Divorced
Author: Jericho Chase
last update2026-02-12 15:19:27

The divorce proceedings took three days to process.

On the final day, everything was set.

Bruce sat quietly at the head of the long polished table, his hands folded loosely in front of him.

Lawyers and clerks lined either side of the table, passing papers back and forth.

Willis leaned back in his chair, relaxed, one ankle resting over his knee while Marcus and Caro sat opposite him.

A thick folder was placed in front of him. Willis cleared his throat.

"Before we begin, this is a contract termination agreement," he said, pushing the folder towards Bruce. "You'll receive a sum of $1 million upon signing."

He paused, watching Bruce's expression with relish.

He went on. "In exchange, you waive all future claims against Caro Griffin and the Griffin family. You get nothing beyond the buyout. No alimony. This works only with your full consent."

One of the lawyers gently placed a pen in front of Bruce.

But to everyone's surprise, he didn't reach for it.

Instead, he stared at it as if it were the only object left in the world.

Three years. Three years of swallowing his pride.

Of cooking meals that went cold while she worked late. Of pretending not to notice her disgust, her distance, or her indifference towards him.

Three years of believing foolishly that if he endured long enough, if he loved her hard enough, she would eventually love him back.

He remembered every insult from her family. Every sneer. Every time he was spoken to like a hired help instead of a husband.

He remembered lowering his head when Marcus called him useless.

He remembered being laughed at for delivering pizzas, for daring to exist before his in-laws without money.

One night was all it took to ruin him.

His wife slept with a stranger powerful enough to buy her. And by the next day, she's ready to divorce him.

Unforgivable.

Bruce’s jaw tightened. He'll never forgive her.

He lifted his eyes and turned to Willis. "I consent," Bruce said quietly. He reached out and picked up the pen. "Just tell me where to sign. Let's get this over with."

"Not so fast, tiger," Willis held up his hand. "We haven't agreed on the amount I'm paying you. $1 million. Nothing more, nothing less."

Bruce's eyes snapped to him. For the first time that day, anger broke through the calm face.

He leaned forward slowly, palms pressing into the table, his gaze locked on Willis.

“Keep your filthy money,” Bruce said dangerously. “I don’t want a single cent of it.”

Willis burst into laughter. "You can act tough all you want, Bruce. It still doesn't change your reality."

He leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming with contempt. "You're a loser. And you'll always be a loser. That's your pathetic reality."

A slow bitter smile curved Bruce's lips. "I don't know how I'm going to do it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not even next year."

He paused as he locked eyes with Willis's. "But mark my words, Willis. Someday, I'll make you pay dearly for this. That's a promise."

For a brief moment, the room fell silent.

Then Willis laughed even harder.

"Ohhh, I’m terrified," he mocked, clapping his hands. "Really. Shaking in my boots."

His face hardened. "Just shut up, sign the papers, and get the hell out of my sight."

Caro finally turned towards Bruce. She wrinkled her nose at him.

"You should have taken the money, Bruce. I know you've never been smart, but rejecting a million dollars? That’s just stupid."

Marcus folded his arms. "It is a lot of money. It could've set you up for life. But you let your foolish pride rob you of it. Typical idiot."

Bruce lifted the pen and pointed it at both of them. "Don't think I've forgotten about you two and the Griffin family."

Caro stiffened.

"I will have my revenge," Bruce went on, his voice as hard as nails. "When the Griffin family downfall comes, do not forget this day. Because I'll be the one who destroys you."

For a couple of seconds, there was silence.

Then Marcus threw his head back and laughed. Caro joined in and soon, even Willis was laughing his head off.

"Destroy us?" Caro scoffed. "You must've lost your mind."

"The only thing you can destroy is your own life," Marcus added, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Delusional bastard! Get yourself a life, Bruce."

The laughter roared again, filling the room.

Bruce didn’t respond to the laughter. Slowly, he reached forward and lowered the pen to the papers.

He scratched his signature across the Contract Termination Agreement. Then the divorce papers.

In less than sixty seconds, Bruce completed his signature on all documents provided while everyone laughed at him.

Finally, Bruce lifted the pen and set it down.

It was over.

Three years of humiliation and unreciprocated love was gone. Just like that.

Bruce exhaled quietly. "It is done!"

At that exact moment, Bruce's phone buzzed in his pocket.

Bruce frowned slightly as he reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

The screen lit up. He clicked on the text message that had popped up out of nowhere.

A jolt of electricity zapped throughout his entire body as he read the text on the screen.

The message read:

Congratulations, Master Bruce.

After identity verification and lineage confirmation, we are pleased to inform you that you are now the sole inheritor and controlling authority of the Shepherd Conglomerate.

