Chapter 18 - The Divorce Hearing
The divorce was finalized eleven months after Elodie’s wedding.
Adrian sat across the courtroom.
He looked older.
Not ruined.
Not destroyed.
Simply stripped of the certainty that someone else would always absorb his choices.
The settlement protected my company.
The Toronto condo remained mine.
My premarital inheritance remained untouched.
Adrian surrendered claims under the postnuptial agreement.
Hidden marital assets were redistributed against his share.
He remained responsible for several liabilities connected to unauthorized transactions.
Graham’s debts remained Graham’s.
Genevieve’s reputation remained hers to rebuild.
Bianca had already left.
When the judge asked whether reconciliation was possible, Adrian looked at me.
“No.”
I said.
The judge looked at him.
Adrian swallowed.
“No.”
That was the last decision we made together.
Outside the courthouse, reporters waited.
Marisol had warned me.
Genevieve always feared public humiliation.
I discovered I no longer cared about public approval enough to perform.
A reporter shouted.
“Ms. Vale, do you feel vindicated?”
I paused.
Then answered.
“No.”
“I feel finished.”
That was the truth.
May you like
Vindication still required Adrian to matter.
Finished meant I could leave.
