The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

~ Soraya ~
On a Monday, Soraya drove back to Cedar Heights early in the morning. It was an hour-and-a-half drive.
She was already four blocks away when she noticed Calum’s car!
Yet again, she sensed her heart racing. She had to pull over and calm her emotions. With her eyes closed, she muttered, “Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen… one.”
As her eyes slowly opened, she spotted Calum’s Bentley parked two cars down. Moments later, Calum stepped out and opened the passenger door, letting Rose Becket exit with a bright smile.
Soraya looked away, realizing that Calum and Rose were together as early as seven. It could only mean they had slept together. Worse, maybe he had brought Rose to their marital home.
Her chest tightened, so much that counting numbers no longer worked.
Soraya hugged herself tightly and muttered her newfound mantra, “Control, Soraya, control. Feelings pass. Feelings pass. Control.”
It took a while, but when Soraya had finally regained her composure, she realized Calum had brought Rose to her boutique.
During their entire marriage, Calum never drove Soraya to work, not even after she started working for him. The only times they shared a car were when they visited the Montclairs at the old mansion.
So, apparently, Calum did have a romantic side. However, he never cared for Soraya.
A bitter smile tugged at Soraya’s lips. She let the truth sink in deeper, letting her anger sharpen her resolve. This low point was only temporary; her comeback was already coming.
After Calum left Rose’s shop, Soraya waited five minutes before driving off in the same direction.
At Montclair Group, she headed straight to Calum’s executive assistant.
Greg Foster greeted her, “Miss Azar. Good morning. Welcome back.”
Yes, Soraya still went with her maiden name, Azar. In public, Calum had never acknowledged her as his wife. Everyone thought he was single, and Rose Becket was his girlfriend. Only a few knew that, in reality, Calum was married and that Rose was a mistress.
Greg Foster, for one, knew Soraya and Calum were married.
“Good morning, Mr. Foster,” Soraya responded to Greg, her face neutral, trying to cage all her feelings. She gave him a set of documents and said, “I would like to tender my resignation effective immediately. And the second document is a divorce agreement for Mr. Montclair. I know he will not want to see me, but will you please pass this to him?”
The shock on Greg’s face was evident. His eyes rounded, and his mouth fell open. Obviously, he could not believe that Soraya had finally given up. “Are—are you sure?”
Soraya held her chin high, saying, “I have never been more surer in my life. I hope you can manage my unplanned departure. I can’t stay here a day longer.”
Greg seemed to understand her sentiment. It reflected in his eyes.
Soraya had a good relationship with Calum’s executive assistant. In fact, Greg had often tried to speak positively about her to Calum. But in her husband’s eyes, she was just there to get his attention. Not once did Calum ask about her work, what she did, or how well she performed.
Greg looked around, and with a nod, he said, “We have enough people.”
“Good luck, Miss Azar. I wish you all the best,” Greg said, forcing a smile. “It won’t be the same without you. I’ve never met anyone so meticulous and laser-focused. Thank you for everything. You’ll do great in whatever you pursue.”
“Then,” Soraya gave a faint smile, “I’ll clear my desk. I thank you for everything you have done for me.”
After Montclair Group, she drove straight to Aegis Core Systems. If she needed a fresh start, she would require a lot of money.
Aegis Core Systems was a top-tier cybersecurity firm known for its enterprise-grade protection. It had built a multi-million-dollar empire by supplying advanced security solutions to major corporations.
Its most profitable system was the NeuroSentinel.
Soraya parked her car and went straight to the upper ground floor. Approaching the front desk, Soraya said, “Excuse me. My name is Soraya Azar. I want to claim my profit share for the past four years.”
“Do you have a licensing profit share, Miss?” the front desk asked with a smile.
“Yes,” Soraya replied.
The lady called the person in charge, and after confirming that Soraya was, in fact, a developer of one of their programs, she gave her an ID pass.
Soraya easily found her way to the finance department. The person in charge gave her a big smile. He looked tense as he offered his hand, “Miss Azar, it’s such an honor to meet you! And my, you are so young and beautiful!”
“I’m sorry. I never expected you to be this young, but then again, most geniuses are young.” The man motioned to a seat and said, “Please, have some coffee or tea.”
“Thank you for the compliment.” Soraya’s heart was still like a block of ice, but she forced a smile. “Water is fine. Is the check ready? I called last Wednesday to make the withdrawal.”
“Yes, it’s ready. I prepared the check. I was very excited to meet you,” the man said. “My name is Albert Smith. I am the accounts payable manager. I started working here two years ago and heard so much about you from Mr. Ward.”
Soraya could not help but smile at the mention of her old friend, Silas Ward. Her heart softened a little. She asked, “I’d really like to see Silas. Is he here at the moment?”
“Mr. Ward is on a business trip. He has been a busy man, following our expansion to the capital. After all, he is now the big boss,” Albert remarked, chuckling.
“The big boss?” Soraya asked, bemused.
“You don’t know?” Albert asked. “Mr. Ward is now the CEO of Aegis Core Systems. He had his appointment last month. After your collaborative effort with Mr. Ward, he quickly rose from a Tech Engineer to a project manager, VP, and now, the boss.”
“I believe he used his profit share to buy company shares of Aegis Core Systems,” Albert reported.
Soraya’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
Her dear old friend had made it big!
And then it hit her like a slap: if she hadn’t abandoned her career at Aegis Core Systems, she could have been standing beside Silas by now.
Yes, this was her first workplace after completing her Computer Engineering degree at Cedar Heights Institute of Technology.
Soraya was an accelerated student. She skipped four grade levels, earned her high school diploma at fourteen, and completed her college degree by eighteen. After graduation, her internship company, Aegis Core Systems, immediately offered her a job, and she began working under the mentorship of Silas Ward.
Because of her busy schedule, taking care of Sage while working hard for Calum, Soraya had not been in touch with Silas. She wasn’t the type to have a social media account either. In the middle of everything, Soraya had lost her old phone, leaving her with no way to contact Silas.
“I am happy for Silas,” Soraya said. Then, she wrote her number on a piece of paper, handing it to Albert. “Do you mind telling him that I came to see him? Here’s my number. I changed contact information three years ago.”
“Certainly, Miss Azar. When he returns, I shall give him your number.” Albert put her contact information inside his drawer. Then, he said, “Excuse me for a moment. I just need to get the acknowledgment paper for your check.”
Albert came back with the document, which Soraya quickly signed. Then, Albert passed her the check, shocking Soraya to the core. “I earned six million dollars in four years?”
That was ten times more than what she had expected. It was primarily the reason why she took so long to withdraw her profit share. Soraya was saving it for rainy days.
Then, the gut punch.
“Miss Azar,” Albert said. “You would have earned ten times more if you hadn’t given up your exclusive rights as the co-developer of NeuroSentinel.”
~ Calum ~
Meanwhile, back at the Montclair Group, Calum, Soraya’s soon-to-be ex-husband, was reviewing documents on his desk when his assistant walked in. He looked up and said, “Is Soraya back? Tell her to stop her theatrics and work on the East Project.”
Greg gulped. He presented a set of papers on Calum’s desk and said, “Mr. Montclair, sir? Your wife wishes to resign immediately and is requesting a divorce.”
Calum stilled.
His brows knitted as he looked up. A look of disbelief crossed his face.