Everything else had been bought with Harrison money, and they never missed an opportunity to remind me of that fact.<\/p>\n
The designer lamps, the car in the driveway, and even the silk sheets on the bed were all leased from their arrogance.<\/p>\n
I was zipping up the bag when Tyler appeared in the bedroom doorway looking annoyed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you seriously going through with this little tantrum?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re being incredibly dramatic over a few words at dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
I let out a short, dry laugh that lacked any humor.<\/p>\n
\u201cDramatic? Your mother insulted my dignity in front of the whole family and you joined in on the fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t that big of a deal, Jordan.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sentence was the final nail in the coffin of our marriage.<\/p>\n
I walked over until I was standing inches away from him, refusing to back down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first time we had dinner, your mother asked for my father\u2019s tax returns, and the second time, she told me my voice sounded too \u2018common\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler shifted his weight and looked at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just trying to keep the peace and get everyone to get along.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you were trying to keep me quiet so your inheritance wouldn\u2019t be threatened by a messy conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face hardened with a mixture of pride and irritation.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy family is complicated, and you knew that when you signed up for this life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour family is cruel, Tyler, and you are a coward who hides behind their shadows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those words clearly stung him, but it was far too late for apologies.<\/p>\n
I grabbed my suitcase and walked past him without another word.<\/p>\n
I spent the night in a quiet boutique hotel near the harbor where no one knew me as the trophy wife of a Harrison.<\/p>\n
I showered and slept fitfully, watching the city skyline glow as the sun began to rise over the water.<\/p>\n
My phone wouldn\u2019t stop vibrating with messages from my board of directors and legal counsel.<\/p>\n
The Miller Tech IPO was scheduled for that morning, at the exact same time I was supposed to sign my divorce papers.<\/p>\n
I arrived at the government building at nine-thirty and found Tyler already waiting there with Cordelia and Brielle.<\/p>\n
My mother-in-law was wearing oversized sunglasses and exuded the same haughty energy of a queen visiting a peasant village.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, look at this, she actually showed up to face the music,\u201d Cordelia sneered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here to finish what should have ended years ago,\u201d I replied calmly.<\/p>\n
Tyler looked at me with a confused expression, sensing a change in my posture that he couldn\u2019t quite explain.<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t the woman who bowed her head anymore or whispered so as not to disturb the \u201cdistinguished\u201d family peace.<\/p>\n
I took a ticket from the kiosk and sat down to wait.<\/p>\n
My phone buzzed again with a message stating that the media was already gathering at the exchange.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you still playing on that toy as if you have important business to attend to?\u201d Brielle mocked.<\/p>\n
I ignored her completely until the clerk finally called our number.<\/p>\n
\u201cReason for the filing?\u201d the clerk asked without looking up.<\/p>\n
\u201cUncontested divorce,\u201d I stated firmly.<\/p>\n
Tyler handed over the folder of documents, and the woman began typing our information into the state database.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, she paused and frowned at the screen before looking back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait a moment, is your name Jordan Miller?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, that\u2019s me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJordan Elizabeth Miller?\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt Tyler tense up beside me as the clerk began typing much faster with a newfound sense of urgency.<\/p>\n
Cordelia let out a loud, impatient sigh.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there a problem with her paperwork? We don\u2019t have all day for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk didn\u2019t look at her, instead turning her monitor slightly to verify an official digital seal.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Miller, are you the founder and CEO of Miller Tech Systems?\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went deathly silent as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the building.<\/p>\n
Tyler blinked in shock while Brielle\u2019s smirk vanished instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cA CEO? Please, this woman barely knew which fork to use for salad when she moved in,\u201d Cordelia laughed.<\/p>\n
The official didn\u2019t find it funny and kept her eyes glued to the financial records.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt says here she is the primary shareholder and legal representative of the firm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler leaned over the desk to see for himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has to be a mistake in the system.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d the clerk replied.<\/p>\n
My phone vibrated one last time with the official notification of the opening bell.<\/p>\n
The clerk took a deep breath as she looked at the updated market valuation on her feed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Miller, according to the public records that just went live five minutes ago\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She paused, looking at me with wide eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026your personal net worth has just reached an astronomical figure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly how much are we talking about here?\u201d<\/p>\n
The official read the number aloud in a voice that shook with disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the current stock market opening, her stake in Miller Tech is valued at over three billion dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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