Cost of a Divorce

POV THESSA

"The worst humiliation for a wealthy man is not having half his fortune taken away, but showing him that even with every one of his millions combined, he cannot buy a single second of your pity."

The coffee I had spent half an hour hand-whipping into a smooth foam was still steaming on the mahogany table when a stack of papers landed with a dull thud, splashing two dark drops right over the word, "divorce."

"Sign it. Take the check. And make sure you are gone by the time the driver brings Lilith back from the airport," Edward Windsor's voice sliced through the air like a surgeon's blade.

He stood there, immaculate in his tailored grey suit from British tailors, platinum cufflinks gleaming at his cuffs, carrying that arrogant poise of someone used to deciding the fate of entire corporations with a single raise of an eyebrow.

"I will not have her feeling uncomfortable in her own home because of an unnecessary presence," he added, without bothering to look me in the face. To him, I was less than a smudge on the upholstery.

I blinked slowly. The sharp pain throbbing at my temple for the last ten minutes began to fade, replaced by an icy, terrifying clarity.

This was no stress-induced nightmare. I had died, slumped over my computer screen at three in the morning, from a ridiculous heart attack, and woken up right at the beginning of Frozen Ties, the melodramatic novel I had left a scathing review for just before I passed away.

And now I was Thessa Hyde.

The cheap substitute. The illegitimate daughter the Hydes had pushed into Edward's bed when his beloved sister, Lilith, ran off to Paris with a penniless violinist only days before the wedding of the year. For exactly three years, the original owner of this body had cooked every meal to suit his stomach, ironed his shirts to crisp perfection, nursed his hangovers, and waited up late into the night with a warm cup of tea.

And what was her reward? The very day his capricious sister decided she was bored of Europe and came back, Edward tossed his substitute out onto the street like a crumpled takeout wrapper.

In the original story, poor Thessa fell to her knees on the Persian carpet, sobbing her eyes out, clinging to the hem of his trousers and begging for just a crumb of affection. Edward had her escorted out by security, her own family cast her aside as useless, and the girl eventually died alone, sick with pneumonia in the damp basement room of a cheap boarding house.

A sharp, cheerful electronic chime echoed right in the center of my mind.

[Ding! Soul synchronization complete with host, Thessa Hyde.]

[Ex-Husband Regret System has been activated.]

[Mission 1: Sign the divorce agreement within 60 seconds without shedding a single tear or asking for explanations.]

[Opening Reward: $10,000,000 in tax-free private funds + Passive Grace and Dignity Package.]

[Permanent Effect: Each time Edward Windsor experiences regret, jealousy, humiliation, or loss of control because of you, your assets will multiply automatically.]

A warm current ran up my spine, instantly washing away the exhaustion and meekness that had weighed so heavily on Thessa's shoulders. I felt my posture straighten with innate elegance, and my vision cleared with a sharp, steady glow.

I lifted my head.

Edward remained by the floor-to-ceiling window framing the city skyline, hands tucked into his trouser pockets, waiting for the usual performance, the hysterical tears, the trembling pleas, the humiliation of a woman with nowhere else to go.

"Aren't you going to pick up the pen?" he asked, clicking his tongue with contained impatience. "If you think playing the martyr will soften me, you are wasting your time, Thessa. You knew from the very first night you were only a temporary replacement. Do not delude yourself with promises I never made."

I smiled. Not a bitter, trembling smile, but calm, unhurried, and carrying such quiet condescension that Edward actually frowned, genuinely confused for the first time in months.

"You are absolutely right, Mr. Windsor," I said. My voice sounded smooth, steady, stripped of that servile tremor the old Thessa always had. "Wasting time is an unforgivable financial mistake, and we both know your time commands a very high price in this city."

I reached out with my right hand, took the fourteen-karat gold fountain pen resting on top of the documents, twisted off the cap in one clean motion, and slid the nib across the final page. I did not read a single unfair confidentiality clause or contact restriction. I signed it, neat, sharp, and final.

[Timer: 00:00:21 remaining.]

[Mission accomplished! $10,000,000 credited to your hidden bank account.]

[Anomaly detected: Edward Windsor's Confusion at 8%.]

I picked up the five-hundred-thousand-dollar check he had left on the table, his pathetic charity for three years of my life, and held it loosely between my index and middle fingers.

"Thessa..." he started, taking an uncertain step forward, clearly thrown because he had expected shouting, accusations, or tears.

I did not give him time to process it.

Slowly, I tore the check clean down the middle. Then into four smaller pieces. I let them drop onto the polished mahogany like so much cheap confetti.

Then I picked up his expensive gold pen and dropped it, nib-first, straight into his delicate porcelain cup of coffee. Dark liquid splashed upward, staining his crisp white cuffs and the polished marble of the sideboard.

"Keep the change to pay the driver bringing Lilith home," I said, standing up and smoothing down my skirt with icy composure. "And do not bother sending anyone to pack my things. Everything in this penthouse was bought with your name and your money, and frankly, there is nothing here worth taking. Not even the memories."

Edward stood completely frozen. His lips parted, but not a single order came out. His storm-grey eyes burned with a mix of confusion, anger, and a sudden, hollow emptiness he had never felt before.

I turned on my heel and walked toward the front door with a steady, light stride. My hand touched the steel handle when the blue interface flickered back into view.

[Notification: Target's Pride has taken a hit from your Indifference.]

[Regret Points: 12%. Bonus Reward Unlocked: Imperial Suite reserved at the Grand Lumière Hotel.]

[Proximity Alert: Vehicle detected belonging to Adam Germain, CEO of the Germain Group and Windsor Holdings' biggest business rival, now approaching the main entrance.]

I pulled the door open, felt the fresh air hit my face, and stepped out without looking back even once. Leaving Edward Windsor to stew in his own stupid pride was not the end of anything. It was simply the most profitable beginning of my entire life.