Chapter 2

Amy sat at the kitchen table, staring at the letter in front of her.

The neat, professional handwriting on the envelope was absolutely clear. Law Offices of Martin & Doyle.. the firm her father had used for years.

But this time, the letter was having an address directed to her.

And even though there is the existence of her mind trying to ignore it, the truth of its contents was already eating away at her.

She exhaled sharply, her fingers curling into the paper as she tore it open.

Her mind screamed object or action that interferes with mental focus, for anything other than facing the standing near and threatening reality of her father's affairs.

But no matter how much she willed herself to look away, the words on the page pulled her in, constant, like a magnet to metal.

Amy,

As the only heir to your father's estate, we must inform you of an important condition related to your inheritance. Attached is a copy of your late father's will. You may already be aware of his different businesses, especially his ownership of Hawkes Businesses. However, it is critical that you understand the conditions upon which you may keep/hold control over his valuable things.

In the event of your marriage ending in divorce, or should you choose to remarry, you must do so with the full understanding that, going along with the terms of the will, you loss as punishment all rights to your inheritance unless you remain married to Liam Hawkes, or remarry him under the terms organized and listed in this.

This document has been prepared going along with his final wishes. Please contact us to discuss further details at your earliest convenience.

Honestly,

Edward Doyle

Lawyer at Law

Her heart stopped.

The blood drained from her face as the words blurred before her eyes.

The letter shifted back and forth in her hand. What does this mean?

The question echoed in her mind, but the answer was already there, buried deep in the harsh, legal language of her father's will.

Her father.. who had always been so forceful about her being independent, strong, capable.. had created a will that tied her unavoidable future to Liam in ways she could never have imagined.

All these years, she had believed that her marriage to Liam was real.. but in the real sense, had been a product of their families' expectations, a union formed/created for business and convenience.

But this... this was beyond anything she'd ever thought possible.

Liam hadn't just been her husband. He was the key to her father's empire. And her father had made it crystal.. if she didn't stay with Liam, she was nothing.

All she had worked for, all the years of sacrifice, all of it could slip through her fingers with a single divorce.

She let the letter fall onto the table, her pulse racing in her ears.

"How.. how cold he do this to me??" She cried.

The weight of it was crushing.. her father, a man she had always liked and respected, had planned her life to fit his business needs.

It was one thing to have been married off as part of a deal. But this? This was something darker.

Her own father had used her as a pawn, just as much as she had been a pawn in the game of her marriage.

A distant part of her wanted to scream. But she didn't. She couldn't afford the freedom of feeling sorry for herself.

Amy closed her eyes, willing the tears to stay safely away and under control. She had to think. She couldn't let this break her.

Her phone buzzed. She quickly looked at the screen.

Amy froze, the world suddenly spinning around her. It was Lawyer Edward and she couldn't bring herself to pick it.

Her mind was reeling, trying to make sense of what was happening.

Liam...? The name echoed in her brain, teasing in a mean way her, pulling her toward the door of their home.

She didn't stop to think.. she couldn't. She just had to see him, just had to angrily stand up to hi She needed answers now.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of their bedroom door.

The sound of laughter drifted through the thin walls, light, cheerful, and trouble-free.

Amy's stomach turned as she giggled at a high pitch. The laughter sounded like Celine. Her best friend.

Her breath caught in her throat as she reached for the doorknob, but her hand shook violently from fear and emotion, preventing her from gripping it at first.

She took a step back, her knees nearly buckling beneath her. What if she was imagining things? What if it wasn't what she thought it was?

But no, the laughter grew louder, absolutely clear. And then, the sound of a man's voice, low and intimate, followed by a sound that made her blood run cold.. a soft moan.

Amy's heart stopped. She wasn't imagining it. She wasn't dreaming. This was real.

Her pulse thumping, blood thumping in her ears, she thoughtlessly pushed the door open just enough to peer carefully inside in an attempt to see something more clearly.

Her stomach dropped to her feet at what she saw.

Liam was in their bed.... their bed. And next to him was Celine, her best friend, whom she had trusted above all others.

Celine laughed at something Liam had just whispered in her ear, her body entangled in the sheets, her hair disheveled. Her dress barely covered her, lipstick smeared on her lips. Liam, her spouse, was seated beside her with his hand relaxed on her thigh and his shirt partially unbuttoned.

For a moment, everything was still. The world stopped spinning.

Amy couldn't breathe.