Chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up early and packed my things, Edward hadn’t come home after last night’s events, I was sure he had gone straight to Raya. But I didn’t care anymore. She was the one he had loved from the beginning, and I had only ever been an obstacle in their way.

As I dragged my suitcases down the stairs, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I stopped to check it, and my heart clenched when I saw the message from Raya.

{I hope you liked what you saw yesterday. Edward is mine. He has always been mine. If you know what’s best for you, leave him.}

I scoffed. The audacity of her telling me to leave Edward, as if she had the power to dictate my choices. If only she knew… I didn’t give her message a second thought before shoving my phone back into my pocket.

My only hope was that Edward would show up at the courthouse. And I knew he would. He understood the consequences, if he didn’t, I would release the video of him and Raya. That would be enough to shatter both their reputations.

Just as I predicted, Edward arrived at the courthouse a few hours later. His expression was unreadable, his face hardened into a stern mask. But I knew him well enough to see the tension in his clenched jaw, the way his fingers twitched at his sides. He had hoped I would back down. But after I had sent him another message before packing my things, reminding him I wasn’t bluffing, he had no choice.

His narrowed eyes burned into me as he approached. “Do you really understand the implications of this?” His voice was lower, laced with defeat. “Juliet, I told you before, you’re just being dramatic. This is your fault. If you hadn’t been stalking me, none of this would have happened.”

I almost laughed at how soft his voice had become. Just last night, he had spoken to me with nothing but cruelty. Yet now, standing before me, disheveled and exhausted, he was trying to manipulate me again.

“It’s too late for all this, Edward.” My voice was cold, but inside, I felt a storm of emotions. “You made your choice the moment you started sleeping with my sister.” The word sister left a bitter taste in my mouth, a painful reminder that all of this had been planned from the start.

I placed the divorce papers before him, crossing my arms over my chest. He hesitated, his eyes flicking between me and the documents. For a moment, I almost prayed he wouldn’t tear them apart. Taking a deep breath, I slid a pen toward him.

“If you don’t sign them,” I said, my voice barely masking the pain, “I’ll release the video to the internet. I’ll watch your company crumble, along with Raya’s reputation.”

His jaw tightened, and his fists clenched at his sides. His entire body radiated fury. But he knew I wasn’t bluffing. After a long, tense silence, he snatched the pen and scribbled his signature before shoving the papers back at me.

“You’ll regret this, Juliet.” His voice was sharp, venomous. “No man will ever want to be with a woman like you. You’ll come crawling back, and when you do, I won’t take you back.”

For the first time in years, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. A feeling of freedom washed over me, and I smiled, seeing the flicker of regret hidden behind Edward’s cold expression.

“I don’t need you, Edward,” I said simply. “And I hope I never see you again.”

His resolve wavered for a second, but he quickly masked it with a scoff. “Let’s see how long you can keep pretending to be strong.”

I let out a soft laugh and stood up, his words rolling off me like water. He had always believed I would never find out about his affair with Raya. He had underestimated me.

I stepped out of the courthouse, heading toward the cab parked outside. But just as I was about to get in, a flash of red hair caught my eye.

Raya.

She stepped out of a sleek limousine, her crimson curls styled in perfect waves, her golden-brown bodycon dress hugging every curve. The slit by her knee revealed just enough to make her presence feel even more suffocating.

I rolled my eyes at her theatrics as she approached with quick, confident steps.

“Juliet,” she cooed, a saccharine smile curling on her lips. “I heard you finally decided to divorce Edward.”

“Isn't that what you always wanted?” I folded my arms, my expression filled with disgust. “Edward is all yours now. You can flaunt him everywhere without resorting to your sick little set-ups.”

She clicked her tongue, placing a hand over her chest as if offended. “You know I wouldn’t do such a thing. It was all Mother’s idea.” She took a step closer, her slender frame imposing against mine. “I never intended for you to find out. I knew it would hurt you.”

The rage in my chest flared, my blood boiling in my veins. Before I could stop myself, my hand swung up and connected sharply with her cheek. The force sent her stumbling back, her bodyguards instantly moving in to shield her.

Raya’s fingers flew to the reddened side of her face, her eyes wide with shock. Before she could open her mouth to say something to me, another slap echoed through the air, only this time, it wasn’t mine.

Pain exploded across my cheek as my head snapped sideways. My eyes widened in disbelief as I turned to face the person responsible.

My mother, she stood protectively in front of Raya, her glare sharp enough to cut through me.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” she spat, her voice laced with disgust. “You’ve never been worth anything. And now, you have the nerve to lay your hands your sister?”

Tears stung my eyes as I fought to keep them from falling. Even before Raya had entered the picture, my mother had always blamed me for my father’s mistakes. She had never shown me love, never once made me feel like I mattered.

I wiped my tears away with my palm, refusing to let her see me break. Before Edward could reach us, I turned and stepped into the cab, signaling the driver to leave.

The ride to my childhood best friend, Veronica, house felt longer than expected, or maybe it was just the weight in my chest making time stretch unbearably. I was desperate to leave, to escape anything that reminded me of Edward, of my family, of the life I had once believed in so desperately.

When I arrived, Vera’s gaze softened the moment she saw me. She pulled me into a tight hug, holding me as if she could shield me from all the pain I carried.

“Oh, Juliet,” she murmured after we pulled away, her voice filled with sympathy.

I forced a small smile, though I knew she didn’t yet understand the full extent of what had happened. Not until the cab driver stepped forward, dragging my suitcases onto the pavement.

That was when reality truly sank in, I had nothing left of the life I once knew.