Chapter 12 - The Collapse of an Empire of LiesEthan accepted the folder. He didn't look at it. He walked over to a nearby glass cocktail table, cleared a space among the crystal glasses, and placed the folder down. Then, calmly, methodically, he opened it.
Inside were crisp, legal documents, stamped and finalized by the top family law firm in the state. He slid them across the table, directly toward his wife.
“What is this?” Vanessa asked, her voice losing its edge, replaced by a sudden, creeping nervousness.
Ethan answered without a single shred of hesitation. “Everything you wanted.”
For a brief, delusional moment, Vanessa’s vanity flared up. She thought he was handing her a new property deed, an apology gift to save face in front of the high society. A shallow smile touched her lips. “The mansion? The cars? The accounts?”
Ethan slowly shook his head, looking at her as if she were a complete stranger. “No. Divorce papers.”
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The plastic smile disappeared instantly from Vanessa’s face. The color drained from her skin, leaving her ghostly pale. Her hands began to tremble as she looked at the bold lettering at the top of the page: Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.
“You can’t be serious,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Over a joke? Over a little accident? Ethan, we are the power couple of this city! You can't ruin our lives over this!”
