Chapter 12 - The Shark in a Suit
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The next morning, while Ellie slept in, I sat at the small desk in our hotel room with my laptop open. I didn't waste time crying. I needed to move fast before Daniel could try to hide any assets.
At 9:00 AM sharp, I walked into the downtown offices of Marcus Vance. Marcus wasn't a family lawyer; he was a corporate litigator and the most ruthless divorce attorney in Chicago. He was famously expensive, famously aggressive, and had a reputation for leaving cheating spouses absolutely destitute.
I sat down in his leather chair and laid out everything. The video, the mistress, the pearls, and the complete, utter destruction of Daniel’s public reputation the night before.
Marcus listened quietly, steepling his fingers, a shark-like smile slowly spreading across his face.
“Well, Sarah,” Marcus said, leaning back in his chair. “Illinois is a no-fault divorce state, meaning the infidelity itself won't automatically guarantee you everything in a standard courtroom.”
My heart sank slightly. “So he just gets to walk away with half of everything we built?”
“I didn't say that,” Marcus grinned, pulling up a digital file on his monitor. “I pulled the corporate charter for Harrison Custom Homes this morning. You handled the initial incorporation paperwork twenty years ago, correct?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “Daniel hated dealing with lawyers and taxes.”
“And because you handled it, you were very thorough,” Marcus explained, turning the monitor so I could see it. “Daniel is the CEO, yes. But the company isn't structured as a sole proprietorship. It’s an LLC. And according to the operating agreement you both signed two decades ago, you don't just own half the marital assets. You hold exactly fifty-one percent of the voting shares of the company.”
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I stared at the screen, the memories flooding back. I had insisted on holding the majority share because my credit score was the only thing that allowed us to secure our first business loan. Daniel hadn't cared at the time; he just wanted to swing his hammer.
“He doesn't own the company, Sarah,” Marcus said, his smile turning downright predatory. “You do. And as the majority shareholder, you have the unilateral authority to fire the CEO. With cause.”
