"A divorce?" I sniffed in. "Dale, you can't do this. I've loved you for so long already. I've endured a lot, all for this marriage-"

"You should be lucky I didn't let anyone know when I found out this morning and instead just told the lawyer to make the papers." His grip on me tightened, eyes sharp, burning with anger.

"It's Nora plotting evil." I blurted quickly, desperate for him to believe me.

"Enough with that nonsense and just sign." He dropped my hand, his broad shoulders squaring as if I was nothing more than a nuisance..

"But... you should know this isn't the type of thing I'd do." I muttered, my voice cracking. I already knew no one would believe me.

If Dale didn't... then who else would?

My husband didn't believe me.

Still, I decided to give it one last try. "Please believe me."

"Sign it." He said more firmly, retrieving the divorce papers from the suitcase and handing them to me. "Or go to jail."

"Bu-"

"I'm already tired of this marriage as it is. I've gotten my CEO position so you're not needed anymore."

The words hit harder than any hammer would.

He just admitted to using me.

I'd known that was the reason we got married, but I at least thought he had some feelings in there.

Some love in there.

But the words proved me wrong.

I was just a tool to him. I had always been one, and I probably would always be one.

After everything. All the insults from his family, family friends.

After me letting go of all my friends to follow him.

It all ended with him still seeing me as a useless cheap commodity who'd steal from him.

If this was how marriage was, then I didn't want to be a part of it.

I never wanted to be a part of it.

That made me dry off my tears and take the papers, dropping them on a table beside me and placing my signature everywhere it was needed, then I handed it to him.

"Here. I'll stop being a bother. Goodbye."

Probably the last words I'd ever tell him.

Then I walked past him, to where his family were.

Their insults were instant like they'd practiced it before my arrival.

"Such a bitch..."

"Dale should've let her rot in jail..."

"Dogs like her only know how to spread their legs for men..."

"She's just like her parents, useless till their downfall..."

"You all should just let her be," that was Nora's voice, "we all knew nothing good could ever come out of her."

All the while, I didn't stop. Just walked out of the mansion, but Nora's words stuck.

'Nothing good could ever come out of her.'

They really thought nothing good could ever come out of me.

And that day, I vowed to prove them wrong.

Once out, I stopped the first cab who drove me straight to Emery's place.

I wasn't going to go back to Dale's place. Not even to get my belongings.

The moment the car stopped in front of her house, I got down, rushing to give the door a knock.

When I got no reply, I gave it another try, fighting back tears very badly.

"Who's that?" Her voice called, before shuffling of feet could be heard, then the door opened. "Chloe? What are you-? What happened?"

Seeing her poured the tears out, and I rushed to wrap my arms around her.

She quickly hugged back, that elder sister instinct covering me as I soaked her robe with tears.

"Come. Come, have a seat." She closed the door, then wrapped an arm around my shoulders, gently leading me to the couch where she sat, then I took the space beside her, leaning my head against her shoulder.

"Dale and I... just got a divorce."

"What? Why?"

"Because of that bitch, Nora." I sniffed in, then began explaining it all to her.

The scandal. Me being framed for plotting the murder of Dale.

My so-called boyfriend who I was sure probably didn't exist.

It could very much have been AI. Even the audio of me talking to this guy.

Everything could have been AI.

"Yet no one believed me." The tears just won't stop coming. "Not even Dale."

"I've always had a bad feeling about him." She gently patted my hair, brushing her fingers into it as a soothing way of comfort. "It's alright."

"It's not. I hate Nora than ever, but I'll still have to see her face again even after all she's done these past years." Because obviously if Emery was going to marry Nora's brother, then there was no way I wouldn't be seeing her.

"You won't have to." She continued. "I'll break up with him."

My eyes widened as I stared up at her through my tears. "No, you-you shouldn't."

"I do, as long as it keeps you happy." She wrapped me in a hug.

Maybe it was because of how emotional I was at that moment, but that was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me and I could not love her more that night.

'Nothing good could ever come out of her.'

Nora's words once again came back to me.

I would prove her wrong.

I would prove all of them wrong.

"Emery," I whispered, lifting my tear-streaked face. "I want to take over Dad's company. The one that flopped."

She pulled back slightly, eyes widening. "But... it would need a lot of experience and help to get it running again."

"And I will do that." My voice was steady now. No more trembling. No more weakness. "I don't care how long it takes. I'll make that company better than anything else."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Then you'll need help. Let me contact Cole."

That day, I vowed to make them regret how they treated me.

I would make all of them regret it.

