Chapter 7 – The Divorce War
Chapter 7 – The Divorce War
The divorce papers arrived on a Monday morning.
Valerie was sitting in her office reviewing architectural plans when her assistant placed the envelope on her desk.
She didn't need to ask who sent it.
The handwriting on the front told her everything.
Diego Alvarez.
For a moment, she simply stared at it.
Not because she was surprised.
Because she was disappointed.
Even now.
After everything.
After the police.
After the investigation.
After the evidence.
Diego still believed this was a negotiation.
"Do you want me to call Samantha?"
Her assistant, Claire, asked quietly.
Valerie picked up the envelope.
"No."
She opened it herself.
"I want to see what he thinks he deserves."
The documents were exactly what she expected.
Temporary support requests.
Claims regarding shared assets.
Requests for access to financial records.
And one sentence that made Valerie almost laugh.
The petitioner requests an equitable division of marital property.
Equitable.
A word people used when they wanted something they didn't earn.
At the bottom of the page was Diego's signature.
The same man who had tried to take her apartment.
The same man who had hidden financial accounts.
The same man who had watched his family humiliate her.
Now wanted fairness.
She closed the folder.
Then called Samantha.
"He's filed."
"I expected that."
"He wants half."
A pause.
"Of course he does."
Valerie looked out the window.
"How long do you think this will take?"
Samantha's answer was calm.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"How badly Diego wants to destroy himself."
Two hours later...
Diego sat across from his attorney.
And for the first time, he wasn't angry.
He was desperate.
"They can't take everything."
His lawyer looked through the documents.
"They might."
Diego stared.
"What?"
"You have criminal exposure."
"This is divorce."
"No."
The attorney looked up.
"This stopped being just divorce the moment investigators found evidence of fraud."
Diego stood.
"So what?"
"So your financial disclosures will be examined."
"And?"
"And if there are hidden assets..."
The attorney didn't finish.
He didn't need to.
Diego knew.
The divorce that he believed would save him...
Could expose him.
At the Alvarez estate, Victoria was furious.
"This is impossible."
Richard looked exhausted.
"Everything is becoming impossible."
She ignored him.
"We need to make Valerie look unreasonable."
Diego looked at his mother.
"How?"
Victoria stared.
"She wants punishment."
"She wants revenge."
Diego shook his head.
"No."
Victoria frowned.
"What?"
He looked toward the window.
"She wants the truth."
That answer bothered Victoria.
Because truth was the one thing they couldn't control.
The first divorce hearing arrived three weeks later.
The courtroom was packed.
Not because divorce hearings were unusual.
Because everyone knew who Valerie Bennett was now.
The woman who survived the dinner.
The woman who exposed the Alvarez family.
The woman who had quietly built an empire.
Diego entered with confidence.
At least, he tried to.
He wore an expensive suit.
A carefully prepared expression.
A man pretending his world wasn't collapsing.
Valerie entered moments later.
No designer clothing.
No dramatic entrance.
Just a simple dark suit.
Professional.
Calm.
Focused.
The difference was obvious.
Diego needed people to believe he was powerful.
Valerie didn't.
The judge reviewed the filings.
"Mr. Alvarez is requesting division of marital assets."
"Yes, Your Honor."
The judge looked at Valerie's attorney.
"Response?"
Samantha stood.
"Your Honor, the majority of assets claimed by Mr. Alvarez were acquired before marriage or through separate ownership."
She opened a folder.
"We have documentation proving ownership."
Diego's attorney interrupted.
"Your Honor, the petitioner believes certain assets may have been commingled during the marriage."
Samantha smiled slightly.
"Then we welcome a full financial examination."
That sentence changed the atmosphere.
Because everyone understood.
A full examination meant questions.
And questions were dangerous for Diego.
The judge looked at Diego.
"Are you requesting financial discovery?"
His attorney hesitated.
Then answered.
"Yes."
The judge nodded.
"Granted."
Diego smiled.
He thought he had won.
He didn't understand.
He had just opened the door.
That evening, investigators entered the Alvarez estate with additional requests.
Bank records.
Company documents.
Communication records.
Every transaction connected to the marriage.
Every account.
Every transfer.
Every secret.
Victoria watched from the doorway.
"You can't do this."
The investigator looked at her.
"Ma'am, this is a legal request."
She lowered her voice.
"You don't know who you're dealing with."
The investigator calmly replied:
"Actually, we do."
Meanwhile...
Valerie received an unexpected message.
From Diego.
She stared at the screen.
For months, he had communicated through lawyers.
Now he was contacting her directly.
Can we talk?
She almost deleted it.
Then another message appeared.
Please. Just once.
She showed it to Samantha.
"What do you think?"
Samantha studied the message.
"I think he's scared."
"Should I answer?"
"No."
Valerie looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because people who are sorry usually apologize."
A pause.
"People who are scared usually negotiate."
Valerie didn't respond.
The next day, Diego appeared outside the courthouse.
Reporters surrounded him.
"Mr. Alvarez, did you assault your wife?"
"No comment."
"Did you hide financial information?"
"No comment."
"Do you still claim ownership of Valerie Bennett's apartment?"
His face tightened.
"No comment."
But one reporter shouted:
"Mr. Alvarez, did you marry Valerie because of her money?"
The question hit harder than the others.
Because everyone had wondered it.
Even Diego.
He walked away.
But the damage was done.
That night, Diego met someone secretly.
A man in a quiet restaurant.
A former employee of Bennett Urban Development.
Someone Valerie had trusted.
Someone who knew the company's internal structure.
Diego slid an envelope across the table.
"I need information."
The man looked at him.
"About Valerie?"
"About her company."
The man smiled.
"You still think this is about money."
Diego frowned.
"What else would it be?"
The man leaned forward.
"Power."
Diego looked confused.
"What are you talking about?"
The man opened the envelope.
"You don't know the biggest secret."
"What secret?"
He smiled.
"The apartment wasn't the only thing Valerie was hiding."
Across town, Valerie sat alone in her office.
She looked at the city outside.
The divorce.
The investigation.
The betrayal.
Everything had changed.
But she knew something else was coming.
Something bigger.
Her phone rang.
It was Arthur.
One of the few people who knew the full truth about her company.
"Valerie."
She immediately noticed his tone.
"What happened?"
A pause.
"The board wants an emergency meeting."
"Why?"
Arthur lowered his voice.
"Because someone has been trying to access confidential company files."
Valerie became still.
"Who?"
Arthur hesitated.
Then answered:
"Diego Alvarez."
Valerie closed her eyes.
The divorce was no longer just about ending a marriage.
It was becoming a war.
And Diego had just made the biggest mistake of his life.
He didn't only attack Valerie.
May you like
He attacked everything she built.
End of Chapter 7
