My Ex-Wife wanted Money, The Apocalypse wanted Everything

Chapter 9

“Ethan, I’ve hired a professional lawyer to file a proper case and reopen the division of our marital assets,” Victoria’s voice came from the other end of the phone. Her tone was cold and arrogant.

Ethan could not believe what he had just heard.

But he did not say a word.

“Drop your house address,” Victoria added coldly. “The court needs to serve you properly.”

Ethan was still processing it all. He could not believe this woman could be this gullible, even after he had exposed her infidelity and revealed exactly how she had treated him for all those years.

She really thought she could drag him back into court and take his money?

“Alright. Give me sometime,” Ethan replied calmly. His tone was even calmer than usual. “I’ll be hiring a lawyer too. So from now on, if you have anything to discuss with me legally, you’ll be speaking directly with my lawyer.”

He did not waste another second.

Ethan hung up the phone.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the screen.

This was truly unbelievable. He had deliberately made the divorce as quick and straightforward as possible because he did not have time to waste fighting over meaningless assets. He had an apocalypse to prepare for, and every single day mattered.

But Victoria had chosen to make things difficult.

Fine. If she wanted to take things through the legal system, then Ethan would happily play that game.

His eyes gradually turned cold. He had already given her the chance to walk away with the house and whatever little money was left behind.

Now she wanted more. Then he would make sure she regretted ever starting this fight.

Some moments later, Ethan arrived at the biggest law firm in the city, popularly known as The Ex-Files.

Any divorce case brought to this firm had a reputation for being won as long as the client had a strong case and enough evidence to back it up. The lawyers here were among the most recognized in the entire city.

Luckily for Ethan, Barrister Charles Winston, the best lawyer in the firm, happened to have an opening that very day.

Charles had handled more than a hundred divorce cases throughout his career and had built a reputation for being fair, ruthless, and extremely difficult to beat in court.

Ethan took a deep breath before walking into the impressive building.

He approached the reception desk and greeted the receptionist politely.

“Hi, sir. May I ask your name and how I can help you?” the receptionist asked professionally.

“I’m Ethan Carter. I’m here to see Barrister Charles Winston,” Ethan replied.

The receptionist looked him over carefully.

From the way Ethan was dressed, he did not exactly look like the type of client who could afford Barrister Charles's services.

“Mr. Carter, may I ask why you want to meet Barrister Charles?” she asked curiously.

“For professional reasons,” Ethan replied simply.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow.

“Are you aware of his billing rate?”

“Of course.” Ethan nodded calmly. “Three thousand dollars per hour.”

The receptionist clicked her tongue softly.

She could hardly believe that someone dressed like Ethan could afford Barrister Charles's fees. However, there was something about Ethan's calm attitude that made her hesitate.

Perhaps he really was wealthy.

She quickly picked up the phone and made a call.

After a brief conversation, she hung up and rose from her desk.

“Please follow me, Mr. Carter.”

She led Ethan down the hallway.

A few moments later, they stopped directly in front of an expensive-looking office door with BARRISTER CHARLES WINSTON engraved across it.

The receptionist turned toward Ethan. She raised her hand and knocked on the door and she pushed it opened after she has been given permission.

Barrister Charles looked up from the documents on his desk when the door opened. He was a man in his mid-forties, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. A pair of thin-framed glasses rested on his nose, and his sharp eyes immediately settled on Ethan.

The receptionist stepped inside. “Barrister Charles, this is Mr. Ethan Carter.”

Charles gestured toward the chair across from his desk. “Please, have a seat, Mr. Carter.” Ethan sat down.

"Would you be needing anything Mr Carter? Like coffee" The receptionist asked..

"I'm fine, I'm not planning to stay longer" Ethan replied.

The receptionist gave Ethan one last look before stepping out and closing the door behind her.

Charles leaned back slightly. “So, since you're in an hurry i guess I'm wouldn't have yo waste your time, so can we get straight to it Mr Carter”

"I agreed with that" He paused..“My ex-wife has decided to reopen the division of our marital assets,” Ethan replied.

Charles's expression remained calm. “When was the divorce finalized?”

“Recently.”

“And when did you acquire the assets she is claiming?”

Ethan looked directly at him. “The largest asset in question was acquired after our divorce.”

Charles paused. That immediately caught his attention. “If you have documents proving the purchase was made after the divorce was finalized, then her case is going to be difficult.”

“That’s not all.”

