Vivienne Sinclair married Caden Lawrence, hoping her love would melt his cold heart and that he would accept her as his wife sooner or later. But as they say about the best-laid plans, Caden never fell in love with her, nor did he accept her as his wife in front of the world. Three years later, Vivienne is hurt and broken, wanting nothing more than to break this toxic cycle of betrayal and constant rejection.

She wants a divorce.

“What gives you the right to ask me for a divorce?” he roars, looking angry. “It was you who seduced me! You who insisted on getting married. And now you want a divorce? I don’t think so.”

But Vivi is tired of playing the role of a loving and obedient wife. She wants to live her life and explore other options. She wants to find the happiness and joy she was deprived of in her marriage.

With the help of her friends and family, Vivi reveals her other identity as the world-class jewelry designer, Jasper Sterling, a name she had built after years of hard work during her failed marriage. She is strong, confident, and capable of living life on her own terms. And it’s time to let the whole world know.

During one of the success parties, when Vivienne walks in with a handsome man by her side, everyone starts whispering. “Who is he?” people want to know. “Is she dating him?”

Vivi and her new companion look good together. They make a perfect couple. But when Caden sees her with this mystery man, he can barely contain his rage. He pulls her aside and hisses. “You are making a mistake.”

She laughs, kisses his cheek, and says, “No, darling. This is the start of my new life.”

[Vivienne]

The dinner at the table turned cold an hour ago but no sign of Caden.

I check the time on the wall clock for the hundredth time perhaps, and try to suppress the hurt that once again rises to the surface like an angry volcano beneath my chest.

It’s our third anniversary, and it’s almost midnight now, but like every single day in the past three years, he’s late as usual.

I don’t know why I even try. My husband has dismissed me, rejected my efforts, and broken my heart so many times in the past, one would think I would have learned my lesson.

But unfortunately, I have been cursed to be always hopeful.

“Madam, should I reheat the dinner?” The head maid asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I suck in the hurt and wipe away the tears from my eyes, not wanting to look as devastated as I feel.

I smile at her like I always do.

“No. That won’t be necessary,” I say and get up from the chair, pretending to yawn, hoping to look tired. “I think Caden got caught up in the meeting again,” because that happens so often that now it has become the best excuse of my life. “You can clean the table and leave when you’re done.”

I start to leave when she speaks again. “And what about the cake? Should I—?

Before she gets to finish, a tear finally rolls down my face. I’m just glad with my back turned to her, she can’t see how miserable I feel right now. “Distribute it among the staff. It’s been a long, tiring day for all of us. Let them treat themselves.”

Doesn’t matter the fact that I baked the cake myself, that I spent almost my whole day preparing for the dinner and the celebration after. Nothing matters anymore.

I head upstairs to my room, wanting to get rid of the red gown I wore for the occasion. It wasn’t myfavourite color, but back in time when we dated for a few weeks, he once complimented me during one of our dates, saying that red looked good on me. It brought my hazel eyes out.

At that time, I was the girl over the moon at his words. I thought no one was more beautiful than me, luckier than me, fortunate than me.

I was wrong.

I discard the dress on the couch and walk into the bathroom to get fresh. By the time I return, my phone is already crying for my attention. With a strength that I no longer feel in my bones, I somehow drag myself to where I left it on the bed and almost frown at the name that flashes on the screen,

Samuel: Wanna see what Caden’s up to tonight?

Not again, I think.

Samuel is Caden’s older brother and although he’s nice to me and all, I don’t like the way he talks about Caden. He’s always trying to paint a bad picture of my husband in front of my eyes, always trying to prove how I do not deserve him, how Caden hasn’t moved on from his first love—Astrid—and still meets with her behind my back, and how everything I do for my husband is nothing but a waste of my time.

The truth is he’s right. And I know that because at the time we got married, Caden made it pretty clear that Astrid holds a special place in his heart and that no matter what happens between us, no matter how long we stay in this marriage, nothing I do would change that fact ever.

I scoff at my stupid heart, because even though deep down I always knew he would never love me like he loved Astrid, I still stupidly acted like a lovesick puppy around him.

I tap on the screen and the text message opens with a picture on display. A screenshot of a News channel, showing my husband walking to an after-party with a blonde woman in his arm.

Not only is my husband glued to the hip of that woman, but they also seem to be sharing a passionate kiss.

On the lips.

What the fuck?

I throw the phone away and slump on the bed, crying my heart out.

I don’t even know for how long I stay like that, curled up in myself, that when the next time I open my eyes, I feel a little disoriented.

I feel warm hands on my body, and someone whispering hot breath next to my ear.

It takes me a moment to catch up with what’s going on around me and another moment to realize that it’s not a dream.

