The Morning After

ANIYA’S POV

I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Corbin standing beneath the stage lights.

Kenzie has been one of the most important people in my life.

Then I saw my wedding ring sitting in his palm.

I had never imagined taking it off.

Not even during our worst arguments.

For four years, that ring had represented everything I believed about marriage. Loyalty. Commitment. Forever.

Last night, I had finally understood that forever meant nothing when only one person was fighting for it.

The first light of morning slipped through the curtains.

I sat up slowly.

My head was pounding, but I didn’t care.

I reached for my phone.

There were dozens of notifications.

Messages from friends.

Missed calls.

News alerts.

I opened one of the articles.

CORBIN VALE AND KENZIE SEAN SPARK ROMANCE RUMORS AT LAST NIGHT’S AWARDS.

My stomach turned.

Another headline appeared beneath it.

ENTERTAINMENT CEO’S MYSTERIOUS CONNECTION TO AWARD-WINNING STAR.

I locked my phone.

I didn’t need to read anything else.

The world had seen what happened.

And now everyone had an opinion.

A knock sounded on my bedroom door.

I already knew who it was.

“Come in.”

The door opened.

Corbin walked inside.

He was still wearing the same shirt from the night before, although his suit jacket was gone. His face looked tired.

He closed the door behind him.

“Aniya.”

I looked at him.

He stood there silently for a moment before speaking.

“About last night…”

I waited.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said.”

My heart gave a painful squeeze.

For one foolish second, hope tried to return.

Then he continued.

“But you also shouldn’t have reacted the way you did.”

The hope disappeared.

I stared at him.

“That’s your apology?”

“I said I shouldn’t have said it.”

“You didn’t say you were sorry.”

Corbin sighed.

“Aniya, I was on stage representing my company. I was thanking someone who contributed to its success.”

“Then why did you look at her like that?”

He frowned.

“Like what?”

“Like she mattered more than everyone else in that room.”

His jaw tightened.

“We’re having this conversation again?”

I stood from the bed.

“No. We’re having it for the first time.”

He stared at me.

“I’ve tried talking to you about how distant we’ve become, Corbin. You always tell me I’m overthinking. You tell me you’re busy. You tell me Kenzie is just a colleague.”

“She is.”

“Then why does she know more about your life than your wife does?”

He didn’t answer.

I walked toward my dresser.

“My birthday last month. You forgot.”

His expression changed.

“I was dealing with an important project.”

“Our anniversary?”

“I apologized for that.”

“You cancelled our dinner because Kenzie needed you at a studio meeting.”

“That was work.”

“And last night?”

He looked away.

“That was work too?”

Silence.

I nodded slowly.

“That’s what I thought.”

Corbin walked closer.

“Aniya, I never cheated on you.”

I looked at him.

“Maybe not.”

His eyebrows drew together.

“Maybe?”

“But you don’t have to sleep with someone to destroy your marriage.”

The words hung between us.

He looked genuinely stunned.

I continued before he could respond.

“You stopped choosing me long before last night. I just kept making excuses for you because I didn’t want to admit it.”

His expression hardened.

“So you’re really going through with this?”

“Yes.”

“You’re filing for divorce?”

“Yes.”

He laughed once, but there was no humor in it.

“You’re serious?”

I met his eyes.

“Completely.”

“Aniya, this is a marriage. You don’t throw away four years because of one bad night.”

I felt something inside me snap.

“One bad night?”

I stepped closer.

“You think this is about one night?”

Corbin fell silent.

“This is about every night I ate dinner alone. Every event I attended by myself. Every time I waited for you to come home. Every time I told myself you were tired when the truth was that you simply didn’t want to spend time with me.”

His expression softened.

“Aniya…”

“And the worst part is that I kept thinking I wasn’t doing enough.”

My voice broke.

“I kept wondering if I wasn’t pretty enough. Interesting enough. Supportive enough.”

I wiped away the tear that escaped.

“But last night, I realized something.”

Corbin watched me silently.

“I was never the problem.”

He looked away.

I turned toward my closet.

“I’ve already contacted a lawyer.”

His head snapped toward me.

“When?”

“This morning.”

His eyes widened.

“You did this already?”

“Yes.”

“You were planning this before last night?”

“No.”

I looked at him.

“Last night made the decision for me.”

Corbin stared at me for several seconds.

Then his phone rang.

He checked the screen.

I saw Kenzie’s name.

He immediately declined the call.

For the first time, I almost smiled.

Not because I was happy.

Because it was ironic.

After everything, the woman who had become the center of our problems was still calling him.

Corbin slipped the phone into his pocket.

“Don’t do this because of her.”

I shook my head.

“I’m not.”

“Then why?”

I looked at the suitcase I had pulled from the closet.

“Because of me.”

His face changed.

“What are you doing?”

“Leaving.”

“Where will you go?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You can’t just walk out.”

“I can.”

“Aniya.”

I turned toward him.

“You spent years assuming I would always be here.”

His expression tightened.

“You assumed I would keep waiting.”

I picked up my suitcase.

“You were wrong.”

He stepped in front of the door.

“You’re my wife.”

I stared at him.

“Not for much longer.”

He didn’t move.

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then Corbin stepped aside.

I walked past him.

My heart was breaking.

But for the first time, I wasn’t going to let heartbreak make my decisions for me.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped.

On the table sat a framed photograph from our wedding day.

I picked it up.

In the photograph, Corbin was smiling at me like I was the only woman in the world.

I remembered that day.

I remembered believing I had found my forever.

I placed the photograph back down.

Maybe that woman in the picture had loved him completely.

But she had also been afraid of losing him.

I wasn’t that woman anymore.

I opened the front door.

“Aniya.”

I stopped.

Corbin’s voice sounded different.

Less angry.

More afraid.

“Please don’t do this.”

I closed my eyes.

For a second, I almost turned around.

Then I remembered him standing on that stage.

I remembered him looking at Kenzie.

I remembered waiting for him to choose me.

And realizing that he never did.

I stepped outside.

The door closed behind me.

My phone immediately rang.

Maya.

I answered.

“Hello?”

“Tell me you’re okay.”

I swallowed.

“I don’t know.”

“Where are you?”

“Outside.”

“Outside where?”

I looked back at the penthouse.

“At home.”

There was a pause.

“Did you talk to him?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

I tightened my grip on my suitcase.

“I’m getting a divorce.”

Maya went silent.

Then she said softly, “Okay.”

No questions.

No judgment.

Just understanding.

“Come to my place,” she said.

I looked down at my empty ring finger.

For the first time in four years, there was nothing there.

“I’m coming.”

I ended the call and walked toward the waiting car.

Behind me, through the penthouse window, I could see Corbin standing completely still.

Watching me leave.

Maybe he finally understood that I wasn’t threatening to leave anymore.

I was gone.

And he had no idea that walking away from him was only the beginning.

Because the dream I had sacrificed for our marriage was still waiting for me.

And this time, I was going to choose it.