Dear-exhusband... Last chance.

Daniel’s POV

“Take this and leave." A frown was etched on my face as I pulled my car into the parking lot of the motel that had housed me for the past week.

The woman I picked at the club hurried to put on her clothes. I had lost interest in almost everything.

It's been three years since I tossed Evelyn out into the rain, and every single night since then has felt like a slow crawl through hell. I should have stayed with her.

I leaned my head tiredly on the steering wheel and got lost in thoughts. It was now a routine for me.

The company was losing money at an alarming rate.

My trusted board members were now circling like vultures. They sensed the weakness and there was nothing I could do, they all needed money.

I missed Evelyn, not the sturdy worker my mother had mocked, but the woman who had stayed up nights to save my company without asking for a single word of praise.

Sophie didn't care about the legacy or my consent. She only cared about the credit cards and what it could get her.

My phone began ringing and I groaned. I didn't even have to look at the screen to know who it was.

"Where are you, Daniel?" Sophie yelled. Her voice was devoid of the sweetness she once used to lure me in.

"You’ve been hiding in that disgusting hole for three days while I’m stuck here with these screaming children! Do you have any idea how much work it is to get ready for a gala alone?"

I totally forgot about the gala.

"I'm tired, Sophie," I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

“The investors are pulling out. We don't have the money for another one of your dresses."

"I don't care about your excuses!" she snapped.

"The Businesswoman of the Year gala is tonight. Everyone who matters will be there. If you aren't here to walk me in, people will start talking about the bankruptcy rumors.”

"Get your pathetic ass back home and put on a suit. Now."

She hung up before I could argue. I stared at the blank screen, feeling like a dog on a leash.

I had traded a queen for a woman who treated me like an ATM that was running dry.

As much as I hated it, I had to go back to Sophie. Three years was a very long time to tell me what it means to ignore Sophie’s request.

I pulled out of the motel and began my journey home with a heavy heart.

By the time I pulled up into the driveway and pushed the door open, I mentally braced myself for whatever she threw my way.

Sophie was in the foyer, her blonde hair perfectly curled, looking every bit the fragile flower she had used to displace Evelyn. But when she looked at me, her eyes were hard and cold.

"About time," she hissed, throwing a tuxedo at my chest.

"Hurry up. We’re already late."

“How about the children?” I dared to ask.

“Oh, you want to ask now? Why didn’t you ask about them in the past three days when you were at that fucking motel, fucking cheap sluts?” she yelled. I immediately backed away from her.

“I am sorry, I just…”

“Save it, fucking dumbass. You’re useless, Daniel. Even the driver does more than you.”

“Go get dressed so we can leave. Don’t piss me off. Heaven knows I hate being seen with such a loser like you.”

I swallowed hard at her words but didn’t dare say anything else. If I tried to talk back to her, pointed heels would come flying right at my very face.

I quickly got into the house, got ready, and then we left. The drive to the gala was silent as I stared at the road, hoping we would arrive there sooner.

I found myself wondering where Evelyn was. I had heard rumors she left the country, but part of me hoped she was somewhere happy, far away from the wreckage I had made of our lives.

But there was still a small part of me that missed her dearly. As much as I tried to act like I wasn’t affected by her absence, I missed what life used to be when she was around.

My business bloomed thanks to her and we could afford all sorts of luxury, but now it would take only a couple of days before the banks come knocking at our door.

Sophie was very different from Evelyn.

Hell, Sophie couldn’t even hold a business conversation without yapping off about some Birkin bag.

Even my mother, who is known for being sharp-tongued, couldn’t contend with Sophie.

After our wedding, it took only a couple of weeks before my mother ran out of the house with her luggage behind her.

I should have taken that as a sign, but I was blinded by Sophie’s soft and delicate body.

Now, that very body gave me nightmares that made me stay in motels for weeks.

When we arrived at the venue, I forced a smile, tucking Sophie’s arm into mine as we stepped onto the red carpet.

Sophie was already scanning the room for people to impress, her grip on my arm tightened.

"Look at all these people, Daniel," she whispered, her eyes gleaming with greed.

"This is where we belong."

I didn't answer and was looking toward the grand entrance where a commotion was starting.

The crowd was parting, hushed whispers followed a group that had just arrived. I heard it was the richest business mogul.

"Daniel, look," Sophie whispered, her voice suddenly dropping into a strange tone.

"What?" I asked, following her gaze.

I didn't see the woman first. I saw a boy, he was being led by the hand by a tall, powerful-looking man I recognized instantly as Alexander Reed.

But the boy... he couldn't have been more than three years old. He had dark hair just like mine and even from across the room, I could see his eyes. They were a piercing, familiar blue. My blue.

It wasn’t just any type of blue, it was the very kind that ran in my family.

Sophie’s grip on my arm became painful as she turned pale. "Daniel... that child. He looks exactly like you."

My heart stopped beating. I looked past the boy to the woman standing beside Alexander Reed. She was dressed in a suit that cost more than my remaining shares.

She looked stunning, and I didn’t need to be told she was powerful. Then, my eyes moved to hers and I felt my heart freeze.

Evelyn.

I stepped forward without a thought, I had to confirm if that was my Evelyn. But a guard’s arm stopped me.

“Invitation?”

“I’m Daniel Pierce.” The guard didn’t even blink at my name.

“And? she didn’t request you. Please leave now.”

But no, I had to confirm if that was Evelyn, so I screamed.

“Evelyn…can we talk?” The crowd turned, murmuring and Sophie gradually withdrew her hands off my shoulder.

“Do I know you?” She questioned before turning away from me, no look of recognition was in her face.