Caden yanks at the strings of my night dress, revealing my breasts to him. Without wasting any time, he latches his mouth on one of my nipples, while pinching the other one roughly.

I hiss in pain. “Caden—” I say, my voice hoarse from crying.

[Vivienne]

“Shh,” he hushes me, sucking my nipple harshly in his mouth. “Let’s just get over with it.”

I gasp loudly as he bites down hard, making my whole body jerk with the sharp ache. I try to push him away, but it proves nothing in front of the force he is. He’s far stronger than me, far more persistent.

“Stop resisting!” He snaps, yanking my hand away from his shoulder and pins it down above my head. “Isn’t this why you kept calling and texting me all day, wanting me to give you my attention? Isn’t this why you wore that sexy red gown tonight?”

He grinds down his erection on my thigh, making me aware of the fact how hard he is right now.

Is it because of the time he spent with Sasha or because of me? I can’t even tell anymore.

“You never came!” I bite down a moan and glare up at him. “You promised to come home early today, Caden. It’s our anniversary!”

He looks at me as if I had grown another head, tipping his face to the side, his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight pouring through the windows. “You think I can ever forget that?”

I don’t know what to say to that. Is he being sarcastic or serious? It’s so hard to get a read on him sometimes.

“How do I know? You never showed up. Instead, you were busy attending afterparties with your slutty assistant. Why can’t you see that she’s—”

“Not another word, Vivienne.” He grunts, resuming his ministrations, dropping his face in the crook of my neck and kissing everywhere. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

He unbuckles his seat belt with his free hand and throws it away. I shiver under his gaze as he pulls his cock out and starts pumping it in his fist.

“Fuck, I need to be inside you right now,” he murmurs to himself.

I watch with my mouth agape as he brings my left leg up and slides two fingers inside me. My whole body trembles at the intrusion. I wince when he adds a third finger. I can feel the stretch of my walls as he pushes them further, the slight sting that comes with it.

It hurts, but the pleasure outweighs the pain.

When he deems me wet enough, he grabs a packet of condom from his pant pocket, rips it open with his teeth and sheaths it over his length.

My frustration once again bubbles to the surface. Why does he always need to use protection? He knows I want to get pregnant, yet he doesn’t even give me a chance to make that happen.

“Caden, please—” I beg, trying to touch him, but he grabs my wrists and pins it down again.

“Please, what?” He asks, rolling the condom down his length. I stare at the thing and almost curse it to hell.

“Please, fuck me bare,” I say, hoping to change his mind. “I want to get pregnant. You know that.”

His eyes darken at my words.

For a second, I think I succeeded in changing his mind when he stops midway, but then he shakes his head and grips my hips hard.

“No.”

“But Caden—” I try again, but he cuts me off.

“No means no, Vivienne. Now stop talking and take what I give you.”

I blink back the tears as he once again kicks my legs apart and lines his cock up with my entrance. “I hate you,” I say, as he starts pushing his cock inside my pussy.

He grunts, bottoming out. “No, you don’t. You love me, and that’s your biggest problem.”

———

An hour later, I watch him getting dressed in the bathroom, putting on his clothes like nothing happened.

I cover my naked body with the sheet and try to hide my tears.

When he finally returns to the bed, I know he wants to say something. I wait for him to say what he needs to say.

But instead of saying anything, he simply picks up his wallet from the nightstand and leaves without sparing me a glance.

I feel numb.

But before the numbness spreads like wildfire and consumes my heart completely, I wrap the sheet around myself and follow him.

I find him downstairs in the living room, picking up his keys from the drawer.

He finally looks at me, and I feel like a knife is piercing my heart.

“Where are you going?” I ask, wanting to cry.

He looks at me like I’m an unwanted pest that he wants to get rid of. “None of your business.”

I clench my fists, swallowing the hurt. “Are you going to see Sasha again? Aren’t you done romancing her in front of the whole world? Aren’t you done embarrassing me? When will you grow tired of humiliating me, Caden? Just when?!”

He closes the drawer and walks past me like I said nothing.

I follow after him.

“You can’t keep doing this to me, Caden. It’s unfair. You’re my husband, you can’t keep humiliating me in front of everyone. It hurts me so much. I—”

“What do you want me to do then?” He asks, stopping abruptly in his tracks, and turns to face me.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. I don’t know what to say.

He laughs bitterly, “That’s what I thought. Go to sleep, Vivienne. And stop texting me all day long. I don’t know what you want from me, but whatever it is, I can’t give it to you.”

And with that, he readies himself to leave once again.

But I’m so done with this man, so damn done, that when he turns his back to me, I scream at the top of my lungs.

“Fine. Let’s get divorced then!”

