But Daniel’s legal team had worked quickly.
Very quickly.
Now the numbers were different.
Extremely different.
Jason read over my shoulder and went white.
“You’re taking my shares?”
“Correction,” Daniel said. “She’s reclaiming the shares she financed.”
Allison blinked rapidly. “Financed?”
I almost pitied her then.
Almost.
“You really thought Jason built everything himself?”
Her silence answered me.
I leaned toward her gently.
“The startup survived its second year because I injected four hundred thousand dollars of my own money.”
Jason muttered, “Don’t do this.”
“The office building? My collateral.”
His breathing quickened.
“The international expansion? My investor connections.”
Allison stared at him as though seeing a stranger.
“You told me you were self-made.”
Jason slammed a fist against the table. “I BUILT THE COMPANY!”
“Using my money,” I replied coldly.
The café had gone almost entirely silent now.
No one pretended not to listen anymore.
Daniel remained perfectly calm.
“The board meeting is tomorrow morning,” he told Jason. “Mercer Capital will be withdrawing support.”
Jason looked genuinely ill.
“You’ll destroy the company.”
“No,” Daniel corrected. “Your choices destroyed the company.”
A terrible realization dawned over Allison’s face.
“If the company collapses…”
“You lose the penthouse,” I said.
Her eyes widened further.
“The cars are leased,” Daniel added.
Jason closed his eyes.
“The Hamptons house,” I continued softly, “was purchased through leveraged debt.”
Allison stepped backward from him instinctively.
Like prey sensing infection.
“You lied to me,” she whispered.
Jason turned toward her furiously. “Oh, don’t start pretending you’re innocent.”
“I gave up everything for you!”
“No,” he snapped. “You gambled for an upgrade.”
That silenced her.
Because it was true.
Allison hadn’t stolen my husband out of love.
She wanted the life she thought I had.
The luxury.
The access.
The glamour.
She thought she was replacing me at the top of a mountain.
Only to discover the mountain was hollow.
And collapsing.
Tears finally filled her eyes—not from guilt, but disappointment.
That was somehow worse.
Daniel rose smoothly. “Our attorneys will finalize details tomorrow.”
Jason looked at me one last time.
Not lovingly.
Not angrily.
Desperately.
“Catherine… please. We can still fix this.”
I stood slowly.
For years, I had imagined what this moment would feel like if betrayal ever came.
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