My Billionaire Husband Arrested Me for Taking His Money Chapter 08
Diane immediately stood.
“Take it back. I won’t accept a penny.”
“But…”
“Lena, you’ve already settled every last cent with that idiot son of mine. I’m not Ryan. You don’t have to do the same with me.”
“But I did…”
“You ate a few meals and stayed under my roof. Is that what you were going to say?”
Diane cut me off with a helpless sigh.
“Ryan may not understand everything you did for this family, but I do.”
“I know how hard it was for the two of you to support an entire household on two small paychecks.”
“The Mercer family owes you. You don’t owe me anything. If anything, I haven’t done nearly enough for you.”
My fingers tightened around the envelope.
I’d never known how to put any of that into words. Yet Diane had said it all more clearly than I ever could.
“Your floral studio is finally starting to take off. This is when you need money the most, so focus on building it.”
She pressed a cashier’s check into my hand.
“This is for $750,000. Use it to build the business you want.”
“You’re talented, Lena. I know you’re going to succeed.”
For a moment, I couldn’t speak.
“Don’t feel bad about taking it. You gave this family everything you had. Consider it part of what the Mercers owe you.”
I opened my mouth, but my voice came out hoarse.
“Mom, thank you.”
Diane smiled.
Ryan still refused to sign the divorce papers, but I wouldn’t let him keep me trapped any longer.
Late one night, I took the check and boarded a flight to a city across the country.
By the time Ryan raced to the airport, my plane was already in the air.
“Mom, where did she go?”
He caught Diane by the arm.
She calmly watched the plane disappear into the distance.
“You don’t need to know.”
“She’s my wife. I have every right to know where she is!”
Only then did Diane turn to look at him.
“After what you did, you still think you have the right to call yourself her husband?”
Ryan’s eyes immediately reddened.
“Stop fighting this. If you can’t make her happy, don’t stand in the way of her finding a life without you.”
“Mom…” His voice broke. “I’m your son.”
“Yes, you are.”
Diane let out a disappointed sigh.
“I just don’t understand how my son became this kind of man.”
Ryan had no answer.
When he returned home that night, he called my number, still hoping I might answer.
An automated message said the number had been disconnected.
His heart sank, but he called again.
He hadn’t misheard.
I had even canceled the line.
[Mom, what’s Lena’s new number?]
He sent the message to Diane, but her reply contained only three words.
[I don’t know.]
Ryan knew Lena would never cut Diane out of her life.
She simply wanted nothing more to do with him.
She had cut him out of her life for good.
Ryan ran a hand through his hair and stared at the divorce papers on the table. Finally, with shaking fingers, he sent Diane another message.
[Ask her to come back. I’ll sign the divorce papers.]
Lena came back.
At least, that was what Ryan believed.
When the doorbell finally rang, he rushed to open it, only to find a woman he’d never seen before.
“Where’s Lena?”
He frowned.
“Hello, Mr. Mercer. I’m Ms. Bennett’s attorney, and this is her signed authorization.”
“I’ll be representing her in all matters related to the divorce.”
Ryan’s hand slowly fell to his side.
That was when he finally accepted there was no chance of getting Lena back.
“All right, but I want to revise the settlement.”
Not long afterward, my attorney sent me a message.
Ryan had changed the agreement so that he would be the one walking away with nothing.
[Ms. Bennett, do you agree to the revised terms?]
[Yes.]
A few minutes later, two more messages arrived.
[Mr. Mercer asked me to thank you on his behalf.]
[He said he was grateful you still let him do one thing for you.]
I stared at the messages and smiled bitterly.
Once all his assets had been transferred to me, I donated every dollar.
That fortune had my baby’s blood on it.
I didn’t want it, but Ryan didn’t deserve to keep it either.
Over time, Diane kept me updated on what was happening back home.
Vanessa was prosecuted and convicted of poisoning me and causing my baby’s death.
Ryan’s business spiraled and never recovered.
He often drank alone late at night, staring at our old wedding photos for hours.
Whenever my company launched a new collection, I sent Diane something from it. I also shared every new milestone in my career with her.
It became a habit.
Diane was the only true friend I’d ever had in the Mercer family.
As for Ryan, he belonged to the past.
My business continued to grow, and I never again had to beg anyone for money just to survive.