Divorced Nobody Turned Tycoon

After five years of marriage, my wife hates that I'm broke and abandons our daughter and me to go abroad with her first love. Later, our old single-story home explodes in value to around 1,000 dollars per square foot, pushing its worth well past two million dollars. Meanwhile, my patents are pulling in money as well. One day, I'm sitting in my living room, casually sipping coffee. Unexpectedly, my ex-wife returns with her first love after spending ten years washing dishes overseas. However, they both seem to think I'm utterly broke. Chapter 1 I opened the door to find my ex-wife, Libby Grant, and her first love, Zac Robertson, standing on the porch. Libby eyed me up and down with a sneer. "Long time no see, Kyle. Word is you've been having a tough time. Still a single dad and can't even afford a decent place to live, huh?" I scoffed on the inside, keeping my face completely blank. "I get by," I said smoothly. "What brings you two back?" Zac brushed a speck of dust off his shirt and replied, "We're back as success stories. I'm pulling in 30 grand a year at Harvelle now, and Libby's managed to save up 300 thousand dollars." I heard that they'd spent years in Harvelle doing dishes and janitorial work. Saving 300 thousand dollars like that took some serious desperation. "That's not all," Libby chimed in. "Zac came back with his boss, Jack Willis. Once we secure the licensing rights for Mr. Duncan's auto patents, we're going to make a fortune. Play your cards right and stay on my good side, Kyle. Maybe we'll throw a few crumbs your way." What a pair of absolute snobs. Still, I played it cool. "Is that so? Good for you." Right on cue, my phone rang. It was the event coordinator for the licensing summit. "Mr. Duncan, please tell me you'll be on time for the conference tomorrow. It will determine who gets the rights to your new tech. I hear even Harvelle is sending a team." I glanced at Libby and Zac. Were they really after my patent? A smirk tugged at my mouth as I spoke into the receiver. "Don't worry. I'll be there early." I hung up, chuckling to myself. They were in for a huge shock. "Wow, business must be booming. What is it, a deal worth a few hundred million?" Libby and Zac exchanged a look and burst into loud laughter. I simply smiled and said nothing. They'd better enjoy their laughter while it lasted. Tomorrow, they'd be begging. Over the years, the patents I'd locked down had made me filthy rich. I was a millionaire now. I simply chose not to reveal my true identity yet. I couldn't wait to see the look on their faces tomorrow when they realized the guy they were begging for a patent was the same man standing before them now. Looking at the two of them, I felt nothing at all. I just said calmly, "If you're done, get out. You're not welcome here." "What did you say?" Libby barked. "Not welcome? Kyle Duncan, are you out of your mind? You're a complete loser! How dare you talk down to me? I should slap that look right off your face!" She raised her hand, ready to strike. "What are you doing?" Libby spun around as a middle school girl in a school uniform stepped inside. It was Tiana Duncan, our daughter, who had just started ninth grade. "Who are you guys? What do you think you're doing to my dad?" Tiana demanded, glaring at Libby and Zac. "It's Mom, Tiana! I'm home!" Libby reached out to grab Tiana's hand, but the little girl jerked away from her. Chapter 2 Libby didn't think much of it. She eyed Tiana up and down, her brows furrowed in utter disgust. "Tiana, you're a young lady now. You shouldn't be running around in that ugly school uniform every day. How embarrassing. Come on, I'm taking you shopping for new clothes." Tiana gave Libby a distant look before replying flatly, "My studies come first right now. Besides, the stuff Dad buys me isn't cheap at all." Pointing to a branded hair clip in her hair, she added, "Take this hair clip, for instance. It cost three—" "Only three bucks?" Libby cut in loudly with a contemptuous sneer on her face. "Kyle, you cheapskate. Buying your own daughter a three-dollar hair clip? You ought to be ashamed of yourself." Libby thought that I was still the same pathetic loser and that I was dragging Tiana down with me. Tiana rolled her eyes in frustration and corrected her. "Mom, it was 300 dollars. Dad's always treated me really well." Libby refused to buy it. "No way! He's lying to you! Your dad barely makes 300 dollars a month. How could he drop 300 dollars on a hair clip? Come on, let me take you out for some high-end Harvellian food. I bet you've never even had it before." Tiana shot her down without a second thought. "I don't even like Harvellian food. Local food tastes way better. And for the record, Dad isn't poor at all!" That only stoked Libby's temper, and she turned her venom on me. "Nice going, Kyle! Broke as a joke and still playing the big shot in front of your daughter! What is wrong with you? You're feeding her nothing but local food? No wonder she hasn't seen anything beyond the world you live in!" After saying that, Libby turned to