No longer your debt

Chapter 4

The drive home late that night was suffocatingly tense. Kael drove his sedan in total silence, his hands locked tightly on the wheel. Seraphina sat quietly in the back seat, pretending to read articles on her phone, though her tense sighs filled the car.

When we arrived at the mansion, Seraphina hurriedly excused herself to her guest suite. The second the front doors clicked shut, Kael spun around, his emotional control collapsing.

“What was that scene tonight, Luna?” he yelled, his voice bouncing off the high grand ceiling. “You allowed your friend to humiliate Seraphina in front of top industry leaders! She is devoting her time to helping you, and you treated her like an enemy!”

I removed my heels, setting them neatly by the entryway, and looked at him without emotion. “Seraphina humiliated herself by handing out fake medical advice in an art gallery. And Jax only stated the truth. You abandoned your wife to go pick up your ex-fiancée over a minor tire issue.”

“She was stranded in the dark, Luna!” Kael roared, stepping closer. “She suffers from severe panic attacks! I couldn't just leave her!”

“And I suffer from panic attacks every single night because I dragged your body out of a burning car two years ago!” My voice didn't rise to a scream; it was icy sharp, cutting through his rage like a blade. “Where were you tonight when I needed an escort? You were with her. You always choose her, Kael. Stop pretending this is about my recovery. You are using her therapy nonsense to wash your hands of your guilt.”

Kael froze, total shock washing across his face as if I had struck him. “That isn't true! I care about you deeply! You are my wife! You are a debt I will honor until the day I die! I will never let you leave me!”

“A debt,” I repeated, letting out a soft, bitter laugh. “That is all I am to you. A debt of life. You don’t love me, Kael. You just feel guilty.”

Before Kael could respond, a sudden wave of severe dizziness swept over me. The intense emotional stress of the argument combined with physical exhaustion triggered a massive panic attack. My chest tightened painfully, my breath locking in my throat.

I clutched my chest, dropping to my knees on the cold marble floor as my lungs screamed for oxygen. “Kael... my inhaler... in the drawer...” I managed to gasp out, my vision darkening around the edges.

Kael panicked, instantly kneeling down to lift me. At that exact second, Seraphina rushed into the hallway wearing her robe. “Kael, stop!” Seraphina commanded loudly. “Don’t touch her! Don’t give her medication!”

Kael paused, staring at Seraphina in terror. “She can’t breathe, Seraphina!”

“It is a textbook hyperventilation display driven by emotional manipulation!” Seraphina claimed, walking over with a cold, clinical composure. “If you cater to her with medicine every time she feels stressed, she will use these episodes to trap you. Luna, control your breathing! Inhale, exhale! You must overcome this without chemical crutches!”

I lay collapsed on the marble floor, choking. My airways felt completely closed off. I looked up at Kael with tear-filled eyes, silently pleading with my husband to bring my medicine.

Kael looked down at me, his eyes filled with agonizing conflict. He looked at Seraphina, who gave him a strict, commanding nod. “Seraphina is right... Luna, try to regulate your breathing,” Kael stammered, holding his hands back and refusing to move. “You have to fight through it yourself... breathe...”

In that horrific, soul-crushing moment, as I fought for air on the freezing floor while the man I saved stood over me doing nothing because his ex told him so, every remaining piece of my love for Kael Sterling shattered into dust.

I didn't die. I forced my trembling body to turn, dragging myself inch by inch across the marble floor toward the kitchen cabinet. Using every drop of willpower left in my body, I reached the lower drawer, grabbed my emergency backup inhaler, and pressed it to my lips. The medicinal vapor rushed into my lungs, slowly opening my airways. I leaned against the cabinet base, chest heaving, cold sweat pouring down my face.

Kael took a step forward, his face pale as paper as reality crashed over him. “Luna... I... are you okay?” He reached out to touch my shoulder.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” I snapped, my voice steady, cold, and deadly silent. I met his eyes with absolute detachment. “Tomorrow morning, I am filing for divorce.”

Kael stumbled back in terror. “Divorce? No! Never! I told you, Luna, I will never sign divorce papers! You cannot survive out there without me!”

I wiped the sweat from my brow and stood up slowly. “I don’t need your signature, Kael. And I don’t need your debt payments anymore.”

I walked past him up the stairs without looking back.

Fifteen days left until London. My countdown was nearly complete.

The heavy silence in the study after Kael left was almost deafening. I sat on the sofa, clutching my chest as my breathing gradually returned to a steady, even rhythm. The bitter taste of the emergency inhaler lingered in my mouth, a stark reminder of how close I had come to suffocating while my husband stood over me, immobilized by his ex-fiancée's advice.