He pauses, as if my words have taken him off-guard. But then his shoulders relax a little and his head tips to the side. “Is that what you want?”

I almost choke on my tears, but somehow manage to speak again.

I have to do this. There’s no other choice. I’m so tired of this toxic cycle. So fucking exhausted.

“Yes, that’s what I want. I want to divorce you. I can’t stand you anymore. I hate you. I want to be free from you. So, yeah, let’s get this fucking divorce, and go our separate ways.”

This time he turns to me and gives me a look that makes me feel like the most worthless thing in the whole world.

He rolls his cold eyes. “Fine, whatever. Send me the divorce papers tomorrow. I’ll sign them immediately.”

With that, he walks out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

[Vivienne]

It takes me a minute to process what just happened. I don’t know why I said those words. I don’t want a divorce. I love Caden. I want to be with him forever. I want to have kids with him. I want to build a family with him.

But he’s so done with me, that he didn’t even hesitate to agree to my demand.

Tears spring to my eyes, and for the first time in a long time, I feel broken.

I slump to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest.

I cry until I feel numb.

I cry until I feel empty.

I cry until I feel nothing.

And then when I can’t cry anymore, I pick myself up and head back to my room.

There’s no point in staying back anymore. Caden doesn’t want me.

It’s more obvious than ever.

I pack my stuff and get ready to leave.

When I’m done packing, I call someone I haven’t contacted in a while.

He picks up in the second ring, and even though I try to keep the hurt at bay, it still shines through my voice.

“Hey, Viv. What’s up?”

I take a deep breath, not knowing how to say what I need to say. So I just go with the flow. “I want to divorce Caden. Can you help me?”

A pause. And then, “I’m sorry, what?”

I swallow the lump in my throat, and repeat myself, “I want to divorce Caden. Please help me with it. I don’t want to stay in this marriage anymore.”

“Viv…what happened…where are you right now?”

I sniff, wiping my tears away. “I’m in Caden’s house. But I want to leave as soon as possible. Just tell me if you can help me or not. I’m done repeating myself to anyone who asks me the same question.”

I hear him sigh, and for a moment, I think he would refuse to help me. I don’t know why I called him instead of my best friend, but I needed someone to help me right now and he’s the only lawyer I know.

“Of course. I’ll help you. Just tell me where you are right now. I’ll come to get you.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief and tell him the address.

“Alright, I’ll be there in 20 minutes. Stay put, okay?”

I nod and hang up.

I go to the bathroom to freshen myself up, and try to get rid of the puffy red eyes. I know I look like a mess, but I don’t care about it right now.

All I want to do is get out of this house and never return to it ever again.

True to his words, Elijah shows up at the house twenty minutes later.

To my huge surprise, he looks far more handsome than he looked the last time we met three years ago. He’s wearing a sharp suit and looks much more professional than he ever did. Perhaps it’s the seriousness he had garnered in his deep eyes, or the way his chin is peppered with a faint beard, he looks different somehow. Different but handsome.

But that’s only a brief thought that crosses my mind, because the moment he steps inside the house, I throw my arms around him, not able to stop the hurt from leaking through my eyes.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Hey.” He says soothingly, running a hand down my spine. “Enough. No more crying, alright? Let’s get you out of here. I’ll take you to my place. We can talk about everything when you feel better, okay?”

I nod, wiping my tears away. “Okay. Just give me five minutes. I need to grab a few things.”

He nods. “Sure. I’ll wait in the car.”

I grab my purse and suitcase, and head to the door. But before I get the chance to leave, my phone rings again. Caden’s name flashes on the screen.

I debate for a moment if I should answer it or not, but eventually press the green button and put the phone against my ear.

He doesn’t even wait for me to say hello.

“I just called to let you know that I’m leaving for Washington tonight. I don’t know when I’ll be back so don’t wait up.”

I clench my jaw, gripping the handle of my suitcase tighter. Has he already forgotten that I asked him for a divorce? That I don’t want to have anything with him anymore? Does he take me so lightly that he thinks our argument over the divorce isn’t even worth his concern?

I’m so mad at him and I’m about to say something when he hangs up without giving me the chance to speak.

I stare at my phone for a moment, gritting my teeth, feeling angry and disappointed at myself. How could I marry such an insensitive asshole? How could I give my heart to someone who doesn’t even care about it? How? How could I be so blind and an idiot?

I don’t know how long I stand there staring at the screen of my phone, but when I look up, I find Elijah leaning against the side of his car, watching me quietly.

I can’t decipher what he’s thinking, but the frown on his face tells me that he wants to ask me if I’m alright.

I give him a smile I know he knows is fake and head towards him.

“Ready?” He asks, opening the trunk of his car and helping me load my suitcase in it.

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Good. Let’s go then.”