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Divorced and Done Playing Nice
Divorced and Done Playing Nice
Author: Arya Sue

Chapter 1

Author: Arya Sue
Our six-month divorce battle finally ended because I gave in.

Everyone was stunned.

Julian and I had been married for seven years, and our divorce had dragged on for six months. To everyone watching, we looked like two people too stubborn to let go.

The media blew up, and Julian released a polished statement:

[We're sorry for taking up public attention. Although Esther Everett and I are officially divorced, we remain friends. I wish her all the best in finding happiness again.]

My eyes landed on one word.

"Friends."

I let out a quiet laugh.

Because of Winnie Dunne, Julian and I had fought more times than I could count.

We hadn't been friends in a long time. We couldn't even fake being civil anymore.

Today was the most reasonable he'd been in six months.

After I agreed to the divorce, he sat on the couch for a long time before putting away the papers he'd brought for our negotiation.

"In that case, I'll have the divorce agreement sent to you as soon as possible.

"You'll keep twenty percent of the company shares as compensation.

"And the downtown apartment is yours too."

He paused, checking if he'd missed anything.

Then he stood.

Even he probably thought the negotiation had ended way too fast.

At the door, he glanced back.

"Take care of yourself."

I closed my eyes and said nothing.

My lawyer sent over the divorce agreement and supporting documents.

Once the files came through, he added:

[The other party listed the reason for divorce as an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage and mutual consent. By law, aside from the assets he voluntarily transfers to you, the remaining marital property will be split equally.]

An irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.

What a respectable way to say cheating.

I'd still underestimated Julian's talent for making himself sound honorable.

My phone buzzed.

Julian had sent a photo and a voice message.

The photo showed my desk, everything swept onto the floor.

But the voice message was from a woman.

"Esther, I heard you're leaving the company, so I'm helping clear out all this trash."

Winnie.

Her voice was soft and sweet.

No wonder people liked her.

I tapped the voice message and replied calmly.

"I may be leaving, but I'm still the company's largest shareholder. I could toss you out with the rest of the trash."

No reply came for a long time.

When another voice message finally came through, it was Julian, with Winnie's muffled sobs in the background.

"Esther, Winnie didn't mean anything by it. Don't do this."

I ignored him, gathered my documents, and left the courthouse.

As I got into my car, Julian sent another photo and a message.

A picture frame had been placed back on my desk.

[The rest can go. They're old anyway. Keep this one.]

Inside the frame was a photo of a polar landscape.

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  • Divorced and Done Playing Nice   Chapter 13

    His messy hair stuck to his forehead.His eyes were sunken.His face was pale, like he'd just gotten over a serious illness.His lips were cracked, and dark stubble covered his jaw.Panic flashed in his eyes.He quickly raised a hand to hide his face.Too late.People nearby stopped."Isn't that Julian Seibert?""I think it is. Oh my God, what happened to him?""Quick, get a picture! That's the cheating CEO from Lumora Corp!"The whispers spread fast.More and more people pulled out their phones to take pictures and record.A crowd closed in around him.A few content creators had already pulled out portable gear and started livestreaming.I smiled."Now you know what it feels like to get torn apart online."Then I stepped back and blended into the crowd.Airport security and patrol officers rushed over.Reporters came out of nowhere, shoving microphones in his face."Mr. Seibert, what are your plans now that Lumora Corp has filed for bankruptcy?""Are you and Winni

  • Divorced and Done Playing Nice   Chapter 12

    I went home and started packing.Seven years of memories disappeared into cardboard boxes, one piece at a time.My wedding veil had yellowed with age.The dinnerware we'd picked out together was missing a piece.I didn't want the rest.The honeymoon souvenirs were covered in dust.I left almost everything behind.There wasn't much worth taking.But I still remembered so much.The good.The bad.The sweet.The painful.It didn't matter.One day, I'd forget it all.***The day of my flight was unusually clear.The sky was bright blue, and sunlight poured through the terminal.I rolled my suitcase toward security.My steps felt so light, it didn't feel like I was leaving Floravia for a new country.It felt like I was finally putting down a weight I'd carried for way too long.Then I stopped.Someone I recognized stood near the hallway to security.Julian leaned against a pillar, his cap pulled low.He wore a black hoodie.Nothing like the polished executive he use

