Chapter 1

The ring on my finger felt heavier than ever as I pushed open the lawyer’s office door.

It wasn’t just metal pressing against my skin—it was a reminder of a promise that had already died.

The man behind the desk looked up briefly, his gaze sweeping over my plain blouse and worn heels before sliding away again. His suit was pressed to perfection, his shoes shining. He looked like someone who never had to beg to be seen.

I probably looked like someone who always did.

“I need to know if this divorce agreement is valid,” I said, my voice steadier than my hands. “If I get your stamp and my husband signs it… it’s official, right?”

He blinked, mildly surprised—as if women like me didn’t get married, let alone need a lawyer to end it.

He glanced through the papers and nodded. “Everything’s in order.”

A shaky breath left my lips.

Zayne Ford, please, just sign it quietly. Let this end the same way our marriage began—without love, without witnesses.

When I arrived at the Ford residence, the guards barely glanced up from their post.

They never did.

To them, I was invisible—a rumor in cheap shoes. The man they served had never once told them I was his wife.

Inside, the air smelled faintly of cigar smoke and money. The housekeeper gave me a polite nod, the kind you’d give to a distant relative you hoped would leave soon.

No one called me Mrs. Ford.

No one dared.

Except for Zayne, on the day he put a ring on my finger. But even then, his voice had sounded like he was signing a contract, not a vow.

I pushed open the study door—and froze.

Jane Dunn was sitting beside him, legs crossed, her laughter soft and warm like music.

Zayne was feeding her a cracker topped with caviar. When she leaned forward, he smiled faintly, brushing a crumb from the corner of her mouth.

Caviar.

Zayne used to hate it. He said the smell made him sick.

He banned it from the house—his rule, not mine.

Now it sat between them like a shared secret, glistening gold beneath the chandelier.

And suddenly, I understood.

It wasn’t the caviar that had changed.

It was him.

I tightened my grip on the papers in my hand.

“Zayne,” I said quietly, forcing my voice to stay calm. “This is the school’s medical check-up form. Can you sign it?”

Jane turned toward me, smiling sweetly. “Wendy, you’re back! We were just deciding what to have for dinner. You should join us.”

Her tone dripped with honey—and pity.

She reached out and rested her hand lightly on his arm. “Zayne was just saying how pale you’ve looked lately. You should take better care of yourself.”

It was a perfect performance—gentle, caring, and cruel.

Zayne looked up briefly, his brow furrowed. “You really should rest more, Wendy.”

He reached for the papers. Jane leaned closer, laughing softly.

“It’s just a school form, Zayne. Don’t overthink it. You sound more like her big brother than her husband.”

Zayne smirked faintly. “Do I?”

And then, without another word, he signed his name.

The pen’s tip scratched against the paper—swift, careless, final.

Ink sealing my freedom.

My pulse roared in my ears. I folded the papers before either of them could see the divorce contract tucked beneath the form, my hands trembling so hard I nearly dropped it.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

And before my voice could crack, I turned and walked out.

Outside the study, my breath came fast and shallow. My knees felt weak, but my heart—my heart felt lighter than it had in years.

He’d signed it.

Without reading.

Without realizing.

Zayne Ford had just signed away the only woman who ever truly loved him.

My father was the driver of Grant Ford, Zayne’s grandfather. He died protecting the man who built this empire. Out of guilt, the Fords took me in.

I was sixteen when Grant passed, leaving me under Zayne’s care. He was ten years older—disciplined, distant, brilliant.

I mistook admiration for love.

He mistook guilt for responsibility.

The night of the family banquet, he got drunk and wandered into my room.

The next morning, he stood in my doorway and said, “I’ll take responsibility.”

I said yes, thinking it was fate.

But love built on guilt crumbles faster than paper vows.

Then Jane came back from abroad—the woman his family had always preferred.

After that, his smiles weren’t mine anymore. His home wasn’t mine anymore.

Even his silence didn’t belong to me—it belonged to her.

Now, with his careless signature inked across the page, I finally had what I’d prayed for in the dark.

Freedom.

The ring still weighed heavy on my hand, but it didn’t hurt anymore.

Because for the first time, I knew I could take it off.

And when he finally realized what he’d signed today—it would already be too late.