My Husband Asked For A Divorce On His Retirement Day—So I Revealed My 30-Year Secret Chapter 09
Jessica laid the corporate ownership structure and filings on the table.
“On paper, I am Hearthstone’s CEO,” she said, looking at Griffin with a faint smile.
“But Donatella has always been the controlling shareholder. Through direct holdings and a family trust, she controls sixty-one percent of the company’s voting power.”
Griffin looked as if he hadn’t processed what he’d just heard. “What company?”
Amanda had understood. She worked in luxury retirement travel; there was no way she hadn’t heard of Hearthstone. The color drained from her face. “Hearthstone… is hers?”
“To be precise,” Jessica said, “it belongs to Ms. Blake.”
*Ms. Blake.*
The name landed for the second time. This time, no one mistook it for a joke.
Michael’s head snapped up. “Mom?” Even his voice had changed. “You… when did you start a company?”
I looked at him. “When you were in third grade. The same year your father was promoted to supervisor.”
Griffin’s hands had begun to shake. He snatched the agreement from the table. “This doesn’t count! I didn’t know you had a company!”
I smiled. “Of course you didn’t. Because you never once asked what I was actually doing with my time. All you cared about was protecting your bonus from me. Griffin, you’re the one who shut this door.”
Jessica slid the photocopy of the agreement back toward him. “Under the terms of this contract, Ms. Blake’s equity interests and investment income are her separate property and are not subject to division in this divorce.”
Griffin’s breathing grew heavy. He finally seemed to understand.
The person he had tried to guard against all those years ago was me. And today, the very document he had signed was the one barring him from everything he wanted.