Total Valuation: $100,000,000,000,000 USD

Assets: Global banking, defense, technology, energy, rare metals, and sovereign investments

Status: FULL TRANSFER COMPLETE

You will be picked up shortly. Welcome back to the throne.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Latest Chapter

  • The broke fiance

    Caro returned from the liquor cabinet, holding out the crystal glass in her hand towards Willis like an offering."Here you are, darling," she said softly. "Your drink.""Thanks, babe." He took the glass from her, his unsteady fingers brushing against hers. Caro noticed how weak his grip was but she read it as lingering shock from the robbery.Willis took the glass and downed half of it in one swallow. The sharp burn of the whiskey steadied his jumpy nerves. Caro sat on the arm of the sofa closest to him, her brows furrowed with concern. "You said you were robbed. How did it happen?"Willis stared into his glass, watching the amber liquid swirl. He took his time to form a convincing lie. "It happened so fast," he began. "They came out of nowhere. Guns pointed at me. Before I knew what was happening, they hijacked my car and drove me to some abandoned warehouse on the edge of the city."Caro's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God, Willis! Were you hurt?"He shook his head. "Thankfully

  • Powerless Willis

    The lights in the underground parking lot flickered as a dark sedan rolled in, parking a few spaces away from Willis car. Willis remained motionless behind the wheels, staring straight ahead like a petrified statue. The news he had received paralyzed him. "Hello? Mr. Stone? Are you there?" The bank manager's voice cracked through the phone. Willis snapped back to the present. He had been so shocked, he'd stopped breathing. "I'm here," he said, breathlessly. "Tell me again. What did you say happened to my money?" There was a pause on the other end. The account manager repeated carefully, "The new chairman of Shepherd Group issued an order to freeze all accounts under your name." Willis’ grip tightened around the phone. "That's bullshit!" He scowled. "I've never embezzled a cent of the company's funds. My records are clean. Who the hell does this new chairman think he is?" "I'm sorry, Mr. Stone," the bank manager replied. "But this is beyond me. The directive came from the

  • Bruce's First Strike

    Oswald pushed open a set of double doors and stepped into an indoor pool area, a crystal tumbler resting neatly on a silver tray in his hand. Bruce had just climbed out of the indoor swimming pool, water rolling off his broad shoulders and down his back. He reached for a thick white towel, dragging it over his hair and across his torso as he dried himself. “Master Bruce,” Oswald said, approaching him, “I have news.” Bruce took the towel from his shoulders and glanced over. “Go on.” “Willis Stone has been fired,” Oswald reported calmly. “Just like you ordered. He and the other conspirators have been replaced by executives who have sworn their loyalty to you.” Bruce’s lips curved faintly into a smile. "Music to my ears. You've done well, Oswald." Oswald offered the glass. “Your drink, Sir. A Macallan 25.” Bruce accepted it. The amber liquid caught the light as he lifted it. He took a slow sip, savoring it, then nodded in satisfaction. “Good,” he said. “Does Willis h

  • Willis schemes exposed

    Willis jaw dropped hard. "I'm fired?" he croaked, his throat tight. "That is correct," Oswald said, his expression unchanging. "Effective immediately. You have ten minutes to clear your desk. Security will arrive shortly to escort you out." Something in Willis snapped. His face flushed red, veins bulging at his temples. He had dedicated twenty years of his life clawing his way to the top—and it was ending like this? There's no way he was accepting defeat. "Wait a damn minute," he shouted, slamming his palms onto the table as he shot to his feet. His chair skidded backward with a harsh screech. "Y-You can't fire me. I'm the executive director of this company." Oswald met his fiery gaze without blinking. "You're right," he said coldly, "I can't fire you. But the new chairman can. And these are his orders. You'll be replaced immediately by someone far more qualified." Willis couldn't believe his eyes. He felt like the world had tilted. "No... no, " he shouted, his b

  • Fired

    Minutes after Bruce gave the order, an emergency executive meeting was held at Shepherd Group. All board members were summoned. Willis Stone stepped inside the boardroom, looking brighter than his usual self. Ten executives were already seated around the glass table, exchanging idle chatter as they waited for the meeting to begin. Willis best friend, Kingsley, glanced up and chuckled. "You seem to be in a high spirit, Willis. What's got you in such a good mood?" Willis smirked, lowering his voice as he sat down beside him. "Remember that loser, Bruce, whose wife I was screwing around with? They just finalized their divorce today." Kingsley laughed. "Seriously? You are a homewrecker." Willis grinned. "You should've seen his face after signing the divorce papers. What a pathetic loser." "So what now?" Kingsley asked. "Are you seriously going to marry Caro Griffin?" "Of course I will," Willis said. "She's my type of woman. I've got big plans for her." "Well, it's a

  • The Newest Chairman of The Shepherd conglomerate

    Bruce stared at the test result for a long time. He couldn't believe it. He was the sole heir to a legacy that spanned five centuries. He was so overwhelmed, and before he realized it, tears slipped down his cheeks. "You know," he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "All these years, I thought I was a nobody. I truly believed I was trash." "So I gathered," Oswald said, gently placing a handkerchief into his hand. "I'm deeply sorry you had to go through all that, Master Bruce. But it was necessary for the sake of your inheritance." "What I don't understand is why did you force a contract marriage between Caro and I?" Bruce demanded. "Do you have any idea of the damage it did to me?" Oswald straightened. "Caro's grandmother, owed me a debt. In order to settle her debt, she agreed to take you in and raise you as her own. The contract marriage between you and Caro was the final seal of that debt." He turned and began walking away from the gallery hall. Bruce followed

More Chapter
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App