condition, Ethan?" I asked him the next day, my voi

on the coffee table. "Sophia mentioned it. She's d

plausible. Too plaus

mention all the medi

e said, his tone clippe

r. I was the one who didn't co

his papers. "I have to

g me standing alone in the vast, opulent r

f his cruelty. I'd tended to it myself. The staff, intimidated by

pty, echoing with

I'd had my lawyer draft weeks ago, afte

he part that remembered his first-life sa

marrow ultimatum, t

om him. No alimony, no assets. Just my

Hayes. Soon, hopefully,

a's Instagram feed wa

t been invited to. Sophia, holding a ridiculously large bouquet of roses, with

ility from me, Ethan had once filled my entire dressing room with my favori

ection, public affection he'd never shown me

couldn't wait for him to be s

woman who used to smile warmly at me, now l

in a meetin

aid, my voice fi

g area, the divorce paper

to his arm, whispering something that made him smile

ished, replaced by a frown.

se," I said, pulling th

was pouting prettily. "Can't this wait? Sop

ake long,"

nd scribbled his signature on the last page where his lawyer had already marked. He was

. "There. Now, if

what it was. He j

leave, Sophia stum

st, steadying her. "Careful," he murmured, his voi

hat shattered the last

tray strand of hair f

in our first life, a small, intimate act of tendern

like a physical blow. My heart ached wi

a test. This wa

Cole Industrie

s office. "He signed them," I

d surprised. "That was... quic

t even re

ely. There's a mandatory cooling-off period, of cour

onths of this hell. But t

u dinner for some business associates. He'd infor

aturally, acting th

white tablecloth near my plate. "Oh, clumsy

ocent. "Ethan, darling, perhaps Amelia could fet

berate, publi

looked at me, his eyes c

ed on, embarras

nted to throw the wine i

red. So incr

humiliation, when free

up. "Of

as a charity auction she's helping organize next week. W

was full

and he was the one

ke sure of it. It was another stage