Grant was known in business circles as a man who had reshaped supply chain analytics across the country, the founder of a rapidly expanding tech company that specialized in freight optimization software used by major retailers from Chicago to Miami, and financial magazines liked to speculate about his wealth and discipline because his career had risen with remarkable speed and focus.
None of that mattered when he parked in front of that duplex.
Only his son mattered.
The divorce had not involved shouting or slammed doors, it had unfolded in courtrooms and conference rooms where attorneys spoke in measured tones and paperwork carried more venom than any argument ever could, and Grant’s former wife, Melissa Carter, had fought strategically for joint custody by emphasizing that during the company’s early growth years she had been registered as the primary caregiver, a label the judge leaned on heavily when granting equal custody despite Grant’s objections.
He had complied without public protest because he believed structure was better than chaos, even when the structure felt flawed.
The front door opened. His son stepped out.