Chapter 6 - The Great Collapse
The signing of the waivers was a silent, humiliating affair.
One by one, the forty-seven Hendersons stepped up to the table, their hands shaking as they signed away their corporate careers, their inflated salaries, and their dignity. Frank looked like a broken man as he handed the pen to his sons.
When it was Isabella's turn, she looked up at me, her eyes pleading. "Nicholas... we can work this out. The divorce papers... we don't have to file them. We can go to counseling. For Mackenzie's sake—"
"Do not use my daughter's name to save your lifestyle," I warned her, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "The divorce is going through. And my lawyers will make sure you receive exactly what you deserve under the prenuptial agreement you insisted on signing to protect your assets."
Isabella gasped. She had forgotten about the prenup. She had insisted on it because she believed her family’s "wealth" from Vanguard needed to be protected from her "broke" husband. In reality, the prenup stated that neither party could claim assets owned prior to the marriage or sole business entities registered in their respective names.
She had legally locked herself out of a $16.9 million fortune.
Once the signatures were collected, security escorted the forty-seven Hendersons out of the building. They walked out into the cold winter afternoon, their lives completely shattered.
I stood by the window, watching them leave.
"What's the next step, Nicholas?" Arthur asked, placing the signed waivers into his briefcase.
"Sell the Vanguard commercial properties," I replied. "Use the proceeds to fund a trust for Mackenzie's education and future. And get the divorce finalized as quickly as possible. I want no ties left to that family."
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"Understood. And what about you?"
I smiled, a genuine feeling of relief washing over me for the first time in eight years. "I'm going to take my daughter shopping. She needs a new winter coat."