  • Divorced and Done Playing Nice   Chapter 11

    Several major partners rushed to cut ties with Lumora Corp.Banks tightened its credit lines.Suppliers packed the entrance, demanding payment.The once-untouchable Lumora Corp empire was starting to crumble.Winnie panicked and posted several long, emotional statements overnight.On social media, she wrote:[Julian is too kind. He always takes the blame for everything.][He made those statements under pressure. They're not true.][Please don't let the internet fool you. Don't destroy a good man.]But the posts vanished soon after.The platform said they'd been removed for false information after a complaint.The reporting party?Lumora Corp.Not long after, I received a video of Winnie storming into Julian's office.She screamed like she'd lost it, kicking over the trash can by the door."Why did you report my posts? I was trying to help you! Have you lost your mind? Do you even know what you're doing?"She grabbed Julian's sleeve, her nails digging into his arm.Juli

  • Divorced and Done Playing Nice   Chapter 10

    He stood in the doorway, his face dark as a storm.His grip on Winnie's wrist was so tight, she cried out."What are you doing?"His voice was low, every word forced through clenched teeth.His eyes were ice-cold.And this time, they were on Winnie.She flinched, all that attitude disappearing instantly.Tears welled in her eyes as she pressed her lips together."I just couldn't stand watching everyone attack you online..." Her voice shook. "Do you know how much that hurt me? I got so angry, I came here to confront her..."Her voice was soft and tearful.Nothing like the woman who'd been trashing my place seconds ago.Julian let go of her wrist and rubbed his forehead."This has nothing to do with you. Go home."His tone left no room for argument.Like he was dismissing a stranger.Winnie froze.Tears streamed down her face."But, Julian—""Go home."This time, his voice was even colder.Winnie shot me one last glare.Jealousy.Resentment.And fear she couldn't h

  • Divorced and Done Playing Nice   Chapter 9

    They wanted to turn "Julian cheated" into "a divorcing couple destroying each other."They wanted everyone to think neither of us was innocent.I wasn't backing down.I made a new social media account and answered every claim one by one.No insults.No victim act.Just facts.I compiled every shady deal Julian had pulled at Lumora Corp.That included records of him using insider information to trade stocks.And proof he'd funneled favors to certain people to lock down land deals.I'd looked the other way before.Not anymore.I put everything out there.Every post came with timestamps and screenshots.The night I published them, the servers nearly crashed.#JulianCorruptionScandal went viral instantly.Lumora Corp's stock dropped twelve percent when the market opened the next morning.He paid trolls to drag me, so I hit back with proof.He hired shady PR accounts to clean up his image, so I took the truth to major news outlets.Back and forth we went, like two people

  • Divorced and Done Playing Nice   Chapter 8

    'Is he going to come after me? Hurt me?'I searched his eyes for an answer.Julian let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his forehead, exhaustion all over his face.That was when I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and his cracked lips.Stubble covered his jaw. Even his collar was wrinkled.He looked nothing like the confident Julian I knew."This is my fault."His voice was low and hoarse, rough as sandpaper.I froze.He looked up, his bloodshot eyes locking onto mine."Esther, we've known each other since college. We were married for seven years."His voice caught, like he was forcing the words out."For the sake of those years..."He paused, his throat working."Name your price. I'll give you whatever you want."I stayed quiet and waited.Sure enough, he kept going."But you have to deny everything you revealed today. Tell everyone you got it wrong and the evidence was fake."I could hear my heartbeat.Steady.I smiled.It came from somewhere deep, even if it ta

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