CHAPTER FIVE

Sean stood there, jaw clenched. The anger I had just shown him was a shocker to him. I had always been gentle and calm to him, so he probably wasn’t expecting all this from me. Something flickered in his eyes. Something that looked almost like shame. Good. He wasn’t the only one who was ashamed, because I was ashamed of myself for letting myself believe someone like him could be capable of loving me.

I didn’t wait for him to speak.

I turned my back on him, walked to the kitchen counter, picked up the plate, and dumped it all in the trash. Tears threatened to leave my eyes because I’d spent two hours preparing his favorite garlic butter steak, truffle mashed potatoes, the stupid little rosemary sprigs I’d arranged like I was still trying to win a man who had never been mine to begin with.

One by one, I dropped every piece into the trash.

“Claire…” His voice was quieter now.

“Don’t,” I said without turning around. I couldn’t even hear his voice without being angry. “Don’t you dare say my name. I’m not worthy of the almighty Sean saying my name.”

When he didn’t say anything else, I finally turned around to meet his gaze.

“You want a divorce?” I laughed. “Fine. I’m setting you free. I’m so sorry you’ve been so miserable this year we’ve been together and I’ve been living in roses and sunshine,” I said sarcastically.

I stepped closer.

“You married me because your ego couldn’t handle being left at the altar. I was the one who didn’t have a choice and married you out of pity because I felt really bad that the woman you love and apparently loves you left you at the altar.”

His face went white.

“Yeah,” I continued softly. “And I said yes because I was twenty-four and stupid and in love with a boy who never even learned my name in college. I thought if I just loved you hard enough, you’d wake up one day and see me.”

Tears threatened to drop but I blinked them away, determined not to cry in front of him again.

“But you never even tried to see me or even try to be nice to me, Sean. Not once.”

“My lawyers will contact you tomorrow. You’ll have a house and some money.”

He is such a heartless bastard.

I walked past him, up the stairs, into the bedroom we hadn’t shared for months because he had moved to the guest room. I guess he was tired of pretending to give a shit about me. I pulled the suitcase from the top of the closet, the one I’d bought a while ago hoping we’d go on a trip together when he was less busy with work.

I started packing.

Not crying. Not anymore.

He appeared in the doorway ten minutes later, watching me fold clothes.

“You don’t have to leave tonight,” he said hoarsely.

I didn’t look up. “Yes. I do.”

“Claire—”

“Stop.” I zipped the suitcase shut and finally met his eyes. “You want her? You want Julie? Then have her. Go back to the girl who left you standing in a tux in front of three hundred people.”

I dragged the suitcase past him.

What he said next had me gagging.

“I’ve been in contact with Julie for two months now.”

I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face him.

“She apologized for everything and said that she wasn’t in the best place at that time and that she loves me and I love her too.”

The tears I had been holding were finally pouring down. I was here every day thinking of ways to make him happy. I quit my job so I could serve him properly and always attend to his needs, only to hear him say he had rekindled his love with his ex.

“I am such a fool and an unlucky fool to have met you. All these months meant nothing to you?”

Sean looked at me with no remorse or guilt. “I never said I’d love you the day I married you. I didn’t force you to marry me. You married me because of your family’s greed. You guys couldn’t let me and my fortune go. That’s why you were so happy to marry me. You wanted to be the rich man’s wife, marrying your sister’s fiancé. So don’t start with that bullshit love story,” he said, eyes empty and void of any emotion. “You only agreed to marry me because you wanted what your sister had. You were jealous, but no matter what you do, you can never be better than Julie.”

“All these months together and that’s how you see me? All this while I’ve been cooking your favorite food and always making sure you had everything you needed and this is what you say about me?” I said, wiping my tears.

“Julie had always told me about how you would always act pitiful to gain sympathy. I didn’t really think about it much, but I see it now. Always so dramatic and extra. Also, I never asked for any of the things you did.”

“I get it now. Thank you for telling me.” There was nothing to cry about anymore. This year had been a waste and I’d been a fool.

“Julie is pregnant with my child.”