Chapter 3

On Monday, Gabrielle dropped Casper off at preschool first, then went home to prepare the divorce papers. She drafted an agreement stating clearly that she didn't want a single cent and was giving up custody of Casper.

She'd always been an excellent student. She'd gone straight through undergrad and grad school in computer science at Creston University, the country's top university.

Cool-headed rationality was her greatest strength. The only time she'd ever really stumbled in life was over Morgan.

The Quiltons all thought she'd married him for his money, so she wanted to prove them wrong. She didn't want a dime from him.

As for Casper's custody, she didn't have the upper hand anyway. Besides, Casper's future would be so much brighter if he stayed with the Quilton family.

Even if she fought tooth and nail for his custody, he might resent her for it when he grew up. If that was the case, she might as well let go now.

…

Gabrielle arrived at Quilton Tech's headquarters at 9:40 am.

She didn't have an appointment, and the reception staff didn't recognize her, so they stopped her. She had no choice but to make a call. Before long, Morgan's chief assistant, Jared Nielsen, appeared.

He was the only person in the entire company who knew who she really was.

"Mr. Quilton's in the middle of something. You might have to wait a bit," he said.

"That's fine. I can wait."

They took the elevator upstairs. Jared led her into a lounge, then disappeared.

Gabrielle waited for about two hours. In those two hours, no one came by to check on her. No one even offered her a glass of water.

Just as she was starting to get restless, the door swung open from the outside, and a man she didn't know walked in. His head was cocked as he started to light a cigarette.

Gabrielle quickly stopped him. "I'm sorry, sir. You can't smoke in here."

"What's your problem?" he muttered, giving her a once-over. When he saw how plainly dressed she was, he decided she wasn't anyone important and snapped, "Are you nuts? This is a smoking room. Who are you to tell me what to do?"

She flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry."

She turned and slipped out of the room. There was, in fact, a sign on the door indicating that it was a smoking room. She'd just followed Jared in earlier and hadn't paid attention.

Jared didn't have any beef with her. There was no reason for him to go out of his way to make things hard for her. He was Morgan's chief assistant, though. Anything he did ultimately reflected Morgan's wishes.

A sharp, inexplicable pain shot through her chest. Morgan really hated her, didn't he?

It was almost noon, yet the secretariat was oddly empty. Gabrielle hesitated in the doorway for a moment, then pushed it open.

A woman in a designer A-line skirt and an off-white satin blouse stood with her back to Gabrielle, her head tipped up toward Morgan.

His hands were clamped around her arms, and his head was turned slightly. The two of them looked like they'd just been kissing.

The second the door opened, the woman shyly pulled away from Morgan, burying her face against his shoulder. Morgan's expression hardened, and the look in his eyes was so cold that Gabrielle almost shivered.

"Who said you could come in?" he snarled.

The woman leaned in to whisper in his ear, her voice soft and intimate. "I'll wait for you in the lounge."

"Okay." His tone instantly softened.

The woman let go of him and brushed past him, heading to the lounge.

Gabrielle watched her, right up until the lounge door closed behind her. Only then did she realize Morgan had been watching her the entire time, looking like he was ready to throw himself in front of that woman at the slightest hint of danger.

A person only protected someone like that when they were genuinely in love with them.

That realization made pain lance through Gabrielle's chest, like a thousand needles jabbing straight into her heart.

She walked up to Morgan's desk, pulled the divorce agreement from her bag, and set it down. She pushed it toward him.

He reached for it and gave it a quick glance. Then he snapped his wrist and flung the document right back in her face.

The sheet of paper was light, but the force Morgan put behind it wasn't. The sharp edge sliced the corner of Gabrielle's eye, stinging as a thin line of blood welled up.

Her hands curled into fists in humiliation, her nails digging deep into her palms. She said, "You're the one who told me to come see you."

"You think this is your call to make?" he shot back.

She faltered for a heartbeat, then understood what he meant. He didn't hate that she'd shown up to ask for a divorce. He hated that she'd dared to draft the divorce agreement first.

Men like Morgan—cold, ruthless, and used to being on top—had to control everything. Even the divorce had to happen on his terms, at his pace, and with him in charge from start to finish.