I looked down at my hands, which were still trembling slightly from the adrenaline surge. For two years, I had held onto the belief that Kael's love was the anchor holding my fragile life together. I had convinced myself that his gentle touch, his nightly massages, and his endless concern were proof of a deep, unshakeable bond forged in the fires of tragedy. But tonight, the illusion had shattered completely. When faced with a choice between my actual physical survival and Seraphina's pseudo-scientific theories, Kael had chosen her. He had prioritized her approval over my breath. There was no grief left in my heart, no lingering desire to argue or fix what was broken. The love I had carried for him died right there on that cold marble floor, leaving behind only a clear, unwavering determination to walk away.

The morning after I declared divorce on the marble floor of our foyer, the Sterling mansion was draped in a cold, heavy silence. Outside, the rain had stopped, replaced by a thick gray fog that pressed against the tall glass windows. When I stepped down the staircase at eight in the morning, dressed in a sharp navy blazer, tailored trousers, and my hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, Kael was standing by the grand fireplace, wearing a dark suit with a glass of scotch in his hand. He looked tired, but his posture was rigid, straight, and full of his usual unyielding pride.

Across the room sat Seraphina at the kitchen island, quietly sipping hot tea while reading through her tablet. She looked completely relaxed, as if she owned the place. When Kael saw me coming down the stairs carrying my hand leather briefcase, he set his glass down on the mantelpiece and stepped directly into my path.

“Luna,” Kael said, his voice deep, cool, and steady. “I hope you’ve had time to cool off after last night’s scene. You let your emotions get out of control, and you hurt Seraphina when she was only trying to guide your mental recovery. I spoke with my legal team at dawn just to be clear: I am not going to sign any divorce papers. This childish talk of walking away ends today.”

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking at him with absolute detachment. There was no guilt in his eyes, no tears, and no regret. Instead, he stood before me as the powerful billionaire CEO who believed he was always right, protecting his choices and protecting the woman he trusted.

“It isn’t an emotional scene, Kael,” I answered smoothly, my voice cold and calm. I reached into my briefcase, pulled out a neat, stapled legal folder, and placed it on the glass coffee table between us. “These are finalized, uncontested divorce papers. I have signed every single page. I have explicitly waived all rights to your company shares, your estates, your luxury cars, and your wealth. I am taking nothing from you. The life debt you think you owe me is officially canceled. We are finished.”

Kael looked down at the documents, his jaw tightening slightly, but he didn't panic. Instead, a cold, arrogant smirk touched the corner of his lips. “Waiving assets? Luna, do you honestly hear yourself?” Kael scoffed softly, shaking his head. “You haven't worked in two years. Your leg is injured. You rely on me for your safety, your medical care, and your daily life. You think you can just step out into the real world on your own? This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to get my attention because you’re jealous of Seraphina. You won't last two weeks on your own out there.”

“She won't need two weeks to prove you wrong, Mr. Sterling,” a sharp, confident voice echoed from the front entryway.

The heavy front doors swung open, and Jax stepped into the grand foyer, looking sharp and commanding in a dark tailored jacket. Flanking him were two tall security officers, and beside him walked my close friend May—one of the top corporate lawyers in the country.

Kael’s eyebrows furrowed as he recognized May. “May? What are you doing in my private residence?”

“I am here as Luna’s legal counsel,” May stated calmly, stepping forward with smooth grace. She pulled a thick portfolio from her side and laid her business card directly beside my divorce papers. “Mr. Sterling, my client’s decision is final and legally binding. She does not need your money, nor does she need your arrogant pity. As of yesterday evening, Luna has been officially appointed as the Executive Design Director for the prestigious Harrison Fashion Institute in London.”

Kael’s arrogant expression flickered for a brief second. He turned his dark eyes toward me, searching my face for any sign of a bluff. “London? You secretly applied for a job in London? You’re leaving the country?”

“My flight leaves in three hours, Kael,” I said calmly, meeting his gaze without flinching.

Seraphina stood up from the kitchen counter, setting her teacup down with a sharp clatter. Her eyes flashed with subtle irritation as she stepped beside Kael. “London? Executive Director?” Seraphina laughed softly, resting her hand lightly on Kael’s arm. “Kael, don't let them fool you. Luna can barely walk down a flight of stairs without buckling! How could she manage an international fashion house? This friend of hers is obviously using her fragile mental state for publicity.”

Kael looked down at Seraphina, then back at me. His pride refused to accept that I was standing on my own feet, or that his care was no longer required. He straightened his posture and looked at me coldly. “If you walk out that door with them, Luna, don't expect me to come running when you break down. You are throwing away your home for a fantasy.”

I looked at Kael and felt a profound, quiet peace wash over me. He was still choosing his pride and his illusion over the woman who had sacrificed everything for him. He truly believed I was a weak, helpless invalid who would come crawling back when the real world proved too hard.

“Keep the mansion, Kael,” I said softly, picking up my coat. “Keep Seraphina. Keep your pride. I don't need any of it anymore.”