Chapter 3 - The Prenup Reality Check
By the end of the week, Leo was growing stronger, finally able to breathe without the mask.
I was discharged from the hospital and went straight to my family's estate, avoiding the house Ryan and I had shared.
Ryan, meanwhile, had hired a flashy, aggressive divorce attorney who promised him millions in alimony.
We met in a massive glass conference room at my attorney's office.
Ryan sat across from me, looking smug and arrogant, with Brenda sitting right next to him.
"My client is entitled to half of the marital assets, plus a continued stake in the family business," Ryan's lawyer began, sliding a thick stack of papers across the table.
My lawyer, a silver-haired shark named Mr. Sterling, didn't even look at the papers.
Instead, Mr. Sterling pulled out a single, heavily notarized document from his leather briefcase.
"Did you actually read the prenuptial agreement your client signed three years ago?" Mr. Sterling asked quietly.
Ryan's lawyer frowned, flipping through the pages.
"The agreement clearly states that in the event of abandonment—defined here as leaving the spouse during a major medical event without consent—all marital support is forfeited," Mr. Sterling read aloud.
Ryan's jaw dropped.
"That's illegal!" Brenda screeched, slamming her hand on the mahogany table.
"You tricked my son into signing that!"
"Your son signed it in the presence of his own legal counsel," Mr. Sterling corrected her smoothly.
"Furthermore, the house belongs to the family trust, the cars belong to the company, and the bank accounts have always been strictly separated."
Ryan looked at his lawyer, panic finally replacing his arrogant smirk.
"Is he telling the truth?" Ryan asked, his voice cracking.
His lawyer slowly closed his folder, realizing he was not going to get a massive payout from this case.
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"You are leaving this marriage with exactly what you brought into it, Ryan," I said, looking him dead in the eye.
"Which is absolutely nothing."
