Chapter 17 - THE DIVORCE TABLE
Our first divorce settlement conference lasted twenty-three minutes.
Adrian arrived asking for half the mansion, half my trust distributions, half the lake house, spousal support, and a share of future Bennett Advisory profits.
Serena listened without interrupting.
Then she opened the prenup.
The mansion: separate trust property.
The lake house: separate trust property.
My inherited assets: separate.
The family voting shares: separate.
His vested Bennett equity: marital treatment subject to valuation.
His unvested equity: already canceled by board action under the grant agreements, subject to litigation if he wished to challenge it.
Adrian stared.
"What about the house we lived in for ten years?"
"You lived there," Serena said. "You did not own it."
His lawyer asked for a recess.
They came back with a new demand.
Twenty million cash.
I said no.
Ten million.
No.
Five.
No.
Adrian finally looked at me.
"After eleven years, you're leaving me with nothing?"
I answered carefully.
"I am leaving you with what is legally yours after debts, claims, and court orders are resolved."
"You always thought you were better than me."
That was not true.
For years, I thought love meant making myself smaller so he would never feel less successful beside me.
I hid family wealth because I wanted him to believe his achievements were his.
I defended him to my brothers.
I excused Barbara.
I ignored the way he called my caution disloyalty and my independence disrespect.
"I never thought I was better than you," I said.
"That's the saddest part."
His anger disappeared for one second.
Then he whispered, "Was any of it real?"
I looked at the man I married at twenty-four.
"Mine was."
That was all I could give him.
The conference ended.
Outside, Gabriel waited in the hallway.
"Want me to say I told you so?"
"No."
May you like
"Good. Marcus already called dibs."
I laughed for the first time in weeks.