"So when do you think is a good time, Mr. Quilton?" Gabrielle asked quietly.

He stared hard at her, his eyes bottomless pits. At last, he said flatly, "Get out and wait for me to inform you."

Gabrielle turned and walked toward the door as her vision blurred. Tears spilled over before she could stop them.

"Take your stuff with you," Morgan added curtly.

She drew a shaky breath, turned back, and crouched down to pick up the divorce agreement. A single tear splashed onto the paper.

Morgan frowned in disgust.

The second she stepped out of his office, Gabrielle couldn't hold it in anymore. Her tears streamed down her face.

People were coming and going through the open office space, and more than a few of them openly stared.

"Who's that?"

"No idea."

"Look at how she's dressed. Is she here to apply for a janitor job or something?"

They snickered. Their comments were as sharp and cutting as glass, and the looks they gave Gabrielle were full of mockery.

She couldn't take it anymore. She clapped a hand over her mouth and bolted into the stairwell. It felt like Morgan had told her to come by that day just so he could humiliate her. He didn't love her, so everything she did was wrong.

Jared caught up to her and held out a pack of tissues. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Quilton. Ms. Slater got here this morning, and she's been in Mr. Quilton's office the whole time. Mr. Quilton said no one was allowed in without his permission."

So that was why she'd been left waiting for so long.

Gabrielle didn't take the tissues. She dried her tears and said, "I'm fine."

Jared nodded and left.

Gabrielle sucked in a deep breath and dug a compact mirror out of her bag. The tip of her nose was bright red, and tear tracks streaked her cheeks. The light makeup she'd put on that morning was completely ruined.

Forget men—even she hated herself.

By the time everything finally blew over, it was already 1:00 pm. Gabrielle hadn't had so much as a sip of water all morning. She headed down to the cafe on the first floor and ordered a coffee and a slice of cake.

She'd just sat down when a young woman in an A-line skirt and an off-white satin blouse walked in, a classic designer bag dangling from her arm. She stepped up to the counter to order.

Gabrielle's fingers tightened around her spoon. She didn't dare look up at the woman's face.

Honestly, she didn't understand it. She was the wife, and the other woman was the homewrecker. Why was she the one who didn't even dare look?

"Gabrielle Jamison?" The woman's surprised voice rang out.

Gabrielle lifted her head and stared at the vaguely familiar face for a long moment before a name finally surfaced in her mind. "Winona Slater?"

"It's been forever. How have you been these past few years?" Winona smiled and slid into the seat across from Gabrielle.

Her pretty face was framed by glossy chestnut waves, her eyes bright and lively. She had perfect nails, flawless makeup, and a limited-edition bag. Every detail screamed pampered, high-society heiress.

Gabrielle, on the other hand, was in a blue-and-white striped button-down and a pair of black slacks. Sitting across from Winona, she looked more like Winona's assistant than her peer.

Gabrielle and Winona had gone to the same college.

Back in freshman year, Gabrielle had fallen for Morgan at first sight. But Morgan was the golden boy from an old-money family, and she was just a young woman from an average family. They were from totally different worlds, and getting close to him felt about as likely as touching the moon.

Winona, on the other hand, had known Morgan since they were kids.

Gabrielle wasn't above being a little strategic. She'd done her homework and found out Morgan and Winona ran in the same circles. They'd practically grown up together.

So, she'd come up with a plan—to get close to Winona first, then use that connection to meet Morgan.

She'd joined the same club as Winona. One day, during a group event, she'd stepped out to use the restroom. When she came back, someone had spilled coffee all over her backpack.

Winona had come up to her, apologizing and saying she'd accidentally ruined her bag and could buy her a new one. After that, they'd gotten to know each other, but they'd never become close friends. Their relationship had stayed at the level of casual acquaintances.

It'd been so long that Gabrielle had almost forgotten she even knew someone with Winona's last name.

"What are you doing here?" Winona blinked innocently at Gabrielle, genuinely curious.

Gabrielle sipped her coffee. "Just wandering around. You?"

"I came to meet my boyfriend." Winona cocked her head, a little shy.

She was elegant, sweet, and had that unmistakable glow of a woman in love. She gave off a soft radiance that made her seem even more youthful and alive.