Divorced And Penniless: The Billionaire's Secret Heir

Kiley adjusted the strap of her silk dress for the tenth time, the cool material a stark contrast to the sweat pooling at the base of her neck. The restaurant was dim, filled with the low hum of expensive conversations and the clinking of crystal. She checked her watch. Aden was twenty minutes late. Her right thumb rubbed against the bare skin of her left ring finger, a nervous habit she had developed over the past year whenever things felt too quiet. She had picked this restaurant. It was where they had celebrated their anniversary for the last seven years. She had hoped the nostalgia would soften whatever wall he had built between them lately. The maître d' led Aden to the table. He didn't look at her as he sat down. He didn't apologize for the delay. He simply unbuttoned his suit jacket, glanced at the wine list, and held up two fingers to the nearest waiter without saying a word. "Aden," Kiley said, leaning forward, trying to catch his eye. "I was worried you weren't coming." "I had a meeting," he said, his voice flat. He picked up the menu, using it as a shield between them. "Let's just order." Kiley swallowed the lump in her throat. She reached across the white tablecloth, her fingers brushing his wrist. "Remember the first time we came here? You spilled the Bordeaux on your tie, and the waiter gave us a free dessert." Aden lowered the menu, his eyes cold and empty. "Kiley. Stop. We're not college kids anymore." She pulled her hand back, the rejection stinging like a slap. The waiter arrived with the expensive Bordeaux, pouring a small amount into Aden's glass. Aden swirled it, sniffed it, and nodded. He didn't offer Kiley a taste. Instead, he reached down to the leather briefcase resting against his chair leg. He pulled out a thick stack of paper, held together with a black clip, and slid it across the table. It stopped right in the middle, next to the salt shaker. “What is this?” Kelly asked, a bad feeling creeping into her mind that this document might completely change her life . "Open it." Her fingers trembled as she flipped back the cover. The bold font at the top screamed at her. Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. The air vanished from her lungs. She couldn't breathe. She looked up at Aden, her vision blurring at the edges. "Divorce?" she whispered. "Aden, it's our anniversary." "I need my freedom, Kiley," he said, checking his watch. His index finger tapped the glass face. "I've outgrown this. Outgrown you." "Outgrown me?" The words tasted like ash. "We have a son. We have seven years." "Seven years of you spending my money and playing house," Aden said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I want a life. A real life." He leaned back, crossing his arms. "Seraphina Vance is back in New York." The name hit Kiley like a physical blow to the chest. Seraphina. The college girlfriend. The one he compared her to in silence for a decade. Kiley's hand flew to her mouth, but a sob still escaped. "You're leaving me for her?" Kiley asked, the realization dawning on her, ugly and brutal. "You planned this?" "I've had the paperwork drawn up for a month," Aden said. "Just sign it. It's clean." Kiley flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the legal jargon until she hit the financial disclosure section. The numbers were wrong. They were completely wrong. According to this, she was entitled to nothing. No alimony. No share of the marital assets. Nothing but the clothes on her back. “A divorce settlement …” Kelly stammered, her voice trembling. “It left me with nothing. I gave up my career for you. I raised Jules alone while you were building your company. "You were a housewife, Kiley," Aden said, a sneer twisting his handsome face. "You contributed nothing financially. You should be grateful I'm not asking for repayment of the living expenses. Sign it, and walk away with a little dignity." Dignity. The word echoed in her skull, bouncing around until it ignited a fire in her gut. The humiliation, the betrayal, the sheer arrogance of this man sitting across from her, checking his watch while he dismantled her life. Her thumb stopped rubbing her ring finger. Her hands flattened on the table. The anger was a living thing now, crawling up her spine, making her skin prickle. The waiter chose that exact moment to place the glass of Bordeaux next to Aden's hand. The rich, red liquid swirled inside the crystal. Kiley stood up so fast her chair screeched against the floor. The water glass toppled over, spilling across the table, but she didn't care. She grabbed the stem of the wine glass. Aden looked up, his eyes widening slightly. "Kiley, don't-" She threw the wine right at his face. The red liquid splashed across his cheeks, soaking the collar of his crisp white shirt. It dripped down his chin like blood. Aden sputtered, wiping his eyes, his composure shattered. He slammed his fist on the table, rattling the silverware. "Are you out of your mind?!" Kiley grabbed the wet stack of divorce papers. She threw them hard against his chest, the damp paper slapping against his ruined shirt. "Divorce? Fine," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "But Jules is mine. You will never get custody of my son." Aden grabbed a napkin, wiping the wine from his face. He laughed, a harsh, cruel sound. "You? A woman with no job, no money, no prospects? You think a judge will give you a child? I will bury you in court, Kiley. You won't even have visitation rights." "I'll get a lawyer," Kiley said, her fists clenched so tight her nails bit into her palms. "I will fight you until my last breath." "You can't afford a lawyer to fight a parking ticket," Aden sneered. He stood up, adjusting his wet jacket. "Don't call me until you're ready to sign." He turned and walked out of the restaurant, leaving a trail of red droplets on the plush carpet. The silence in the room was deafening. Every eye was on her. The pity, the judgment-it pressed down on her shoulders like a physical weight. The waiter approached cautiously, holding a small leather folder. "Ma'am... the bill?" Kiley patted the pockets of her evening gown. Nothing. No wallet. No credit card. Aden had always handled the payments. She had nothing. "Put it on the Frost account," she said, her voice barely a whisper. She grabbed the divorce papers from the table, stuffed them haphazardly into her bag, and fled the restaurant. She fled the restaurant. The Manhattan night air hit her bare arms, freezing the tears she hadn't realized she was shedding. She wrapped her arms around herself, running toward the parking garage, her heels clicking against the concrete. She reached her car, slamming the door shut. She hit the steering wheel once, twice, the horn blaring into the night. She wouldn't sign. She wouldn't let him take Jules. Her phone buzzed on the passenger seat. Kiley grabbed it, her heart leaping. Maybe Aden regretted it. Maybe he was calling to apologize. She swiped the screen without looking at the caller ID. "Kiley!" The voice on the other end was high-pitched, panicked. It was Brenda, the nanny. "Kiley, you need to come home right now!" "Brenda? What's wrong?" The anger evaporated, replaced instantly by a cold dread that seized her chest. “It’s Jules!” Brenda shouted. In the background, Kelly could hear a heart-wrenching scream blaring from the phone’s speaker. “His nose is bleeding, and it won’t stop! I’m using three airways, and the blood keeps flowing! He’s pale, Kelly, he wants to sleep, forever !” The world narrowed to a single point. The divorce, the wine, the humiliation-all of it vanished. There was only the sound of her son in agony. "I'm coming," Kiley yelled, shoving the key into the ignition. "Call 911! I'm on my way!" She threw the car into reverse, tires squealing as she shot out of the garage. She ran the first yellow light, her knuckles white on the wheel. In the rearview mirror, the warm glow of the restaurant faded into the cold city lights. Her marriage was over. But her son was dying.