1

“Sign it.”

Those were his first words the moment I walked into his office.

“Huh?” I asked quietly, staring at my boss, while trying to keep the surprise from my voice.

Drex didn't say a word. In fact, he barely ever spoke to me.

I wouldn't have minded if he was just my boss, but this was a man I'd been married to for over three years already.

A man that barely acknowledged my existence since the day I stood on the altar in place of my step cousin.

Which was why being called to his office that Wednesday morning was unexpected.

And when he opened his drawer and retrieved a file, I had a feeling this would not be good.

“What is this?” I asked when he dropped it in front of me.

“Divorce papers. Sign it.”

Four words. Just four.

But they managed to make my head spin. “Wh-What?”

He finally raised his chin, staring with an expression devoid of emotion. "You know I don't like to repeat myself."

"B-But why so soon?"

“Soon?” He scoffed like that was the most absurd thing. “It's been three years. There is nothing soon about this.”

"But..." Words hung somewhere in my throat, but my heart started to race.

He couldn't do this to me. He just couldn't.

If Drex divorced me, that'd be the end. My life, career, future… everything would be destroyed.

I'd lose the only protection keeping my stepmother from throwing me off to the streets.

No. My desperation rose, which was why I didn't think twice before doing the one thing I never imagined myself doing.

I joined both hands and dropped to my knees. "Please." I begged. "Please give it another thought."

His frown told me he didn't expect this. "What the hell? Get up, Lisa."

"No." I shook my head. "Not until you've promised to think about it."

His teeth were gritted when he spoke. "Get up."

"No—!"

"Get the hell up, Lisa!"

His voice was so loud that it startled a flinch from me.

When I stared at him, something blazed in his eyes. Irritation.

And it was enough to strike right to me.

A drop of tear escaped, followed by another.

Because I was probably the most shameless woman in his eyes.

I had to bite my lower lip to keep from breaking, and slowly pushed myself up till I was standing.

"Think about it." My voice was lower now, rough from unshed tears, as I turned and rushed out of his office (the CEO office).

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. This wasn't how my life should be.

When I was dressing in my step cousin's wedding gown, no one told me it was going to be like this.

Drex didn't love me.

He never did. He never saw me as the female who wasn't supposed to be his wife.

But I didn't mind. I didn't even argue.

All I wanted was to be married. And now he wanted to take that from me.

He wanted to throw me back to the hell of my dad's house.

I didn't stop running until I was out of the company and in my car.

“Take me home.” I told the driver, so with a roar, the car came to life and I was on the road.

The entire drive back, all I could think about was those papers.

Fear crawled up my skin as I wondered what would become of me if I divorced him.

That was all I thought about till the car came to a halt in front of his mansion.

The Drane mansion.

It might have been my imagination, but when I got down, I thought I noticed the guards glance at each other somewhat awkwardly.

Some of them even stared as I made my way towards the door.

But I was too distracted by my thoughts on Drex to care about them.

Which probably wasn't a smart idea, because the moment I reached the door, it became clear.

The voice that came from behind made it all too clear.

Slow and smug... “Well, look who's here.”

The familiarity in them made me freeze.

'That' was a voice I could not forget. Believe me, I've tried.

But it was hard not to memorize the sound of your childhood trauma.

Slowly, and with breath held, I turned.

There she stood, her lips in a smirk.

Drex's first love.

My step cousin. “Cassie?”