Chapter 17
Chapter 17: The Gavel Falls
The divorce was finalized with terrifying speed.
When a man possessed Richard's level of capital and influence, the legal system could be remarkably efficient. They met in a private judge's chambers to avoid the press.
Victoria sat across the heavy oak table, flanked by a court-appointed lawyer she could barely afford. She looked thin, hollowed out by the sheer force of Richard's retaliatory strike.
Richard did not look at her. He looked only at the paperwork.
"As per the prenuptial agreement, and in light of the documented breach of the morality clause," the judge droned on, adjusting his glasses, "the respondent, Victoria, waives all rights to alimony, spousal support, and property division."
Victoria let out a muffled sob, pressing a tissue to her face. "Richard... after everything we built... you’re leaving me with nothing?"
Richard finally raised his eyes. They were dead.
"I am leaving you with exactly what you brought into this marriage, Victoria," Richard said, his voice echoing coldly in the small room. "Yourself. Consider it an act of profound generosity."
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He signed the final decree with a sharp flourish of his fountain pen.
It was done. The marriage was legally dead.
