Shattered Vows, My Ex-Wife's Hidden Life Blooms

Stage II adenocarcinoma.

The doctor slid the medical report across the polished mahogany desk.

The diagnosis printed in black against the white page looked less like medical information and more like a death sentence.

Roselyn Hudson watched the doctor's mouth move, yet none of his words seemed to reach her.

Above them, the fluorescent lights hummed without pause, the sound pounding against her head.

Breathing became difficult. The air around her felt scarce. Sweat gathered at the back of her neck before tracing a path down her spine.

No tears came. Instead, she dug her nails into her palm until half-moon marks appeared in her skin, but even then, she felt nothing.

What are the odds? Roselyn asked in an even voice.

The doctor seemed taken aback by how calm she sounded.

Patiently, he explained the treatments available to her. Targeted therapy. The possibility of surgery. The difficult months waiting ahead.

Without any change in expression, Roselyn listened and nodded.

Not long afterward, she left the hospital.

As soon as the heavy glass door closed behind her, the strength left her legs.

Down the cold tiled wall of the hallway she sank until her knees met the floor. The report remained locked against her chest.

A sudden knot tightened in her stomach, and the tumor inside her made itself known again.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated inside her purse. Her shaking fingers reached for it.

The message was from her husband, Adrian Riley.

Don't wait for me tonight. I have a business meeting.

The text carried the same distance and indifference she had come to expect.

As the successor of Riley Group, Adrian stood at the center of the city's largest real estate empire.

For the past three years, Roselyn had quietly filled the role of the quiet wife behind him.

She had given up a future in AI medical research. She had taken care of his home. She had tolerated the ridicule of the people around him. Through it all, she had loved him.

Earlier that morning, however, a sweet unfamiliar perfume had lingered on his collar.

Not long after that, his phone screen had lit up with a message from someone saved under a single name. Emma.

Emma Hudson.

Emma was Roselyn's half-sister.

She was the daughter born from their father's affair with Sophia Grant.

Sophia had once destroyed Roselyn's mother's marriage. Now it seemed the same story was beginning all over again.

With those innocent eyes and that soft voice of hers, Emma had ended up in Adrian's bed.

Roselyn's eyes remained fixed on the message. Another wave of pain tore through her stomach, spreading through her like fire.

One tear slipped free. She brushed it away and her expression turned cold.

Then she unlocked her phone and searched for two things. The rules for dividing assets after a divorce and the price of targeted treatment for stomach cancer.

Forty minutes later, her car rolled into the garage at the Riley estate.

Adrian's Aston Martin wasn't there.

Good. He wasn't at home.

Without hesitation, she headed for Adrian's study. The room carried the familiar scent of his cologne mixed with leather.

Her destination was the safe concealed behind a painting.

The code wasn't difficult to remember.

It was Adrian's birthday.

A click sounded from the lock.

From inside, Roselyn removed a thick stack of contracts related to an acquisition Adrian was preparing for. After that, she located their prenuptial agreement.

Carrying it to the shredder, she fed the document through one page at a time.

Once it was gone, she printed a standard divorce agreement and carefully completed the asset division section using the information she had just researched.

Afterward, she made a copy of the cancer diagnosis.

The divorce agreement and medical report were then slipped into the middle of the contract stack.

Next, she picked up her phone and called Jenifer Riley.

Jenifer was Adrian's mother. She was also the person who controlled the Riley family's finances.

For as long as Roselyn could remember, Jenifer had looked down on her and considered her nothing more than a woman after the Riley family's money.

What do you want? Jenifer asked. Impatience filled her voice.

Mrs. Riley, Roselyn said evenly. "I'm calling about my divorce with Adrian. I need him to sign the agreement tonight, and we need to discuss the settlement."

Silence followed on the other end.

A moment later, a quiet laugh escaped Jenifer.

In her eyes, Roselyn had finally accepted reality and realized she would never truly fit into the Riley family.

So you're finally showing your true colors, Jenifer said in a clipped tone. "Come to my place tomorrow morning. I'll handle everything from there."

I'll be there, Roselyn replied before ending the call.

Her eyes drifted to the documents spread across the table. A faint, bitter smile appeared on her lips.

Only after midnight did the front door open.

Loosening his tie, Adrian stepped into the living room.

The scent of alcohol lingered on him, mixed with that familiar perfume.

Roselyn remained seated on the couch. The stack of papers rested on the coffee table between them.

Why haven't you gone to bed yet? Adrian asked with a frown as he ran a hand through his hair.

There wasn't a trace of guilt on his face. What showed instead was irritation.

These need your signature, Roselyn said as she pushed the documents toward him. "Your mother said they were related to the acquisition and needed to be handled right away."

A long sigh escaped Adrian. He was well aware that his mother and Roselyn had never gotten along.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out a pen and opened the thick file.

Inside her chest, Roselyn's heart pounded relentlessly. Outwardly, however, she showed nothing.

Using one finger, she indicated the last page.

Sign here, and here.

Tired and convinced Roselyn knew nothing about corporate matters, Adrian didn't waste time looking through the hundreds of pages.

His signature quickly landed on every marked line. Without realizing it, he signed away his marriage together with the acquisition documents.

Afterward, Adrian dropped the pen onto the floor.

You don't look well, he said, his brow tightening further. The remark carried criticism, not concern or kindness. "Roselyn, don't start creating problems right now. I'm exhausted. Just let me get some rest."

For three years, Roselyn had loved this man.

Now, there was nothing left. Only an ending she could finally see clearly.

It's nothing. My stomach's bothering me again, Roselyn said softly. "It's an old issue."

Ask Donna to make you some soup tomorrow, Adrian said before walking toward the bedroom.

Alone in the dim room, Roselyn tightened her grip on the folder.

Then she took out her phone and sent a message to her best friend, Nina Parker.

I have cancer. I'm divorcing Adrian.

Nina replied, "What? I'm on my way!"

I still need to deal with a few things. Come tomorrow, Roselyn responded.

After getting to her feet, she headed upstairs.

When she reached the master bedroom, she noticed the door hadn't been fully closed.

A voice drifted from inside. It was Adrian.

Emma, sleep well.

Roselyn stopped where she was.

Pain churned through her stomach once again, but not a sound escaped her lips.

Without looking inside, she continued past the room and entered the guest bedroom.

They hadn't shared the same bedroom for months.

After locking the door, she placed the signed documents inside the nightstand drawer.

Under the faint light, she began writing. "Freedom Countdown. Sign the divorce agreement. Secure financial compensation. Return to my career. Keep the diagnosis secret."

One final word was added. "Survive." Whatever happened, she had to survive.

No one could know the truth. She would allow them to believe she was simply causing trouble.

Without water, she swallowed two strong painkillers.

Still wearing her clothes, she lay down on the bed and stared upward until daylight slipped through the curtains.

By morning, Adrian was already standing near the front entrance, adjusting his watch.

As Roselyn came downstairs, he glanced at her briefly. Then he walked out without another look.

Soon, everything would be finished. The divorce agreement had already been signed.

Drawing in a steady breath, Roselyn picked up her phone and called Jenifer.

I'll arrive in thirty minutes.