Chapter 6

Feeling groggy and confused, she woke up slowly. What had woken her up? A pounding at the door made her sit up straight. Pounding and now yelling. Nathaniel. He was at her door, he'd obviously found out he couldn't get in. She picked up her phone and called him. "Lay off, will you? I was sleeping," she said once he answered.

"This is my house! Let me in, now!" He was beyond angry.

"Not until you calm down."

"Open this damn door before I kick it in," he growled.

"That would make good press," she said sarcastically. She'd gotten out of bed and was getting dressed. A pretty sundress, matching flats and a headband. Look like the sweet woman you are, she repeated in her head. "Calm down and I'll let you in, okay?"

He breathed out harshly. "Fine. I'm calm."

"Good boy," she smirked and went down the stairs. She opened the door and Nathaniel pushed in, almost knocking her down.

He marched straight to the kitchen and slammed a pack of papers onto the counter. "You already know about Vera, so might as well get this done and over with."

Ella sat on a barstool and slid the papers over to her so she could read them. She smiled up at him, an empty, but sickeningly sweet smile. "Oh good, you were quick about it."

He looked shocked. "Good?"

"Yes, might as well get it done quickly." She shrugged and began reading. There was a lot of information here and she didn't understand it all.

"It's just basic divorce papers. Sign them and be done with it."

"I don't sign anything I don't understand."

A wicked grin crossed his face. "Are you sure about that?"

A cold sense of dread spread through her. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Just sign them. I'm giving you 24 hours."

She scoffed. "Like you have any control over that. I'll take them to my lawyer tomorrow and if everything checks out he'll send my signed copies to your lawyer."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine." He turned, about to leave. "Oh, and Ella?"

"Yes?"

"Don't ever lock me out of my house again."

She stood and walked to the door. "You're free to go now." As soon as he was through the door she turned the locks knowing he could hear her.

Early the next morning she dressed in a pink dress with a matching bolero jacket. She looked almost barbie like, but that was the point. Sweet, feminine, helpless wife at the mercy of her rich, cheating husband. When she entered her lawyer's office, he handed her a newspaper. On the cover was a picture of Nathaniel pounding on the door of their house, screaming. "Trouble with elite's "It Couple?" was across the top of page one. She scanned the article, all speculation, flipping the page she saw a picture of herself standing alone in the parking lot of the fundraiser. She looked small, alone and very sad. "Mr. Woods wife left in the lurch?" captioned the picture.

"So they've already gotten their hands on the story," she said. "Does mother know?"

"I called her last night. She knows and she is not happy. She wants to know what you did to drive him away.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Of course she does..." She reached into her bag and pulled the divorce papers out. "Could you look over these with me?"

Elden took the papers and began scanning them. He nodded now and then. "This all looks standard. It's practically stock language."

"Good. I can sign them?"

"You can. I'll have them sent right away."

Ella signed the papers and headed for a cafe nearby for breakfast. Once she'd ordered and sat down, her phone rang. She sighed when she saw her mother's name on the screen. "Yes mother?" she answered.

"What have you done to our good name?" her mother asked in a shrill voice.

"He cheated on me, he served me papers, this isn't my doing," she said tiredly.

"You must have done something to drive him to this! You had a perfect marriage. You're a billionaire's wife! How could you throw that way?"

Ella rubbed her forehead. "I'm not throwing it away. I'm just not staying with a cheater. I know my worth."

Her mother scoffed. "Your worth? You have no worth. We got you this marriage. We made you who you are. You are worth nothing without your parents and your husband. You've ruined it with him and you know what? We're done with you too! You're on your own!" With that her mother disconnected.

Ella's appetite had left her completely. She grabbed the coffee she'd ordered, but boxed up the breakfast. On her way out, she handed it to a panhandler with a cardboard sign. She would head home and begin looking for a place to move to. The prenup might've given her rights to the house, she didn't remember, but she didn't want it. A big empty, sterile house she didn't even love. No, she'd find an apartment and move there as soon as possible.