The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 287

Felicity was still waiting outside the emergency room, oblivious to the live stream.

A divorce was a good thing for her, so she didn't feel the need to watch. Her only concern was Frank. As long as he was unconscious, she couldn't leave the hospital, which meant she couldn't go and marry Julian.

She had waited three long years for this. A thousand days and nights, climbing her way up from the shadows to finally become his wife. They were deeply in love, kept apart only by Winona's stubbornness. It had been a painful journey. Once she had that marriage certificate in her hands, she was going to celebrate.

Lost in her thoughts of the wedding, Felicity had no idea that she would soon be facing a debt of one billion dollars.

"As for the interest on that billion," Winona continued in court, her tone measured, "I will have an accounting firm calculate the exact amount. Even at a conservative rate, it should amount to several million."

"And besides the billion, there is another twenty million." She looked at Julian, adding,. "Not long ago, I personally witnessed your girlfriend purchase a statue of Jesus, valued at less than ten thousand dollars, for twenty million—a two-thousand-fold markup. My husband paid for it in full."

"Since my husband paid for it, that statue should belong to me, shouldn't it, Your Honor?" Winona asked the judge.

"Of course," he replied.

"Then I'd like Mr. Nicholson to bring me the statue. I'm quite fond of it."

"You can retrieve it after the court is adjourned," the judge said.

"It's just outside, in Mr. Nicholson's car. It won't take long. My grandmother has been sick with worry over it," Winona insisted.

The judge sighed.

"Finally," Winona took a deep breath. "There is overwhelming evidence that my husband has been openly cheating on me for three years, neglecting his family and children. According to marital law, he is required to compensate me for this. Therefore, it is only right that all assets, movable and immovable, under his name be awarded to me. I don't need his charity. Those assets are mine by right, are they not?"

At this, Julian shot to his feet. "So this is what you were waiting for," he said, his voice raw with disbelief. "After all this time, I never realized you could be so ruthless!"

"Whether I'm ruthless or not has no bearing on our divorce proceedings, does it?" Winona asked coolly.

"And to think," Julian continued, "ever since I realized you were serious about the divorce, I've felt nothing but guilt. I wanted to make it up to you. But you... you were planning to wipe me out all along! Not only do you want a billion from me, but you want to take everything I own!"

"What exactly are you accusing me of, Mr. Nicholson?" Winona looked at him, her expression unreadable. "Are you saying I don't have the right to claim these assets? That my claims are unreasonable? If that were the case, you wouldn't need to accuse me of anything. This is a court of law. The judge would have already dismissed my requests, wouldn't he?"

She locked her gaze on him, her eyes sharp as daggers.