CHAPTER FIVE

I hated going to Jack’s parents' house. They lived in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city, an exclusive estate filled with sprawling mansions, manicured lawns, and gates that seemed more like barriers to the outside world. Every time I crossed those gates, I was reminded just how much of an outsider I was.

Jack’s father, William Crawford, had built a fortune in the oil business, a legacy passed down from generation to generation. The Crawfords weren’t just wealthy; they were part of the one percent, dripping in old money and family prestige. And Karen, Jack’s mother, made it clear from the very beginning that I didn’t belong in their world.

To her, I was a gold digger, someone who had latched onto her son for his wealth. It didn’t matter that Jack and I had met when we were both broke college students or that I had loved him long before I knew the extent of his family’s wealth. In Karen’s eyes, I was an opportunist, someone who had no business being part of their perfect, privileged family. And when Jack told her that I couldn’t have children, her disdain for me only grew stronger. She blamed me for everything, her son’s unhappiness, her inability to become a grandmother. She practically pushed Jack to disown his family at one point, but I had stopped him. I couldn’t bear the thought of him losing his family, even if they were toxic.

As I drove through the estate’s gates, my heart pounded in my chest. It wasn’t just the mansion that loomed ahead that filled me with dread. It was the knowledge that Karen was probably celebrating the fact that Jack had left me. She must’ve seen this coming from miles away, and no doubt she’d take great pleasure in reminding me of that.

I pulled up in front of the massive mansion and parked my car, staring at the grand stone steps leading up to the entrance. Every fiber of my being wanted to turn around and leave, but I couldn’t. Not until I knew what was going on. I had an intense feeling that Jack was here, and I wasn’t going anywhere until I spoke to him. Bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation, I climbed the stairs and approached the door. Before I could even knock, the door swung open.

“Well, this is an unpleasant surprise,” Karen sneered, her sharp blue eyes glinting with barely concealed satisfaction. “To what do we owe this visit? Have you come for money?”

I clenched my fists at my sides, taking a deep breath to steady my voice.

“Good morning to you too, Karen,” I reply, forcing politeness into my tone. “And when have I ever come for money?”

“There’s always a first time for everything, especially now that Jack’s left you.” Her voice was dripping with venom, each word like a dagger aimed straight at my heart.

I swallow the rising anger. Of course, she already knew. “I can see the news have reached you,” I said, my voice tight. “Is Jack here? Can I talk to him?”

Karen crossed her arms, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “He’s here, but he doesn’t want to talk to you. You can leave now.”

I took a step forward, refusing to let her block my way. “Karen, this isn’t about you. Let me in. I need to know what’s going on.”

Without waiting for her permission, I stormed past her into the grand foyer, my voice echoing through the massive house.

“Jack! Jack!” I shouted, desperation rising in my chest. “I need to talk to you! I’m not leaving until you come down and face me!”

I hear footsteps descending the stairs, and I rushed toward them, hoping, praying, it was Jack. But instead, I was met with William Crawford’s cold, stern face. He stopped halfway down the staircase, his arms crossed as he glared down at me.

“Why are you in our house, screaming like a madwoman?” he asks, his voice icy.

“I’m looking for my husband,” I said, my voice trembling with frustration. “Karen told me he’s here.”

William raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “Ex-husband, you mean.”

I blink, stunned by the casual cruelty in his words. “He’s still my husband,” I snapped. “And he needs to speak to me. I need an explanation.”

William sighed, clearly bored with the entire conversation. “Rachael, Jack is not coming down to talk to you. Leave now, or we’ll call security.”

I open my mouth to protest, but Karen was already moving toward the door. She pulled open a drawer from the antique console table and retrieved a brown envelope, handing it to me with a satisfied smirk.

“Sign these as soon as you can and send them back,” she said.

Confused, I ripped open the envelope, my hands shaking as I pulled out the papers inside. My vision blurred as I stared at the words on the page. Divorce papers. Jack’s name already signed at the bottom.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Jack is divorcing me, and you’re delivering the news? He doesn’t even have the guts to face me himself?”

Karen folded her arms, tilting her head in mock sympathy. “We didn’t want to make this any harder on you than it already is, dear.”

My legs felt weak beneath me. I gripped the envelope tighter, my vision swimming as my head pounded with disbelief. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be real. Jack had sent his parents to hand me divorce papers without even the decency of telling me to my face.

“Jack!” I screamed one last time, my voice breaking. The house remained eerily silent. He wasn’t coming.

Karen’s voice cut through the silence. “Don’t worry, Rachael. We’re not monsters. You can keep the penthouse we bought for you. We wouldn’t want you to be homeless, after all.”

I stare at her in disbelief, my body trembling with rage and humiliation. I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t breathe. The walls of the grand foyer seemed to close in on me. My legs buckled, and I stumbled backward, tripping over the stairs as I blindly made my way out the door.

The world outside was spinning as I fell to my knees on the steps. For a moment, I couldn’t see anything just a blur of tears, pain, and shock. I forced myself to stand, my body trembling with exhaustion and disbelief. I got into my car, my hands shaking as I gripped the steering wheel.

I didn’t know where I was going, but I had to get away from that house from the Crawfords, from the life I thought I knew. As I drove off, the weight of what had just happened settled in.

And now I realized I was completely alone.