Part 2: The Later Page

The accountant, Mr. Chen, located the later register in the company's archive. He made a secure copy for the attorneys and preserved the original. The page recorded a proposed change to ownership, but the accompanying minutes did not show that the proposal had been completed.

“Does that make it invalid?” I asked Priya.

“It makes the missing records important. We need to know what happened, not guess from one page.”

She requested the meeting minutes, relevant filings, and the company's valuation records. Julian's attorney asked for time to gather documents from an older accounting firm. The court set deadlines and required both sides to disclose the requested information.

At home, our twins, Ben and Eli, wanted to know why their father and I had both missed the school concert. I told them the hearing had taken longer than expected and apologized. Julian called that evening and apologized too. We did not ask the boys to decide which apology was better.

Their teacher had recorded the concert with the school's permission. The boys showed me the video. Ben sang loudly and watched the conductor. Eli sang quietly and looked for us in the audience. I felt the absence more sharply than I had in the courtroom.

The temporary schedule allowed Julian and me to alternate school pickups. We used a shared calendar and agreed that changes should be discussed between adults. When Julian asked Ben to tell me about a schedule change, I sent Julian a message reminding him to contact me directly. He apologized and updated the calendar.

At the office, my operations director, Lena, asked whether the divorce would interrupt a contract with a regional clinic. I explained that the company's day-to-day decisions remained with the authorized management team. The ownership dispute did not permit either of us to use the clinic's supplies as leverage.

Lena had prepared a continuity plan. It identified who could approve orders, how clients would be informed of relevant changes, and where the team should raise concerns. I reviewed it with the company's counsel before sending it to staff. We did not share private family details.

The older accounting firm located a box of records. It contained invoices, draft minutes, and a letter from Julian to the accountant. In the letter, he asked what would be required to transfer an additional interest in the company. The accountant's reply requested signatures and a valuation.

Neither letter proved that the transfer had occurred. Priya asked for the signed documents and any filing that followed. Julian's attorney said they were still searching.

That night I found an old photograph of the rented storage unit. Julian and I stood beside the van, holding a box between us. The picture had been taken after he joined the company. I remembered the work he did, the long drives, and the nights when we both believed we were building something together.

I did not need to erase his contribution to establish mine. I also did not need to accept his version that the company began when he appeared in the photographs.

The next morning Mr. Chen called. He had found a bank record showing a payment associated with the proposed transfer. It was labeled as a deposit, not a completed purchase. He asked whether I remembered receiving it.

I remembered the payment. I did not remember what we had agreed would happen next.