Twelve years had passed and I still can't get past her or our combined families betrayal. Trust! No bloody way! There is no forgiveness from me. No accept it, get over it and move on like they wanted. I knew it would take time, but I'd have my day!
I've worked hard for the last twelve years after our divorce. I have lived like an impoverished monk to save enough money to move to the UK and start a new life. I've put up with the constant hounding, prying, and outright bullying by my ex wife, her kids, as well as both families. That's right! Her kids! Not mine! Although I've been supporting them their whole life. I am on their birth records. The Judge would not let me have that changed, and as such, I am forced into supporting them. Only till they turn eighteen. That dear folks, is only a few days away. The twins will be facing a whole new reality. All of their rude, disrespectful, and entitled attitude towards me is about to pay them their will earned dividends. I am packed and ready to leave. The big end game meeting was at hand with her attorney, my attorney Gloria Sanchez, and half our combined families present. The twins looking smug in knowing they are going to get over on me again. Not! You see, I am going to sign over my small business to my ex. Lock stock and barrel. Complete ownership. I didn't leave any land mines for them. I just won't be working there anymore. I was the company.
What does she get? A good thing really. First is the two thousand square foot office building. I have been living there in the back room apartment all these years. Very small, but very neat. The building is payed off. She receives the business account. There is twelve thousand dollars in that. She gets my twelve year old work van. That's the only vehicle I owned. What do I get? Complete and total release from them. All of them! No more being dragged to court every year for higher child support by order of her uncle the judge. No more requests to remove my ex family from the injunction. No obligations to any of them for anything! In writing! Signed by the judge, at the meeting! Hell yeah!
They thought they had finally beaten me down and I was giving in. My ex would own my business, and I would be working for her on her terms. The smiles on all of their faces was worth every bit of money I paid my attorney and her law firm. Yep! The ex couldn't sign the paperwork fast enough. Even the judge was anxious to sign and seal the deal.
Everything was now a matter of record. I even managed to keep my head down looking totally dejected and beaten throughout the meeting and subsequent signing over of the company. I told the ex before leaving that I was going on vacation. Without skipping a beat, she addresses me with that shit eating smug look. Well, when you get back from your little pity me vacation and back to work, I have a few ideas for you and my new company. Gloria started a quick step out the door. I know she was close to losing it. I could hear her holding back the laughter. I was having a hard time too as tears started down my cheeks. The ex thought it was sadness. I was dying from holding back the laughter. I followed my attorney out at the quick step as well. I could hear them all celebrating Judy's victory over me and her good fortune as new business owner.
Yeah, Judy is my ex. Kate and Allie are the demon twins. The families deserve them. Even before getting out of earshot I heard Judy say, "he thought he was working hard before, wait till he gets back from his pity party and working for me "! They all laughed. Shame I won't be here to see them whining when their new reality sets in. You see, all of my business records are in the files and on the computer. That comes with the company I signed over. All inventory left on the shelves are at factory settings. That comes with the business as well. All software, intellectual property and system designs belong solely to me and are in my possession. There are none of those files or records left at the business for them to exploit. So what they have is thousands worth of computers and parts with no software or system designs. I guess Judy and the twins can sell out the inventory to make some money. I'm sure they will empty the business account within a few days. In their haste to take over, there are so many things that they didn't stop to ask or ponder. It was all in the paperwork she and the judge signed. A new business license. A new business name, as it was in the contract that my company name goes with me as well. Insurance and bonding. A new client base as I took mine with me as well. The cost of business up keep such as taxes, utilities and internet.
The apartment was now just a back room with a bathroom. I took out the kitchenette, furniture and wardrobes and donated them to Am-vets. All business signs, advertising and the like was also disposed of. If you were to go inside, it was, with the exception of inventory an empty storage building. There was no service counter, no desks. The business computer sat on the floor in the corner of what was once my very nice office. A very clean and we'll maintained building. I had spent the last week before the handover cleaning, donating and disposing of things. It previously looked like a small office depot. Fax machines, large copier/scanners, state of the art Bio and Security Chip I.D. Badge machines. Now all in security storage awaiting shipment to a new home in the UK. It was very rare that any of the family every came there, so no one noticed everything being removed to storage. They weren't even interested in what I really did. They never asked, and I never said. The only thing they cared about was their monthly extortion check. I am quite sure that it was a time of great shock and awe when she went in for a look at her new business and realized that I had gone and was not coming back! Should have taken the time to read the contract more closely. Still it was more than she and the twins should ever have gotten. I'm sure she will be able to sell it quickly, but for less than it's potential value. Shadow Solutions was now UK bound.
