I Took the Money and the Quadruplets Chapter 01

I Took the Money and the Quadruplets Chapter 01

Twenty million dollars appeared in my bank account.

It was the divorce settlement from my husband, Liam Walker.

He thought he was just cutting ties with a wife who was little more than a pawn in his family’s grand design.

He had no idea I was pregnant. With quadruplets.

I signed the papers without a second thought and walked away from Dallas, taking my secret with me.

Later, TMZ would run the headline: TEXAS OIL HEIR HUNTS FOR RUNAWAY EX-WIFE AND HIS $20 MILLION.

…

The ultrasound probe slid over my lower abdomen, and the cold gel made my fingers tighten into fists.

I stared at the screen, holding my breath.

The doctor adjusted her glasses, moved the probe again, tried several angles, and then confirmed it one last time before turning to me.

“Mrs. Walker, this is…unusual.”

“Is something wrong?” I asked, my voice tight.

“No, it’s not bad news.” She took a breath. “It appears…you’re having quadruplets. I’m seeing four gestational sacs. Four distinct heartbeats.”

I froze.

“Four?”

“Yes. We’ll continue to monitor them, of course, but the results are quite clear.”

When I walked out of the clinic, the Texas sun was a blistering white heat, but the world felt surreal.

I lowered my head and stared at the report in my hand for a long time.

My name is Ava. A year ago, I married into the Walker family.

Liam Walker was the sole heir to Walker Energy. From the start, our marriage was a business arrangement. Love was never part of the contract. To Dallas society, I was the perfect, safe choice for a wife: impeccable background, quiet demeanor, no ambition, no drama. The Walkers’ expectations for me were simple: produce an heir, preferably sooner rather than later.

Over the past year, I had rarely seen Liam. He was always traveling, always in board meetings, always on a plane.

His father, the formidable Walker Sr., treated me like a line item on the family balance sheet. He cared about the asset I represented, not the woman I was.

Now, I was carrying four of their potential heirs.

For an ordinary family, this would be a joyful shock. For the Walkers, it would be a very complicated problem.

As I stood there, my phone buzzed in my bag.

It was an email.

The sender was Liam’s chief counsel.

I opened it.

The tone was as cool and detached as a contract termination notice.

“Mrs. Walker, In accordance with Section 7.3 of your prenuptial agreement, a golden handshake clause has been executed. A sum of twenty million dollars was wired to your personal account at 0900 this morning. Mr. Walker’s signed divorce documents are attached. Upon your signature, the dissolution of your marriage will be immediate. We wish you the best in your future endeavors.”

I stood on the sidewalk and read it three times.

Twenty million dollars.

Divorce.

Effective immediately.

For a few seconds, I was silent. Then I almost laughed.

Four children.

Twenty million dollars.

A house in California.

Suddenly, my plan felt not just feasible, but destined.

I called my own attorney immediately.

“It’s me,” I said. “Reply to them.”

“Reply with what?”

“Ask them what took so long.”

There was a beat of silence on the other end.

“Are you serious?”

“Very.”

A few minutes later, his attorney sent a new email.

“All formal documents will be delivered to your Dallas residence at ten o’clock tomorrow morning for your final review and signature.”

I looked at that line, absurdly pleased.

I folded the ultrasound report, slipped it back into my bag, and rested a hand on my lower abdomen.

“We’re going to California,” I whispered. “To the ocean. To our own house. To live the life we want.”

As for Liam Walker…

From this moment on, he was no longer my problem.

When I returned to the Walker estate—the place everyone called home—it was the first time I felt like its gilded walls couldn’t hold me.

I started packing.

I hadn’t accumulated much. One suitcase was enough. A few art history books, my design drafts, and a handful of sentimental items that were truly mine.

I didn’t take a single designer bag, gown, or piece of jewelry from the cavernous walk-in closet.

I left the black Amex he’d given me on the vanity.

I had twenty million dollars. I didn’t need to take another thing from this house.

At 9:59 the next morning, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door to find my attorney standing beside the courier from the other firm.

“Ava,” my attorney said, making one last attempt, “you should at least review the terms again, especially—”

“No need.”

I took the papers and flipped straight to the last page.

I signed my name.

Without a moment’s hesitation.

Then I handed the documents back to my attorney and asked only one question.

“Is the money settled?”

He looked at me, his expression a mask of disbelief.

“Yes. The funds have been transferred. They are entirely under your control.”

“Good.”

I nodded.

“Then that’s everything. I have a flight to catch.”

After the door closed, I picked up my suitcase and walked out of that enormous house.

I didn’t look back.

Goodbye, Mrs. Walker.

Hello, Ava.