I immediately contacted my attorney.
She instructed me to preserve every financial record, revoke Lucas’s access to the company accounts, and pursue recovery of the unauthorized withdrawals. We would address the restaurant bill separately from the ownership dispute.
Some of Beatrice’s guests paid for their own meals. Beatrice eventually agreed to a repayment arrangement.
For the first time, she had to face the consequences of treating my business as if it belonged to her.
The divorce proceedings that followed were difficult. There were legal documents, financial reviews, tense negotiations, and countless hours spent tracing transactions. My attorney worked to protect Lumina from any attempt to use its value as security for Lucas’s personal debts.
Eventually, Lucas abandoned his claim to the restaurant, and a repayment agreement was established to address the money taken. Recovering everything would take time, but at least the business was no longer exposed to his attempts to control it.
