Novels by Shalom Owolabi

The next morning, I stood in front of my mirror longer than usual.Not because I was worried about how I looked.I wasn’t.That version of me was gone.Still, meeting Lucian Vale was different.He wasn’t Ethan.He wasn’t someone I had known for years.He was a stranger.A powerful one.And I needed something from him.That meant I couldn’t afford to walk into his office looking desperate.I chose a simple black dress that fit my body comfortably.I looked at myself one last time.My hair fell over my shoulders.My curves were obvious.And for once, I didn’t try to hide them.I didn’t need to.I wasn’t going to his office to convince him that I was beautiful.I was going there because I knew something he didn’t.I picked up my handbag.The system appeared.[Reminder: Main Mission.][Establish a survival alliance with Lucian Vale.]“I know.”[Warning: Target possesses high suspicion levels.]I frowned.“Thanks for the encouragement.”The system disappeared.I arrived at Vale Internation

By the next morning, I had made a decision.I wasn’t going to wait for Ethan to accept the divorce.I wanted out.And I wanted out before he had the chance to make things difficult.I sat at my desk with my phone in my hand, staring at the message my lawyer had just sent.The divorce papers are ready.I read the message twice.With a smile on my face.In my previous life, the words divorce would have terrified me.I had been so afraid of losing Ethan that I tolerated almost anything.His insults.His family’s constant criticism.Even my sister’s shameless attempts to get between us.I used to believe that losing my marriage meant losing my entire life.Now I knew the truth.My marriage had been the thing keeping me from living.I picked up my phone.“Send them.”The response came almost immediately.“Are you certain?”I looked at the message.I knew exactly what would happen once Ethan received those papers.He would be angry.His mother would call me ungrateful.My sister would prete

I didn’t sleep that night.There was too much running through my mind.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the shelter doors closing.I saw Ethan standing behind the glass.I saw my sister beside him.I heard his voice telling me there wasn’t enough room.I remembered the way my hands had gone numb.The way my body had slowly stopped responding.And most of all, I remembered what he had said.“You’re not useful anymore.”Those words had followed me into death.For years, I had believed that being a good wife meant being useful.If I cooked for him, supported his career, take good care of his family, stayed quiet when they hurt me, forgave him , I was a good wife.I had spent so much time trying to prove my value to people who had already decided I wasn’t valuable.I looked at my body and blamed it.Looked at my personality and blamed it.I had convinced myself that maybe if I lost weight, became prettier, became quieter, became more agreeable, Ethan would finally look at me the way he

Silence filled the room.My husband stared at me as though he hadn’t heard correctly.My sister’s smile disappeared.Even my mother-in-law looked stunned.In my previous life, I had spent years being afraid of this family.Afraid of disappointing them.Afraid of losing Ethan.Afraid that if I wasn’t a good enough wife, he would leave me.Now I was standing in front of them with nothing left to lose.Ethan was the first to speak.“What did you say?”“I want a divorce.”His face hardened.“You’re angry.”“No.”I shook my head.“I’m serious.”My mother-in-law immediately stepped forward.“Have you lost your mind?”I looked at her.“No. I think I’m finally thinking clearly.”Her expression darkened.“You don’t just wake up one morning and decide to divorce your husband.”“I do.”My sister stood up.“Maybe you should calm down first.”I looked at her.The same woman who had kissed my husband in the life I had just lived.“Don’t worry,” I said quietly. “I’m very calm.”She shifted uncomfort

The door slammed shut in my face.I stumbled backward, my bare feet slipping against the frozen ground.“Please!”I slammed both hands against the metal door.“Open the door!”My voice was hoarse from screaming.The cold had already numbed my fingers. My lips were trembling, and every breath burned my lungs.But I didn’t care.I needed to get inside and I needed my husband.“Ethan!”Through the thick glass, I could see the people inside the shelter.His mother.The security guards.And my husband.He was standing with his back toward me.I hit the glass again.“Ethan, please!”He slowly turned around.Our eyes met.Relief rushed through me.He would open the door.He had to because I was his wife.I had spent the past several weeks doing everything I could to keep him and his family alive.I had searched for food.I had risked my life looking for medicine.I had given up my own supplies whenever his family needed something.I thought that meant I mattered.Then I saw the woman standin