About the severance, is that $2k to let her go on good terms, or is it to prevent her from working for anyone else? If it's truely severance she should be damn happy. If it means she can't work, then yeah, it's going to be hard to live off $24k.
I would spend the money looking for her replacement. Let her go work for someone else... she'll be nothing without Lightspeed and your trademark.
