Famous lawyer Natalie and billionaire Brandon had been married for three years, but they had never met each other. Their marriage was arranged by Brandon’s grandfather. After the grandfather passed away, Brandon immediately filed for divorce. Following the divorce, Natalie returned to her legal career and unexpectedly took on a case from Brandon’s company—defending his mistress, Carmilla. Curious about Brandon’s relationship with Carmilla, Natalie agreed to take the case. During their interactions, Brandon came to admire Natalie’s skills and gradually developed feelings for her, unaware that she was actually his ex-wife whom he had never met…
View MoreNatalie’s POV
Brandon York was my husband for three years.
We’ve never met.
Not even once.
Not at the wedding. Not through a screen. Not even by accident at a parking lot. I wouldn’t recognize him if he passed by holding a sign that said, ‘Hi Natalie, I’m your absentee husband.’
We got married because his grandfather said it was a good idea. Brandon needed to look stable for a few years. I needed law school paid for.
He sent a lawyer. I signed the papers. That was it.
No ceremony. No pictures. No vows. No kiss.
Just a ghost marriage to a man who never showed up.
For the last three years, I lived in the family estate and took care of his grandfather. That was part of the deal. I studied, graduated, passed the bar, and watched the old man die.
Brandon never visited. Not once. Not even after the funeral.
So when I came back to work today, I thought the worst thing waiting for me would be an overflowing inbox.
Nope.
A fat cream envelope was sitting on my desk, waiting like it had been plotting all morning.
Sender: Brandon York.
Of course, I opened it.
Divorce papers. Clean. Straightforward. Zero personality, no note, no explanation. Just… divorce.
After three years of total silence, he ended things the same way he started them... by not showing up??
There was nothing generous in the terms. No alimony. No asset breakdown. Not even a polite “thank you for wiping my grandfather’s ass for two years.”
I guess he thought I’d just sign and vanish.
I stared at the papers and muttered, “Seriously?”
I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t even shocked. I was mostly impressed by the audacity, like, what the fuck?
After all my sacrifices?! Nah-ah!
I grabbed a pen and started adjusting the asset division. I wasn’t going to throw a tantrum, but I wasn’t going to let him erase me like a typo, either.
Well, if you’re thinking I was about to rip the divorce papers in half, run to his office, and cry, “No, you can’t leave me! I’m your wife! I can’t live without you!”
Yeah… no.
That’s not me. That’s not gonna happen, ever.
The hell do I care about Brandon York?
He got what he wanted. The company. The name. The image, name it!
And I got what I wanted. My law degree. My license. A life!
So we’re even.
Or… we were.
Just as I hit print, someone knocked on my office door.
“Come in,” I said, eyes still on the monitor.
Dylan walked in like he was about to deliver good gossip. He dropped a red folder on my desk and raised his eyebrows.
“Mrs. N, you’re gonna love this,” he said.
“Correction. Ms. N,” I said, sharpening my voice on the word.
“Wait, what happened?” he asked.
“Long story. So, what is it?”
“Oh yeah. Got a new one for you,” he said excitedly. “The client asked for you specifically.”
“If this is another influencer suing over a hair serum deal gone wrong, I’m walking.”
“Nope. Property reassignment case,” he said, handing it over.
I raised an eyebrow and opened the folder. It wasn’t what I expected.
The first thing I saw was a photo of a mansion.
My mansion.
Woodridge Hills. The property Brandon’s grandfather left to me. The one he said was mine “as thanks” for not letting him die alone.
I flipped to the next page.
The file was labeled:
“Asset Reallocation Request”
Beneath it: Brandon York.
I blinked.
Wait. What?
“This is Brandon’s file?” I asked slowly.
Dylan nodded, like it was nothing. “He’s finalizing some estate stuff with his fiancée. Carmella something. Wanted the house moved to her name.”
I stared at the line again.
Transfer of inherited estate from former marital property to Ms. Kingston, as agreed by the former spouse.
Former spouse?
I turned another page. Read. Re-read.
He didn’t even use my name. Just “the wife.” Like I was a placeholder in my own paperwork!
“They said the wife had no issue with it. Already signed off emotionally or something.”
My hand froze mid-page.
“What did you say?” I asked.
“They said—wait, what’s wrong? You don’t look so well.”
I turned the page again. There it was. My name. On the legal documents. The property was still under me.
And they were trying to transfer it… to HER… Without even asking me?
WTF?!
The nerve!
The actual balls on this man!
I didn’t even realize my hands were shaking until Dylan leaned forward, his brows pulled together.
“Something wrong?” He asked and flipped back to the declaration page, reading it slower this time.
His expression shifted.
His eyes darted from the papers… to my face… then down to the cream envelope still sitting open on my desk.
“Wait… this can’t be right. Why is your name written here?” Dylan’s voice dropped to a near whisper, like the sentence weighed too much to say out loud.
He blinked once. Then again.
I didn’t speak.
My fingers curled tightly around the edge of the desk, grounding myself.
Then Dylan suddenly stood up, rubbing his temple… it looked like he finally realized what was going on. Great!
“That CEO of York International… He’s your husband?!” His voice pitched up a level. “All this time?!”
“Yes,” I said quietly. “Looks like he is.”
Dylan just stared. “Wait, what the fuck? He’s trying to give your inheritance to his girlfriend?”
“Cute, isn’t it?” I smirked.
Dylan looked down at the file again, then back up at me.
His brow furrowed.
“What’s that?” he asked, pointing.
I didn’t answer. He stepped closer, reached for the paper, and read the first line.
And froze.
“Wait… He’s divorcing you too?!”
I leaned back slowly, keeping my voice calm.
“I told you. I’m no longer Mrs.”
“Wait, let me breathe. This is insane!”
