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CHAPTER 6: The Settlement
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2026-08-13 06:17:57The lawyer’s office smelled like paper and lies.
“Mrs. Thorne,” he said. “Mr. Thorne is prepared to pay the remaining R2.5 million. Today. If you sign this.”
Divorce papers. NDA.
“Leave Lesotho for 1 year. No contact. No interviews. No posts.”
I stared at the pen. My mom’s hospital was paid. I was free. So why did it feel like I was dying?
“I want to see him,” I said.
“He’s not coming,” the lawyer replied. “He sent me.”
Of course he did. I signed.
**The Board’s Condition**
My phone buzzed as I walked out.
**Khabo: Board has decided. 30 days cohabitation. To prove irreconcilable differences. Or we sue you for fraud.**
30 days. In his house. With him. I texted Michael.
**Me: We need to talk.**
**M: We don’t. The lawyer has instructions.**
He didn’t care.
**Day 1-7: Ghost**
He moved back into the master bedroom. I stayed in the guest room. We didn’t speak. He had breakfast at 6AM. I had mine at 8AM. He worked from home. Door closed. If we passed in the hall, he looked through me. On Day 4 he brought Amara over. For “lunch.”
They laughed in the dining room. Loud while I was busy eating in my room.
**Day 8: The Breaking**
It was raining. Power was out. I was in the kitchen lighting candles when he walked in. Drunk. For the first time. He saw me.
“What are you doing here.”
“Living here. For 30 days. Remember?”
He laughed. Ugly.
“Right. The charity case.”
He poured whiskey.
“You know what’s funny? I thought maybe... for one second... you were different. Not like the others.”
I didn’t answer.
“But you’re just like Amara. Just like all of them. You saw the money and you came running.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why did you sign so fast?” He slammed the glass down. “Huh? R2.5M and you were gone. You never loved me. You never even liked me.”
Tears fell. I hated them.
“I started to like you,” I whispered. “Before you decided to break me.”
He stepped closer. Close enough that I could smell the alcohol.
“You want to know what breaking you looks like?”
He grabbed my wrist. Not hard. Just enough.
“I can make one call and your mom’s doctors lose their jobs. I can make sure you never work in architecture in this country again. I can make sure Tebello’s company goes bankrupt by Friday.”
I pulled away. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” His eyes were black. No Michael left. Just Thorne.
“This is what happens when you play with me, Palesa. You lose.”
He walked out. Left me in the dark with the candles.
**Day 30**
The lawyer came.
“Board is satisfied. Marriage dissolved.”
Michael was at the airport. With Amara. He didn’t even say goodbye. I left with 2 suitcases and R2.5M. And nothing else. He broke me. Exactly like he said he would. I can't believe I was actually beginning to like him.
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