The Divorce Papers Gave Him The Shell And Gave Me The Future Chapter 02

The Divorce Papers Gave Him The Shell And Gave Me The Future Chapter 02

“Me make it harder for her?”

I sent him the screenshots and Grace’s friend request.

“Get your eyes checked. Or better yet, donate them to someone who actually needs them.”

Ethan was quiet for three seconds.

“Just stay away from her.”

Then he paused. “And don’t bother coming to the industry summit next week. Apex already registered. Don’t put yourself in that position.”

“Afraid I’ll show up?”

“I’m not afraid. I’m looking out for you. You’re not part of Apex anymore. You have no connections. You’ll only humiliate yourself.”

I laughed.

“Ethan, do you own the summit?”

“You— Fine. Embarrass yourself if you want. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I hung up.

The next day, I met Samuel for coffee.

He’d been our angel investor. Now he was basically Ethan’s friend.

But back then, I was the one who’d tracked him down at a coffee shop three times with a business plan before he finally wrote the check.

Samuel showed up thirty minutes late.

“Skylar. Long time.”

“Yeah. Long time.”

He got straight to the point. “Ethan told me what happened. Look, Skylar, I’m going to be honest. You’re brilliant at the technical side. But management was never your strength.”

“Let Ethan handle it. Professionals doing professional work. That way, everyone comes out looking good.”

“So not showing up means I’m not competent? And this is supposed to make everyone look good?”

“I know you feel like you got a raw deal. But think about it. Without Ethan out front, without him holding things together, could Apex have gone public?”

“He’s the face of the company. And honestly? For a woman, what more do you need?”

I set my cup down.

“Samuel, do you remember what I told you back when I first came to you?”

He hesitated.

“I said I wanted to build a self-driving system that would change the industry. You laughed at me.”

Samuel didn’t say anything.

“Now let me tell you. I already built it.”

His expression shifted slightly. “What do you mean?”

I stood up and pulled a document from my bag. “The product launch is next Wednesday. This is your invitation. You can come. Or not. Your choice.”

Before he could respond, I turned and walked out.

Behind me, paper rustled as he opened it.

I didn’t look back.

Outside the coffee shop, the sun was blazing. I put on my sunglasses.

My phone buzzed.

A push notification from X.

[Your special account @Ethan_Apex just posted. Check it out!]

I opened it.

Ethan had posted a photo. Him and Grace sitting in an office, the company logo wall behind them.

The caption said: [New journey. Thankful to have you with me. @GraceAnson]

The comments were already rolling in.

[Congrats Ethan! The new wife is way prettier than the ex!]

[Is this the announcement? The ex is probably crying at home right now.]

[I heard the ex is a technical person. Boring. Never matched Ethan’s style.]

[Bought three shares today. Go Ethan! Apex Dynamics for life!]

I turned off my phone.

Scrolled through my contacts until I found a name I hadn’t called in a long time.

“Valerie, it’s me, Skylar. I need a favor, I’m doing a product launch next Wednesday, and I want your media team to cover it.”

Valerie’s voice turned serious. “Skylar, I can help you get coverage. But you need to understand something. Ethan has deep roots in this industry. If you don’t have an ace up your sleeve, you can’t beat him.”

I spoke slowly, one word at a time.

“Valerie, I just redefined L4 autonomous driving.”