“Looks like he sent me the knife, then asked me to help him twist it.” I bit the pen and exhaled hard.
Dylan dragged a hand down his face and let out a deep breath.
“What are you gonna do now?”
Then I asked, quieter this time, “Did he know who I was when he sent this?”
Dylan shook his head. “No. He just said specifically for Ms. N. No full name. Just… Ms. N.”
I looked back down at the folder.
Ms. N. The ghost wife.
“Let’s make sure he regrets that.”
Brandon’s POVLucas downed the rest of his drink, set the glass down, and let out a loud sigh.“I’m done. I think I’m drunk,” he said, even though his eyes were still sharp. “I’m heading home.”Matthew gave him a lazy salute. “Message me when you get there.”Lucas glanced at me before leaving. I nodded once. He patted my shoulder and walked out.The moment the door closed behind him, I turned to Matthew. “You like her.”His hand paused halfway to his glass. He didn’t even try to pretend he didn’t know who I meant. He looked at me, then back down. “Yeah.”I leaned back, watching him. “You know she works for me.”“I know,” he said. “And I know you care about her too.”I frowned. “People keep saying that.”“They’re not wrong.” His voice was calm, not pushing, just stating it like a fact.I didn’t answer right away. I’d heard this before… Vivian had hinted the same thing. Still, I wasn’t sure if it was true or if people just liked to see things that weren’t there.Matthew kept going. “She
Brandon’s POVThe clink of glasses cut through the low hum of Matthew’s bar.Lucas raised his beer. “To old friends.”Matthew grinned and tapped his glass against ours. I managed a small smile, even though my mood was already at rock bottom.I wasn’t here for nostalgia. I came because I needed to forget... things had gotten messy lately, and I needed a break.The first round went down quick. We started with random talk, dumb things we did as kids, and the kind of stories that made Matthew laugh until his shoulders shook. I let them chat while I took my time with my drink.Lucas was the first to switch gears. “So… Emma’s still mad at me.”Matthew leaned an elbow on the counter. “Still? What did you do this time?”Lucas shrugged, looking more smug than sorry. “She cut me off for a while, but I think I know why. She used to like this senior guy.”He took a slow sip before going on. “So one time, I made sure to show up right in front of him. You know, just to make a point.”I arched a b
Natalie’s POVDylan had just finished explaining some client paperwork to me when Emma suddenly slammed her pen down.“You know what? Forget it. I’m done,” she snapped, looking right at Dylan. “We’re not friends anymore.”The air went dead quiet. Dylan froze mid-sentence, and I… well, I blinked at her like my brain needed a full minute to download what had just happened.“What?” Dylan asked, frowning.Emma didn’t answer. She just grabbed her bag, muttered something under her breath, and headed for the door.I stared after her, still trying to catch up. “What was that?” I asked Dylan.He held up his hands. “Don’t look at me. I have no idea.”“Really?”“Really.” He went back to his computer like that was the end of it.Yeah, no. I wasn’t letting her storm out like that without answers.I ran after her, catching up just outside the building. “Emma!”She kept walking, so I had to jog to get in front of her. That’s when I saw the tears streaking down her face.“Hey, hey—stop. What happened
Natalie’s POVI shot her a look. “Eat your food.”But even as I said it, my mind was already spinning. Why was he here? Was it a coincidence… or did he know I’d ignored his message and decided to make a point?And if it was intentional… what exactly was that point supposed to be?Every time I reached for my glass or picked up my fork, I could feel his eyes on me. It was like trying to eat with a camera pointed at your face.Emma sighed and set down her fork. “Okay, I can’t eat like this. He’s basically breathing in our direction.”“Then stop noticing him,” I muttered.She raised her brows. “Oh, so you’re not noticing him?”I stabbed my lettuce. “I’m eating.”She leaned closer, her voice low. “He’s really looking.”I didn’t glance over. “Right.”She raised a brow. “You sure you don’t want to go say something? Or throw your water in his face? I can hold your bag.”That almost got a smile out of me, but I shook my head. “Not worth the laundry bill.”Emma gave it another few minutes, the
Natalie’s POVArthur’s name popped up on my screen just before lunch, and for a second, I wondered if he’d accidentally called. He didn’t usually reach out unless it was work-related and usually through email.“Got a case,” he said as soon as I answered. No hello, just straight into it.“What kind?” I asked, already opening my laptop.“Financial irregularities. High stakes. Could use your head on this one.”That got my attention. We dove right in, discussing details over video call. He shared his screen balance sheets, cash flow statements, and suspicious transfers highlighted in yellow. I leaned forward, scribbling notes while asking questions.“You’re thinking these numbers were doctored?” I asked after he explained the pattern.He nodded. “Exactly. And the company’s pretending it’s a simple accounting error.”I tilted my head. “Which means it’s not.”He grinned. “Knew you’d get it.”We went on for nearly an hour, piecing together possibilities, tossing back theories. It felt… ni
Brandon’s POVI’ve been irritable lately. Seeing Nathan and Natalie standing so close had felt like getting punched in the gut. It was the same feeling I’d had years ago when I learned my father had another illegitimate son.Nathan has always been the golden one. Even when we were kids, my father would watch him like he was some long-lost heir who’d finally come to save the family name.At the banquet, it had been the same scene all over again. Father applauding Nathan like his arrival was the best thing that had ever happened to this family. I could still hear the words, as sharp as the crystal glass he’d been holding.“You’re nowhere near as good as Nathan.”It wasn’t new, but it still burned.And now… Natalie.Last night, in that hallway, I’d walked in on her standing far too close to him. They weren’t touching, but they didn’t have to be. The look on her face, like she actually listened to him was enough. It was the same kind of attention I’d been trying to get from her for w
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