Married to the CEO

Chapter 1

Ava checked her phone again.

Nothing.

No calls. No messages. Not even the usual text Ethan sent whenever he knew he would be late.

“That's the fourth time in ten minutes.”

Ava looked up from the counter to find Mrs. Rosa staring at her over a pair of reading glasses.

“I wasn't counting.”

“Mm-hm.” Mrs. Rosa wiped her hands on her apron and walked over. “You know, most people spend their wedding anniversaries with their husbands instead of hiding in cafés.”

Ava slipped her phone into her pocket and forced a smile. “My shift ends in thirty minutes.”

“And your husband still hasn't called?”

“He's probably busy.”

Mrs. Rosa gave her a look that clearly said she didn't believe that for a second.

Blue Lantern Café was quieter than usual that evening. A few customers sat by the windows, nursing cups of coffee while the sky outside slowly turned orange.

Ava glanced at the clock.

Five-thirty.

Three years ago, at almost the exact same time, she had stood in front of a judge and promised Ethan Carter forever.

Back then, forever had seemed easy.

“Sweetheart, hand me those receipts.”

Mrs. Rosa's voice pulled her back to the present.

Ava grabbed the papers from the register and handed them over.

Mrs. Rosa frowned as she looked at the numbers. “You reorganized the inventory again?”

“I just moved a few things around.”

“A few things?” Mrs. Rosa scoffed. “Sales have gone up twenty percent since you started ‘moving a few things around.’”

Ava laughed.

It wasn't exactly the career she'd imagined when she'd graduated with a degree in Business Administration, but life rarely cared about plans.

After college, she'd landed a decent job at a consulting firm. Then she'd married Ethan.

Helping him build his company had seemed more important at the time.

Funny how quickly priorities changed.

“Don't remind me,” Ava muttered.

Mrs. Rosa studied her face. “Do you regret it?”

Ava didn't answer immediately.

“No,” she said at last, though even she wasn't sure whether she was telling the truth.

The bell above the café door rang as a customer stepped out into the street.

Mrs. Rosa folded her arms.

“Go home.”

“What?”

“Your anniversary cake isn't going to buy itself.”

Ava smiled. “Are you firing me?”

“Temporarily.”

Ten minutes later, she was standing inside her favorite bakery while the cashier tied a blue ribbon around a white box.

“Chocolate cake, extra frosting,” the girl behind the counter said cheerfully. “Your husband is a lucky man.”

Ava smiled politely and paid.

Lucky.

The word stayed in her head as she walked home.

Because lately, she wasn't sure whether Ethan felt lucky at all.

He had changed over the past few months.

The late nights had become normal.

Conversations had become shorter.

And somewhere between work meetings and cancelled dinners, she'd started feeling like a guest in her own marriage.

Her phone buzzed.

A smile spread across her face as she pulled it out.

Then it disappeared.

Bank notification.

Not Ethan.

She stared at the screen for a moment before locking it and continuing home.

Their apartment was dark when she stepped inside.

She placed the cake in the fridge and changed into a blue dress Ethan had once said was his favorite.

In the kitchen, she boiled pasta and set the table for two.

By seven-thirty, dinner was ready.

By eight, she'd reheated it twice.

At eight-fifteen, she called Ethan.

No answer.

At eight-forty, she called again.

Straight to voicemail.

She sat down and tried not to think too much about it.

Ethan worked hard. She knew that.

Running a company wasn't easy.

Besides, tonight mattered.

Didn't it?

At exactly nine o'clock, the front door opened.

Ava stood up so quickly that her chair scraped against the floor.

“Ethan—”

The words died in her throat.

He barely looked at her as he loosened his tie and dropped his keys onto the table.

“You're home,” she said softly.

“Yeah.”

Something felt wrong.

Ava glanced at the untouched dinner, then back at him.

“I made pasta.”

“I already ate.”

The answer came too quickly.

Too casually.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Ethan's eyes landed on the candles.

The cake box.

The flowers.

His expression changed.

“Oh.”

Ava crossed her arms.

“You forgot.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Ava—”

“Our anniversary, Ethan.”

Silence.

Three years together, and somehow she still found herself hoping he would say the right thing.

He didn't.

Instead, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a large brown envelope.

The moment Ava saw it, something inside her twisted.

“What's that?”

Ethan placed the envelope on the table between them.

“We need to talk.”

Ava forced a laugh.

“Can it wait until after dinner?”

“No.”

The single word hit harder than she expected.

Slowly, she picked up the envelope.

“Ethan… what is this?”

He looked away.

For the first time since she'd met him, Ethan Carter couldn't meet her eyes.

Then, quietly, he said:

“Open it.”

Ava's fingers tightened around the envelope as she pulled out the papers inside.

The words at the top of the page blurred for a moment before finally coming into focus.

PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE.

Her breath caught.

She looked up at her husband, certain there had to be some mistake.

But Ethan only said four words.

“I want a divorce.”