Chapter 3

Vivian's face fell the moment I finished.

I didn't bother waiting for either of them to say anything. I turned and started toward the door.

"Stay right there." Ethan's cold voice stopped me in my tracks. "Did I say you could leave?"

I slowly turned toward him.

"You're going to be Vivian's stand-in for next week's performance," he said. "You'll take her place onstage."

I stared at him.

"She's given so much to this company," Ethan continued, as if he were doing me some great favor. "This is the perfect opportunity for her to take some time off."

Vivian let out a soft chuckle. "Ethan, are you sure that's a good idea?"

He ignored her.

"You wanted a chance to dance, didn't you?" His tone was flat, almost dismissive. "I'm giving you one. So you'd better learn to appreciate it."

He looked at me coldly. "Vivian has built a reputation here. Being her stand-in is already an opportunity most dancers would kill for."

Something inside me finally broke. Whatever love I still had for Ethan, whatever lingering feelings had kept me holding on, shattered in that moment.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"You seriously expect me to be her stand-in?" A bitter laugh escaped me. "How entitled can you two be?"

There had been a time when I had more offers than I could possibly accept. A single performance could command a seven-figure fee.

And now, after everything I had accomplished, they expected me to step in as Vivian's backup?

The absurdity of it almost made me laugh.

Ethan caught me by the wrist before I could walk away.

"Sienna's company has a performance next month," he said. "I'm the one providing the venue."

I went still.

"Dance for Vivian," he continued, his grip tightening slightly, "and I'll make sure her show goes ahead as planned."

My fingers slowly curled into fists.

"You wouldn't want all the work she devoted her life to building to go to waste, would you?"

He knew exactly what he was doing.

The dancers at Sienna's company weren't just employees. They were students she had personally discovered, nurtured, and trained from the ground up.

Before she passed away, Sienna Williams, my mentor, had entrusted me with one final responsibility: Make sure the company survives.

The upcoming performance was supposed to be their first real show. For all of them, it was a chance to prove that everything Sienna had built could live on.

Ethan knew me better than anyone, so he knew exactly where to strike.

Sienna had been more than my mentor. She had been my mentor, my family, and the person who had given me a future when I thought I had lost mine. There was no way I could abandon the people she had left behind, and Ethan knew it.

I turned back, my gaze turning ice-cold.

"Fine. I'll do it." I paused. "But only this once."

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Vivian's face.

Ethan watched as I walked away, frowning slightly.

I pulled up the performance schedule and booked the earliest flight I could find. The moment the performance was over, I would leave, and this time, I wouldn't look back.

On my way home, I printed out the divorce papers.

When I opened the front door, I found Ethan sitting on the couch. He looked up at me and asked, "You're out late. Where were you?"

I ignored him and walked into the living room.

Then I noticed something was missing from the display shelf. My bangle, the one keepsake Sienna had left me before she died.

My blood ran cold.

"Where's my bangle?"

Ethan frowned, as if he couldn't understand why I was making such a fuss. "It's just a bangle. What's the big deal?"

My voice cracked. "It belonged to Sienna. She gave it to me before she died."

He rolled his eyes. "She's dead. Why are you acting like some old piece of jewelry is priceless?"

Then the corner of his mouth lifted. "Vivian liked it, so I gave it to her. She won an award, and I thought it would make a nice gift."

For a moment, I could only stare at him.

"That's mine!" I shouted. "What gives you the right to give away my things?"

"What do you mean, give away your things?" Ethan snapped. "She's your best friend!"

The irritation in his voice made my chest tighten.

"Vivian was right. You turn every little thing into a huge drama."

Then, as if he were mentioning something completely insignificant, he added, "I gave her some time off. She went on a trip."

I froze. My eyes burned as I stared at him.

"Get my bangle back."

"Why have you become so unreasonable?" Ethan frowned. "Vivian didn't want it. She said she'd return it after the performance."

He sighed impatiently. "She finally has some time to herself. Don't go bothering her."

Something inside me snapped. I wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face.

Then his phone rang.

The moment Ethan saw the caller ID, his entire expression softened. He answered immediately.

"Bored? Yeah, okay. I'll come keep you company."

He paused, listening, then chuckled softly.

"You don't have to thank me. You're the one who did all the hard work."

I stood there, staring at him. Just moments ago, he had called me unreasonable for asking for my own property back. But for Vivian, he was willing to drop everything.

Ethan hung up, and the warmth disappeared from his face almost instantly.

"Vivian isn't used to being alone," he said coldly. "I'm going to stay with her for a few days."

Then he looked at me. "You'd better focus on rehearsing. Remember, you're performing under Vivian's name. Don't screw this up."

I took a slow breath. Then I opened the divorce agreement to the final page and held it out to him. "Sign it."

Ethan glanced at the document, his brow furrowing. "What's this?"

"A stand-in agreement." I kept my voice calm. I didn't want another argument. "I'll perform in Vivian's place. In exchange, you leave Sienna's company alone."

He stared at me for a moment before scoffing. "Do we really have to make things this complicated? I'm your husband, after all."

I gave him a bitter smile. "That's exactly why I don't trust you."

He went quiet. Then, without another word, he snatched the pen from the table and signed. He didn't even bother reading it.

"Whatever."

He tossed the pen away and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

The apartment fell silent.

I stood there alone for a long moment, listening to the echo of the door closing.

Then I turned and began gathering everything that belonged to me. I packed my clothes, my books, and the few personal things I had accumulated over the years.

Once I got Sienna's bangle back, I would leave, and this time, I wouldn't be coming back. I was saying goodbye to everything in this place and to Ethan for good.