Even Dale.

Three years later.

~ Dale ~

"This is the event of the year sir, we have to make a good impression so there can be an advancement in our stocks." My secretary Rita Olden said while successfully keeping pace with my long strides.

I didn't offer a reply, which she knew as room to continue.

"Great business men and women will be attending, and with our rank, we should attract more companies that will assist in the boosting of our multibillion dollar project. Who knows, it could be a success within five years from now."

Heads bowed the moment my arrival was noticed, the paths clearing for my movements as we both walked out of the company, to one of my cars whose door was already being opened by a guard.

"But most importantly sir," Rita entered the car after me, taking the space beside me in the passenger's seat, "we should try to impress the Razet Company's CEO, Miss Raze. Joining hands with such a company automatically ranks us among the top five biggest companies worldwide."

"Okay," was the only reply I offered.

It was also enough to let the five foot seven secretary know that was her queue to keep quiet.

And she did that, her gaze shifting to her tab where she began working on while fiddling with her glasses occasionally.

My phone pinged from where it laid on my hand, so I stared at it.

A message.

*We'll meet at the event, right?*

I typed in a reply;

*Okay.*

And that was it.

My eyes stared out the entire journey, but my mind was elsewhere.

It was drifted to the fact it had been three years already.

Three years since my divorce.

Since Chloe walked out of the house and never came back.

Since I last saw her.

Truth was, I hadn't expected no communication after the divorce.

I hadn't expected to not hear from her again, and sometimes... Sometimes I wondered what became of her.

I wondered what happened to her after she left.

Where she was.

Even her sister, Emery, was nowhere to be traced. They both just vanished.

But don't get me wrong, it wasn't like I'd tried putting much effort into finding them both.

It wasn't like I was suddenly regretting my actions and missing her so badly I'd stop the world just to find her.

No.

Instead, I just felt her absence and nothing more.

No emotions attached to it.

Especially not now when I-

The car came to a halt, cutting through my thoughts.

A guard moved to the car, opening my side of it, so I got down then Rita followed, moving to stand beside me.

We both gazed at the event, its magnitude staring right at us.

Wealthy people pranced in, clad beautifully and ready for business.

"Let's get in." I told her, and together, we both started towards the hall holding the event.

"Dale, you're a little late." A voice from behind stopped me in my steps.

We both turned to where Sam was strutting towards us, his shoulders and chest straight in the dark green tux he had on.

Sam Clint was a childhood friend of mine, and a man with a multimillionaire company in his hands.

"So are you." I greeted, the both of us exchanging a manly clap that ended with shoulders brushing.

We chatted for a while then the three of us left for the hall.

Sam Clint wasn't just any man, he was one I could barely joke with.

Five years ago, he had been the one to help me secure my CEO position with the advice to get married to Chloe, who had been the younger sister to the female he'd been dating then.

And he'd been there when I needed him regarding so many things.

"Did you know the CEO of the Razet Company will be here?" He asked in that usual gruffy tone of his.

"Yes."

"And do you plan on joining hands with her?"

"Depends, but most likely."

He looked thoughtful. "It's weird to think that whoever this Miss Raze is so popular even without being known that well. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of her. Have you?"

"No." My tone expressed my disinterest in the topic.

Still, he continued. "You know, how do people even know who she is? I mean, I've never searched for her, but I won't think she'd be easy to find either way."

"Actually sir..." Rita spoke cautiously, obviously trying to not let her words come out in an offensive manner. "She is a very private person."

"Why do you say so?"

"Because the article published said so, but she's not anonymous either."

I didn't really care to know more. Still, she took my silence as meaning she should continue.

"And she is a really tough one."

"Really?" Sam was obviously more surprised by that.

"Hmm. She's rare to find for business."

"Oh," was all I cared to make out.

"And there she is."

Our legs stopped as we turned in the direction she gestured.

Immediately, the breath caught in my throat the moment my eyes landed on her

My ex-wife.

Chloe.

But she looked different....

This was a different Chloe

One who looked puked from money.

Her streaking long sandy brown hair was packed up in a bun, matching the bougieness her black backless and spaghetti handle ankle length dress which accentuated her curves topped with black heels, offered.

She looked like beauty in person.

Her hands were graced with bracelets that obviously cost thousands of dollars.

And she talked like power flowed through her.

Chloe?

She hadn't noticed us at first because her focus seemed to be on the female she chatted with.

But, like the weight of my gaze pressed on her, she turned, and our eyes met, locking in place.

Nothing, not even surprise, crossed her expression as our gaze stayed unleaving.