Ethan reached into his folder and placed several documents on the desk. Charles picked them up and began reading, but his expression slowly changed.

“These are…”

“A paternity test.”

Charles looked up. Ethan remained expressionless.

“The child I raised during my marriage isn't biologically mine.”

Charles looked back at the document. “Are you saying your ex-wife had an affair?”

“She did.” Ethan's voice remained calm. “She became pregnant before we got married. I was convinced the child was mine, so I stayed. I worked, supported the family, and raised that child as my own.”

Charles removed his glasses and placed them on the desk. “And now she wants to reopen the division of your marital assets?”

“Yes.”

A faint smile appeared on Charles's face. “Then she may have made a serious mistake.”

Ethan nodded. “I want everything I'm legally entitled to recover.”

Charles studied him for a moment. “That could become expensive, especially if this turns into a prolonged case.”

“That is exactly what I want.”

Charles raised an eyebrow.

Ethan leaned back. “I don't want this settled quickly.”

Charles stared at him. “How long?”

“As long as the law allows.” Ethan paused before adding, “But no longer than three months.”

Charles's eyes narrowed slightly. “You want to drag the case out?”

“I want her family to understand the consequences of what they've done.” Ethan's voice remained calm. “Recover every dollar the law allows. If there are damages I can claim because of the deception, pursue those too.”

Charles tapped his fingers lightly against the desk. “And if your legal fees become higher than what you recover?”

Ethan looked at him. “That won't be a problem.”

Charles gave a quiet laugh. “You sound very confident.”

“I have enough reason to be.”

Ethan pulled out another document and placed it in front of him.

Charles glanced down, and his eyes widened. He picked up the paper and read it again. “A lottery prize?”

“Five hundred million dollars.”

For the first time since Ethan entered the room, Charles looked genuinely shocked. “You won five hundred million dollars?”

“Yes.”

“And you bought this ticket…”

“After my divorce was finalized.”

Charles slowly leaned back in his chair. Now he understood why Ethan was so calm. With the right evidence, Victoria's claim was almost worthless.

But Ethan wasn't finished. “I don't just want Victoria to pay,” he said.

Charles looked at him. “I want her entire family to feel the consequences.”

Charles remained silent as Ethan continued.

“For years, I supported that family. I handed over my salary, paid the bills, and lived with almost nothing for myself. I raised a child I later discovered wasn't mine.”

His expression hardened. “They took my sacrifices for granted.”

Charles nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“I want you to make sure they don't walk away from this comfortably.”

Charles considered his words before giving a small smile. “I can do that.”

Ethan stood. “One more thing.”

Charles looked up.

“I want the court to know that whatever money I recover from this case will be donated.”

Charles frowned. “Donated?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Ethan's eyes were cold. “I don't need their money.” He paused before continuing. “But I want them to lose it.”

Charles stared at him for several seconds before laughing quietly. “You're an unusual client, Mr. Carter.”

Charles found Ethan's request rather unusual. Still, a longer case meant more hours on the clock and, naturally, a much larger bill.

So he had no reason to complain.

“Alright. I'll handle it.”

Charles picked up the documents again and began going through them carefully.

After reviewing everything, he immediately started making arrangements with his legal team.

One of the first things he instructed them to do was to begin spreading information about Victoria's affair on the city's largest online forum.

He wanted the story to start circulating before the case gained any serious attention.

Charles pressed a button on his desk. A few seconds later, the door opened, and a young woman stepped inside. She was tall and professionally dressed, with dark hair tied neatly behind her head and black-framed glasses resting on her face.

“Barrister?”

Charles gestured toward Ethan. “This is Mr. Ethan Carter. He'll be one of our clients.”

The woman turned toward Ethan. “Nice to meet you. I'm Rose.”

“Ethan.”

Charles looked at Rose. “I want you assigned to Mr. Carter's case. Keep him updated on everything.”

Rose nodded. “Of course.”

She pulled a business card from her bag and handed it to Ethan. “If you need any updates or have questions about the case, you can contact me directly.”

Ethan glanced at the card before putting it into his pocket. “Understood.”

Rose hesitated for a moment. “And if you need anything else…even if not related to lawsuits”

She stopped herself and adjusted her glasses awkwardly. “I mean, anything related to the case. Legal questions.”

Ethan nodded. “Got it.”

Charles cleared his throat. “Rose, take the documents and start reviewing everything today.”

“Yes, Barrister." She said with a smile.

Ethan couldn't believe if he heard she had said right..