Tiana. "When Zac and I were in Harvelle, we had five-star meals every day." Tiana felt deeply hurt. "Mom, you don't understand Dad or me at all. He's the one who's taken care of me all these years. He's always been good to me!" Libby scoffed. "So what if he takes care of you? Can he give you a better life? Look at what you wear and use. Now look at Zac and me. We're the ones who can give you a better future." Just then, my neighbor, Macie Stout, happened to walk by and overheard Libby. She couldn't help but speak up. "You're Libby, right? Don't say that. Kyle's been raising Tiana all by himself. He's always done his best for her." Libby rolled her eyes at Macie and said disdainfully, "What would you know? You're not family, so stay out of it." Macie shook her head, clearly annoyed. "I was only trying to help. Kyle has done a great job raising Tiana, and you come back after all these years just to criticize everything he's done." With that, she walked away. Libby still wasn't done. She turned back to Tiana. "Tiana, don't let your dad fool you. He's got nothing going for him. When you need something in the future, you'll still have to rely on me." Tiana didn't want to argue anymore. She turned and went into her room, slamming the door behind her. Libby stared at the closed door and continued grumbling, "You've really spoiled her." Zac tried to calm her down. "Libby, forget it. Let's go." Libby finally gave up. Before leaving, she yelled at me, "Kyle, just you wait! Sooner or later, I'll make Tiana realize that staying with me is the right choice." With that, she stormed off with Zac in tow. Chapter 3 I couldn't wait for them to leave. The moment they stepped outside, I shut the door in their faces, leaving Libby and Zac stomping their feet in frustration outside. "That arrogant bastard! No way! I can't leave Tiana with Kyle. I need to be closer to her." As Libby and Zac looked at the small villa next door, they started scheming. "A place like this is a bit small, but I can put up with it for Tiana!" Libby walked up to the front door of the villa, knocked with absolute confidence, and said to the owner, "Hey, we're buying this place. Here's 50 thousand dollars." The homeowner's eyes went wide. Staring at them like they were insane, he snapped, "Are you two out of your minds? 50 thousand dollars? A house like this in this neighborhood goes for at least a million! Get the hell out of here!" With that, he slammed the door shut. Libby and Zac exchanged a look, their faces full of disdain. Zac muttered under his breath, "Is this guy nuts? Making up prices like that. We've only been out of Calveria for ten years, and this beat-up house is supposed to be worth a million dollars? What does he think it's made of, gold?" Libby chimed in, "Seriously. That kind of price makes sense for Harvelle, but trying to rip us off in Calveria? Taking a liking to this house was doing them a favor! Pft!" I couldn't help but laugh when I overheard their complaints. This was prime real estate in the heart of Somerset. One million dollars was a steal! Ten years abroad had turned these two into absolute bumpkins. Libby and Zac walked away, cursing all the way. The next day, the sun was shining as the licensing summit began right on time in the city's most luxurious banquet hall. The room was packed with high society and industry elites. Libby and Zac walked in dressed to the nines, their eyes full of smug confidence. Just then, I walked into the hall with a steady stride. Sure enough, the person they came back to beg was me. Libby caught sight of me immediately. A sneer instantly spread across her face. She rushed over and squeaked, "Well, well, Kyle, what are you doing at a high-end event like this? Someone like you doesn't belong here. You're just here to cause trouble, aren't you?" I remained calm and composed. "If you two can be here, why can't I?" Libby was as arrogant as ever. She was in for a real surprise in a minute. She refused to let it go. Putting her hands on her hips, she yelled to the crowd, "Everyone, look! This guy is here to cause trouble. "He's dead broke and can't even afford decent clothes, so how could he possibly have anything to do with a prestigious licensing summit like this? Security! Where are the guards? Throw him out!" The surrounding crowd turned to stare and whispered among themselves. Hearing the commotion, a security guard quickly ran over and said awkwardly, "Sir, please cooperate with us." Frowning, I was just about to speak when someone in the crowd shouted, "Mr. Stewart is here!" The crowd parted, and Toby Stewart, the organizer of the summit, came striding over. Taking in the scene, Toby immediately barked, "Stop right there! What are you doing?" Libby hurried over, pointing at me. "Mr. Stewart, you're just in time. This guy's background is shady. He's definitely here to ruin things. You can't let him ruin today's summit." Toby looked at Libby in confusion, then looked at me, his face turning solemn. "What nonsense are you talking about? This is Mr. Duncan, the very owner of the patent being licensed today!"