseen force behind Hewitt Distilleries, my family' s secret yeast and unique aging techniques turning a failing bourbon into an industry legend. I even convinced my parents to mortgage their last possession to save the company.

Then, at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival gala, my wife, Nicole, stood on stage with her ex-boyfriend, Ryan, stealing all my credit and announcing my dismissal for being "unambitious."

She' d set me up, sent me on a wild goose chase while she publicly betrayed me, then tried to activate a non-compete clause from our divorce papers, ensuring I could never distill again.

How could the woman I loved, the company I built, treat me like dirt and try to erase my very existence? It wasn't just a professional slight; it was a deep, personal humiliation that curdled a decade of my life.

But as they gloated, thinking they' d won, they had no idea I had just handed them a ticking time bomb. The moment Nicole called, panicking about a ruined Japanese deal, I knew my quiet revenge had just begun, and I was finally ready to walk away and build something truly mine.