Part 4: The Confrontation in the Rain

When Aaron flew back to the city two days later, heavy rain was pouring over the streets. He ran out of the airport without an umbrella, getting soaked before catching a taxi directly to the corporate office.

The mood on the executive floor felt like a battlefield after a total defeat. Aaron sat at his desk with wet hair sticking to his forehead and deep red circles under his eyes.

“Give me an update right now,” he demanded from his Chief Financial Officer.

“We are completely ruined, Mr. Prescott,” the officer whispered in defeat. “We only have nine hundred million dollars in available cash, so if we cannot pay the remaining six hundred million by tomorrow morning, the courts will freeze all operating accounts. Payroll will fail, and our suppliers will cancel every contract.”

“Can we get a short-term loan from the major banks in the city?” Aaron asked frantically.

“I called every bank manager, but they all turned us down,” the officer replied sadly. “The Vance family holds major positions across the entire banking sector, so no institution will touch us right now.”

Aaron stared at the wall in horror as he finally understood the true influence of the Vance family name. Doors had opened easily for four years not because of his personal talent, but because I was quietly clearing the path for him.

Suddenly, the heavy door opened and Jasmine walked into the office wearing damp clothes, throwing an employee dismissal paper onto his desk.

“What is the meaning of this?” Jasmine yelled with anger. “Human resources fired me without any severance pay! I did everything you asked on that plane to make your wife jealous, so why am I being thrown away like this?”

The financial officer quickly left the room and closed the door behind him.

Aaron stood up slowly from his chair, looking at her with total coldness that made her step back in fear.

“I checked the system logs, Jasmine, and I found out that you sent our private technical quotes to a competing business last week,” Aaron said in a dark voice.

Jasmine’s face turned pale instantly. “That is not true…”

“And six months ago, you sent inappropriate photos to my wife to ruin my marriage,” Aaron continued while stepping closer. “Alyssa ignored you because she saw you as insignificant, while I kept you around because your compliments pleased my ego. But you ruined everything because you wanted her seat on that plane.”

He grabbed her collar and glared directly into her eyes. “Get out of my building right now before I call the police to arrest you for stealing company secrets.”

He shoved her toward the door, and she fell onto the carpet in tears before running out of the office.

Aaron stood alone in his empty office while thunder rattled the glass windows. He realized there was only one person left who could prevent his ruin.

A few hours later, George walked into the warm living room of the Vance estate where I was playing chess with my brother, Michael.

“Miss Vance, Mr. Prescott is standing outside the front gates in the cold rain,” George reported quietly.

“Let him wait out there for a while,” I replied while moving my chess piece across the board.

After another hour passed, I authorized George to open the gates and bring him inside.

Aaron walked into the large room looking completely broken, with water dripping from his clothes onto the floor. Seeing me sitting comfortably by the fireplace shattered his remaining pride.

“Alyssa, I am so sorry because I lost my mind,” Aaron stammered while trembling from the cold. “I fired Jasmine, and my parents are moving away, so please do not ruin our four years of marriage like this.”

“If your company was not facing complete bankruptcy tomorrow, would you be standing in my home right now?” I asked while taking a sip of tea.

He flinched as if hit by a physical blow and dropped directly to his knees on the wooden floor. “I am begging you to return the patent licenses so I can save my company, and I will let you take total control of the business.”

“You are still trying to negotiate, Aaron, because your affection has always been a transaction,” I said while standing up.

I walked over to the table, picked up a fresh set of divorce papers, and placed them on the floor in front of him.

“Sign the papers right now,” I commanded firmly. “My legal team will seize your physical business assets tomorrow to cover the unpaid loan.”

Aaron stared at the pages before pulling a pen from his pocket and signing his name, surrendering his marriage and his business in a single moment.

“Please do not ruin the factory workers,” he whispered quietly. “They joined my company years ago and they have families to support.”

Looking at him on the floor, a small part of the man I used to know appeared for a brief second.

“I will not hurt the factory workers because Vance Enterprises will take over the facilities directly,” I said calmly. “That is the last piece of kindness you will ever receive from me, so leave my house now.”

Part 5: The New Horizon

The business transition that followed was fast and completely effective.

Vanguard Dynamics was dismantled to clear its debts, forcing Aaron to yield ninety percent of his company ownership to settle his financial obligations. Vance Enterprises acquired the primary equipment at a low cost and integrated the manufacturing plants into our new branch, Vance Green Energy.

Jasmine Miller faced legal charges for sharing company secrets, eventually accepting a plea deal that resulted in a three-year sentence in a federal facility.

Six months later, on the day our divorce was finalized by the court, I walked out of the city courthouse into the bright sunlight. Aaron was waiting near the bottom of the stone steps wearing a cheap suit that fit loosely on his thin frame.

“Alyssa, I have nothing left,” he said softly as I walked past him.

I stopped and adjusted my sunglasses. “You still hold a ten percent non-voting share in the new subsidiary, so if you work hard as an engineer, the annual payments will keep you comfortable.” I stepped toward my waiting vehicle. “However, the woman who was willing to support your dreams simply because she loved you died on that airplane.”

I entered the car and drove away without looking back.

Three years passed quickly as Vance Green Energy grew into a massive global corporation. We secured major contracts, built new infrastructure, and dominated the clean technology market. I was no longer the quiet wife managing details behind the scenes, but a prominent CEO leading a major international business.

I unexpectedly ran into Aaron one evening at a large business convention in the city center. I was walking through the VIP section in an elegant dark dress alongside several financial directors when I spotted him sitting in a small, out-of-the-way booth. He was trying to pitch a simple electronic part to a mid-level procurement manager, looking tired with thinning hair.

“If you review our test results, you will see that our component improves efficiency by two percent,” Aaron explained in a quiet voice that lacked his old confidence.

The manager handed the paper back to him. “That update is far too small for our current projects, Mr. Prescott.”

As Aaron turned away, his eyes met mine across the busy hall. He froze as he looked at my jewelry, the group of executives surrounding me, and my completely confident posture. The difference between our positions was now permanent.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he simply bowed his head in a quiet gesture of regret before walking toward the side exit.

“Who was that person?” a partner standing next to me asked curiously.

“Nobody important,” I answered with a smile. “Just someone from the past.”

The next morning, I sat by the window of my private jet as it flew high above the clouds. A warm cup of tea rested on the table next to my strategy documents for our upcoming international expansion.

The engines hummed smoothly in the background, and the wide leather seat beneath me felt completely comfortable and entirely my own. I no longer needed to make myself small to please anyone else. I leaned back against the seat, looking out at the endless blue sky ahead.