Chapter 1: The Divorce

VIVIAN

"I want a divorce."

The words hit me harder than a slap.

For a moment, I thought I had heard David wrongly.

My fingers tightened around the glass of water in my hand as I stared at my husband at the living room.

"What... what did you just say?"

David didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he placed a brown envelope on the table between us.

My heart suddenly began to race.

Slowly, I picked it up.

My hands trembled as I opened it.

The moment my eyes landed on the document inside, my entire body froze.

Divorce Agreement.

I blinked once.

Twice.

Three times.

But the words remained the same.

"No..."

A painful laugh escaped my lips.

"This isn't funny."

David remained silent.

His silence was enough.

The color drained from my face.

"You can't be serious."

"I'm serious, Vivian."

My heart shattered.

I looked at him as though I had never seen him before.

The man sitting before me was my husband.

The man I had loved for almost ten years.

The man I had sacrificed everything for.

The man who had promised me forever.

And now he was handing me divorce papers.

Tears immediately filled my eyes.

"Why?"

David looked away.

The simple action hurt more than the divorce papers.

He couldn't even look at me.

"David, look at me!"

My voice cracked.

Finally, he lifted his eyes.

But the warmth that used to be there was gone.

"I think this marriage has run its course."

A bitter laugh escaped me.

"Run its course?"

I repeated.

"That's what you're calling it?"

David sighed heavily.

"Vivian"

"No!"

I stood up abruptly.

The divorce papers fell onto the floor.

"No, David. You're going to explain this to me."

My chest rose and fell violently.

"I deserve that much."

He remained quiet.

That silence only fueled my anger.

My pain.

My heartbreak.

I pointed at him with trembling fingers.

"Do you remember college?"

His jaw tightened.

I continued.

"Do you remember all the promises you made to me?"

Now, you want to marry Charlotte because she's carrying your child after killing mine.

"Vivian"

"Answer me!"

The tears finally spilled down my cheeks.

"Do you remember?"

David looked frustrated now.

"That was years ago."

His answer felt like a knife.

Years ago.

As though those years meant nothing.

As though my sacrifices meant nothing.

I laughed through my tears.

"Years ago?"

I whispered.

"Those years built this marriage."

I pressed a hand against my chest.

"You told me you loved me."

His eyes darkened.

"You told me we would grow old together."

Still, he remained silent.

My voice shook.

"You told me to trust you."

The memories came flooding back.

Painful.

Beautiful.

Heartbreaking.

Everything all at once.

"Do you remember my first pregnancy?"

His face instantly hardened.

But I didn't stop.

"You begged me to terminate it."

"Vivian..."

"You said we were too young."

I wiped my tears.

"You said we needed to finish school first."

"You promised we'd have children later."

I laughed bitterly.

"Then it happened again."

"And again."

"And again."

My voice cracked completely.

"Four times, David."

The room became silent.

"Four babies."

My entire body trembled.

"Four children I never got to meet."

David looked away.

Unable to face me.

Good.

Because I wanted him to feel ashamed.

Even if only for a second.

"I trusted you."

My voice softened.

"I loved you."

The room felt painfully quiet.

Then David finally spoke.

"I never forced you."

My heart stopped.

"What?"

His eyes met mine.

"I never forced you to do anything."

I stared at him.

Unable to believe what I had just heard.

The man I loved was gone.

This stranger wore his face.

But he wasn't David.

Not anymore.

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then David slowly pushed the papers toward me.

"I'll give you time."

Time.

I almost laughed.

Time to mourn my marriage.

Time to mourn the life we built together.

Time to mourn the man I thought I knew.

Without another word, I turned around.

Then I walked upstairs.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

By the time I reached our bedroom, I was shaking.

The moment the door closed behind me, I lost control.

I flew the vase in the room

it crashed!

A picture frame followed.

it crashed too!

Then another.

And another.

Years of pain exploded from inside me.

"Why?" I screamed.

"Why?"

No answer came.

Only silence.

I collapsed onto the floor.

My body shook with sobs.

The wedding photograph lying beside the bed caught my attention.

I picked it up.

My fingers traced David's smiling face.

We looked so happy.

So in love.

When did everything change?

Slowly, my eyes closed.

And the memories came rushing back.

Westbridge University.

Nine years ago.

I was hurrying toward my classroom when someone suddenly blocked my path.

Three girls.

The same girls who had made my life miserable for weeks.

One of them folded her arms.

"Look who it is."

I sighed.

Not again.

"What do you want?"

The tallest girl smirked.

"We heard you got the highest score in Economics."

I frowned.

"So?"

Her smile disappeared.

"So, stop acting like you're better than everyone."

Before I could respond, she shoved me.

Hard.

My books scattered across the ground.

The girls laughed.

My cheeks burned with humiliation.

I bent down to gather my books.

Then another hand appeared.

A masculine hand.

Strong.

Steady.

One by one, he picked up my books.

The girls immediately fell silent.

I looked up.

And my breath caught.

David Blackstone.

The most popular guy on campus.

The heir to Blackstone Holdings.

The man every girl wanted.

He handed me my books.

Then turned toward the girls.

His face became cold.

Dangerously cold.

"Leave."

The girls looked shocked.

"But David"

"I said leave."

None of them argued.

Within seconds, they disappeared.

I stared at him.

Speechless.

David looked at me.

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"You okay?"

I nodded.

Not trusting my voice.

His smile widened.

"Good."

That was the beginning.

The beginning of everything.

The beginning of our love story.

And the beginning of the heartbreak that would one day destroy me.

Lying on the floor of our bedroom, I wiped away my tears.

The memories continued to flood my mind.

The first date.

The first kiss.

The first time he told me he loved me.

The first pregnancy.

The first promise.

Every beautiful memory now felt like a lie.

Downstairs, I heard a door close.

Then footsteps.

David was leaving.

For some reason, a terrible feeling settled inside my chest.

A feeling that something even worse was coming.