Everything else had been bought with Harrison money, and they never missed an opportunity to remind me of that fact.
The designer lamps, the car in the driveway, and even the silk sheets on the bed were all leased from their arrogance.
I was zipping up the bag when Tyler appeared in the bedroom doorway looking annoyed.
“Are you seriously going through with this little tantrum?” he asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re being incredibly dramatic over a few words at dinner.”
I let out a short, dry laugh that lacked any humor.
“Dramatic? Your mother insulted my dignity in front of the whole family and you joined in on the fun.”
“It wasn’t that big of a deal, Jordan.”
That sentence was the final nail in the coffin of our marriage.
I walked over until I was standing inches away from him, refusing to back down.
“The first time we had dinner, your mother asked for my father’s tax returns, and the second time, she told me my voice sounded too ‘common’.”
Tyler shifted his weight and looked at the floor.
“I was just trying to keep the peace and get everyone to get along.”
“No, you were trying to keep me quiet so your inheritance wouldn’t be threatened by a messy conflict.”
His face hardened with a mixture of pride and irritation.
“My family is complicated, and you knew that when you signed up for this life.”
“Your family is cruel, Tyler, and you are a coward who hides behind their shadows.”
Those words clearly stung him, but it was far too late for apologies.
I grabbed my suitcase and walked past him without another word.
I spent the night in a quiet boutique hotel near the harbor where no one knew me as the trophy wife of a Harrison.
I showered and slept fitfully, watching the city skyline glow as the sun began to rise over the water.
My phone wouldn’t stop vibrating with messages from my board of directors and legal counsel.
The Miller Tech IPO was scheduled for that morning, at the exact same time I was supposed to sign my divorce papers.
I arrived at the government building at nine-thirty and found Tyler already waiting there with Cordelia and Brielle.
My mother-in-law was wearing oversized sunglasses and exuded the same haughty energy of a queen visiting a peasant village.
“Well, look at this, she actually showed up to face the music,” Cordelia sneered.
“I’m here to finish what should have ended years ago,” I replied calmly.
Tyler looked at me with a confused expression, sensing a change in my posture that he couldn’t quite explain.
I wasn’t the woman who bowed her head anymore or whispered so as not to disturb the “distinguished” family peace.
I took a ticket from the kiosk and sat down to wait.
My phone buzzed again with a message stating that the media was already gathering at the exchange.
“Are you still playing on that toy as if you have important business to attend to?” Brielle mocked.
I ignored her completely until the clerk finally called our number.
“Reason for the filing?” the clerk asked without looking up.
“Uncontested divorce,” I stated firmly.
Tyler handed over the folder of documents, and the woman began typing our information into the state database.
Suddenly, she paused and frowned at the screen before looking back at me.
“Wait a moment, is your name Jordan Miller?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Jordan Elizabeth Miller?”
I felt Tyler tense up beside me as the clerk began typing much faster with a newfound sense of urgency.
Cordelia let out a loud, impatient sigh.
“Is there a problem with her paperwork? We don’t have all day for this.”
The clerk didn’t look at her, instead turning her monitor slightly to verify an official digital seal.
“Ms. Miller, are you the founder and CEO of Miller Tech Systems?”
The room went deathly silent as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the building.
Tyler blinked in shock while Brielle’s smirk vanished instantly.
“A CEO? Please, this woman barely knew which fork to use for salad when she moved in,” Cordelia laughed.
The official didn’t find it funny and kept her eyes glued to the financial records.
“It says here she is the primary shareholder and legal representative of the firm.”
Tyler leaned over the desk to see for himself.
“There has to be a mistake in the system.”
“I don’t think so,” the clerk replied.
My phone vibrated one last time with the official notification of the opening bell.
The clerk took a deep breath as she looked at the updated market valuation on her feed.
“Ms. Miller, according to the public records that just went live five minutes ago…”
She paused, looking at me with wide eyes.
“…your personal net worth has just reached an astronomical figure.”
Cordelia stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly.
“Exactly how much are we talking about here?”
Part 3
The official read the number aloud in a voice that shook with disbelief.
“With the current stock market opening, her stake in Miller Tech is valued at over three billion dollars.”
