Chapter 3

"Ms. Chloe, the patent registry shows that the inventor information for the tech you mentioned has already been legally updated."

The clerk at the Patent and Trademark Office sounded completely professional and detached.

"Updated? I never signed any transfer documents."

"Our system shows the application was submitted by Vance Technologies' legal department. It includes a signed consent form with your signature."

"That signature is a forgery."

"I see... In that case, you will need to seek legal counsel to dispute it. We do not have the authority to handle forgery claims here—"

I hung up and started calling lawyers.

The first one:

"Ms. Chloe, I'm so sorry, but our firm is fully booked. We cannot take on new clients at this time."

The second one:

"Vance Technologies is a long-standing client of our firm. We have a conflict of interest and cannot represent you."

The third one was an old classmate from law school. She was more honest than the others.

"Chloe, I'm going to be straight with you."

"Vance Technologies sent a legal warning to every major intellectual property firm in the city. Nobody wants to touch your case and risk getting blacklisted by Ethan Vance. If you want a lawyer, you’ll have to look out of state."

"When did he send that warning?"

"Last month. Before the IPO."

Last month. Before I even knew my shares were being stolen, he had already blocked every exit.

I put down my phone and called my college roommate, Fiona. Her cousin, Harper, worked at a top-tier IP firm in a neighboring state.

The phone rang twelve times before she finally picked up.

"Chloe... hey. How have you been?"

"Fiona, is Harper still at her firm? I need her to—"

"Chloe," she interrupted, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Lacey took me out for high tea last week."

I froze.

"She talked to me a lot. She said you haven't been in a good headspace lately... She warned us not to trigger you."

"What exactly did she say about me?"

"She said... she said you’ve convinced yourself that you built the company's tech alone, but you actually only did a tiny fraction of the work..."

"Chloe, are you—please don't be mad, I'm just worried about you—are you sure you aren't just misremembering things?"

I didn't say a word.

Lacey had already gotten to my friends.

As soon as I hung up, a new message popped up. It was from Ethan’s mother, Eleanor Vance.

"Chloe, let me tell you something."

"Lacey is pregnant. Three months along."

"Ethan wants to finalize the divorce as quickly as possible."

"If you sign the papers quietly, he'll give you a decent monthly allowance."

"I’ve always liked you, but a man changes when he has a child of his own. As a woman, you should understand that."

"If you make a scene, everyone loses face. Don't make this ugly."

I set my phone down and turned on the TV.

A financial talk show was airing. Lacey was sitting on the guest panel, wearing my camel cashmere coat.

The host asked, "Ms. Carter, Vance Technologies’ AI platform is leading the industry. Can you share the journey behind developing this technology?"

Lacey smiled warmly. "Well, I’ve actually been deeply involved in the core tech development for years. Ethan handles the front-end business, while I’ve been managing the heavy lifting on the backend."

I switched off the TV.

My phone rang again. This time, it was an unknown number.

"Ms. Chloe? This is Diana Miller, Editor-in-Chief of *Business Weekly*. I sent you an email earlier—"

"Yes, I remember."

"You replied telling us to interview Ethan's new wife."

"But we did some digging. The original patent application for Vance Technologies' core AI was registered under your name."

"Did you develop this technology?"

I stared out the window into the dark city. I paused for three seconds.

"What kind of story do you want to write, Ms. Miller?"

"The truth."

"Then wait."

"It's not the right time yet."

"Ms. Chloe, this is the final draft of the divorce settlement. Please review it."

Ethan's lawyer slid the document across the table. It was fourteen pages long. I flipped straight to the asset division section.

Shares: Zero.

Real Estate: Zero. (Purchased by the husband prior to the marriage; the wife has no claim).

Spousal Support/Compensation: None.

Living Allowance: Five thousand dollars a month, for two years.

On the very last page, there was a clause in tiny print:

"Non-Disclosure Agreement: The party of the second part shall not disclose any technical data, trade secrets, or operational details of the party of the first part’s company for ten years post-signing. Any violation will result in a penalty of fifty million dollars."

"Is this a joke?" I pushed the paper back, pointing at the NDA clause.

The lawyer’s expression didn't change.

"Ms. Chloe, this is the most generous offer Mr. Vance is willing to make. I strongly suggest you sign it."

"Generous? Seven years of my career and marriage, and you're telling me it's worth five thousand a month?"

"Five thousand," the lawyer corrected me coldly. "Plus the obligation of silence."

My phone buzzed. It was Ethan.

"Just sign it."

"No."

"Chloe, how are you going to fight me?"

"The patents have been transferred, the shares are gone, and your accounts are empty. What do you have left?"

"You and I both know who wrote those patents, Ethan."

"Who wrote them? Do you think the patent office cares about who typed the code?"

"In the official registry, Lacey is the inventor. Our legal department submitted the signed paperwork with your signature."

"How are you going to prove it's a forgery?"

"Are you going to hire a lawyer? Oh, I forgot. Right now, not a single firm in this city will even take your call."

He let out a soft, mocking laugh.

"Take the five thousand a month. Sign it quietly, and don't make me make life difficult for your parents."