Chapter 9 - The Courtroom Demolition
The divorce hearing was a bloodbath.
Marcus arrived at the courthouse looking like a ghost of the man he once was. His suit was baggy, his hair unkempt. His high-priced lawyer had quit the moment the embezzlement charges dropped, leaving him with a court-appointed attorney who looked like he would rather be anywhere else.
I sat beside Vance, wearing a sharp white suit, feeling entirely untouchable.
The judge, a no-nonsense woman with sharp spectacles, barely let Marcus’s attorney speak.
"Your Honor," Vance began, presenting the mountain of evidence. "My client is the sole owner of Aegis Holdings. The prenuptial agreement strictly separates all pre-marital and business assets. Furthermore, we have provided irrefutable proof that Mr. Vance engaged in systemic financial fraud, embezzlement, and physical abuse against my client."
Marcus stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "She set me up! She let me think I was successful so she could pull the rug out from under me!"
"Mr. Vance, sit down and shut up," the judge barked, banging her gavel. "You are on the verge of being held in contempt."
She looked over the documents, her expression souring with every page she turned.
"I have seen a lot of greedy, entitled behavior in my courtroom," the judge finally said, glaring at Marcus. "But your actions, Mr. Vance, border on the sociopathic. You lived off your wife’s brilliance, stole her money to fund a mistress, and then had the audacity to physically assault her in a home she paid for."
The judge signed the final decree with a sharp flick of her pen.
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"The divorce is granted. Ms. Hayes retains one hundred percent of all assets, properties, and capital. Mr. Vance, you are ordered to pay restitution for the embezzled funds, though I suspect the criminal courts will deal with you before I do. We are adjourned."
Marcus collapsed back into his chair, burying his face in his hands. It was over.