Not until a child clutched her dress, snatching my attention.

"Mummy," he said, his voice tiny and soft; my heart stopped.

Mummy?

I turned back to her, brows drawn now.

The child didn't look older than three.

And he called her mummy.

He called my ex-wife 'mummy'.

I stood in wonder.

Could it be I'd left behind more than just an ex-wife?

~ Chloe ~

It had been three years already.

Three years since the embarrassment that led to my transformation.

Because here I stood, three years later far stronger than I was then.

And I wasn't even talking about physical strength, but power that made the physical bow.

“This event will be one of a lifetime, I can already sense it.” Emery spoke said, straightening her gray gown.

A nod was all I offered, as I slipped on the three-inch high heels. “Let's get going.”

“Hmm, Cole is waiting outside already.” She took her purse in one hand, handing me mine, which I placed my phone in, then we both left the duplex out to where Cole Praizon stood, leaning against his car, with two year old Donald playing beside him.

“Mimi! Mummy!” Donald rushed to give Emery a hug.

“How've you been my lil’ champ? Was Uncle Cole nice to you?” Emery asked, her tone dropping to match that of a cute kid.

“Hmm. Uncle Cole was manageable.” He replied with a chortle, moving to me. “Mummy, he bought me a new shoe.”

“That’s nice hon.” I ruffled his hair slightly, and with that, we all got into the car where a driver sat, ready to lead us to the event.

Once the four of us were settled, he started, driving off.

Donald wasn't just any child, he was Emery's. One as a result of a cryptic pregnancy.

Seven months after breaking up with Sam, she gave birth.

I'd told her to let him know, but she refused, deciding to raise her child alone.

Okay, not fully alone, as I'd ensured to be of help in as many ways as I could, where Donald just randomly developed calling me ‘mommy’ and his mother ‘mimi’.

Emery was cool with that though.

And then there came Cole, the one person who'd assisted in my success.

He was the CEO of a millionaire company and had led me to the right paths, ending with a great increase in my company's rank.

Out passing Dale's and his family's own.

“We've arrived.” Cole's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

A guard from the event rushed over, opening my side of the car, while another moved to do Emery's and the third headed to Cole.

Heeled legs first, before my full body emerged, face unsmiling, emitting power I'd carried over the years.

Emery stood by my right, Donald in hand, while Cole took the other side.

And together, the four of us strutted in, heads automatically bowing upon our arrival.

The event was huge, housing people of wealth and influence, but as I got in, most acknowledged me with a bow.

I mean, that was expected from the CEO of the biggest company in California, second biggest in the US, third in America and fourth worldwide.

And within a space of three years (what many haven't achieved in three decades).

Something that automatically birthed respect.

We went to take our seats.

Our food was served, next with three glasses of margaritas.

It would've been nice if Cole hadn't made the mistake of spilling some on his shirt.

“Ah shit.” He stared at it with a frown.

“When you're not a child, how did you do it?” Emery rolled her eyes.

“A mistake, as you can see.”

“Alright, no arguments.” I stopped what might've lasted till the end of the event. “Cole, you can head to the toilet and clean it up.”

“Hmm.” He got up after a nod.

“I'll tag along as well.” She was already rising to her feet, then the two left, leaving me and dear Donald alone.

“Good morning ma'am.” A female appeared beside me, her smile too wide for her face.

I stood up to answer. “Hmm, morning.”

“I'm Winty from the Zeal company….” And there she started the usual advertisement I was used to.

One most companies told me.

Usually, I'd stop it, but I just didn't feel the need to.

At least not until the weight of a stare landed on me.

So intense that my body had to turn on its own accord.

My eyes instantly locked on his.

The guy I hadn't seen in three years already.

My ex-husband.

Dale.

His face expressed pure surprise which I managed to swallow.

“Mummy.” Donald stood up, clutching my dress. “Can I go to play with the music men?”

I didn't bother replying to him. My mind filled, as he stared from Donald, back to me, a frown growing.

Who would've thought I'd ever see him again. After three years.

And at such a big event.

Our gaze held for what felt like an eternity, both of us obviously unsure what the next action should be.

So, I decided to be civil and head to him, dismissing Winty while taking Donald's hand.

“M—”

All I wanted was to offer him a greeting, when that was cut short by Nora's sudden appearance.

Without even glancing my way, her arms flew straight around his neck. “Baby, I thought you were going to wait for me outside.”

Baby?

And that was when my eyes caught it— the diamond ring flashing on her finger like it belonged there.

He was married to Nora?