After Liam and I parted ways, I slid into the back seat of the car and finally called my mom. I should’ve called her sooner. She’d probably been worried sick.She picked up on the second ring.“Amber! Finally. I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Why haven’t you been answering your phone or replying to my texts?”I sighed, already feeling a little guilty. “I’m sorry, Mom. Things have just been... a lot. But I’m okay now. Really.”Her voice softened immediately. “Are you sure, sweetheart? I saw the video you posted… It’s been everywhere. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, you already told me about it, but seeing it—”She paused, and I heard her swallow. “Are you really okay?”“I’m getting there,” I said honestly. “I’m so glad you finally decided to let the world see Dan for who he really is.” “Liam’s PR team helped with all of it. It’s been overwhelming, but... something good came out of it.”“Yeah, they are tearing him apart.” “Yeah.” I smiled, glancing out the window as the car crui
AmberAs I walked away from the restaurant, a wide smile stretched across my face, one I hadn’t worn in so long, it almost felt foreign. I was finally free. Free from Dan. Free from the lies, the bruises, the manipulation. That monster no longer had a hold on me.One of Liam’s men walked ahead and opened the back door of the car waiting by the curb. I slid in, my dress smoothing beneath me, and the door closed with a soft thud. As the car pulled away and we breezed through the light traffic, I stared out the window, watching the city blur past. People bustled about their lives, horns honked in the distance, but all I could feel was a strange, beautiful stillness inside me. It was like I could finally breathe again.It almost felt like I was meeting a new version of myself. A few months ago, I was still trapped, stuck in a marriage that sucked the light out of me. I had been shrinking more and more under Dan’s thumb, his rage, and his control. I used to think that was just how life ha
Liam stared at me, clearly amused by the sound of my sudden laughter. “What’s so funny?” he asked.Without a word, I handed him my phone.He took it, brows pulling together as he read through Dan’s desperate texts. His expression darkened quickly. “That bastard,” he muttered. “Now he wants to sign the divorce papers?”I scoffed, letting out another dry, humorless laugh. “I never thought I’d see the day Dan would beg me for anything. Ever.”Liam handed the phone back, and I took it with a slow breath. “I’m replying,” I said, thumbs already moving.“You sure you want to talk to him?” Liam asked, watching me closely.“Yeah,” I said looking up. “I’m telling him to send the divorce papers before we talk.”Almost immediately after I hit send, Dan’s reply came through. I stared at it for a moment, then held it out for Liam to read.“I have signed the divorce papers. I want to give them to you in person. Please, Amber. Let us meet and sort this out.”I could hardly suppress another laugh. “It’
The next morning, I woke to the sharp trill of my phone ringing somewhere close. My eyes fluttered open, groggy and heavy, and I reached for it blindly on the nightstand, swiping to end the call without even glancing at the screen. I didn’t care who it was. I knew the call most certainly had something to do with Dan, and I didn’t want to ruin my mood, not yet. I was too warm, too safe, nestled in bed with Liam pressed against me. His chest was solid against my back, his arm draped over my waist, his breath soft in the crook of my neck as he spooned me. I couldn’t even remember getting here. Last night, we’d eaten dinner on the couch, and I must’ve fallen asleep curled up next to him. He’d carried me to bed, I guessed, and I hadn’t stirred.I liked this, just the two of us, tangled together, the world locked out. His warmth, his steady breathing, it felt like a shield, and I wasn’t ready to let it go. The phone started ringing again, buzzing insistently against the wood, and Liam shi
The next day, I sat in a sleek conference room with Liam by my side, facing the PR team from his company. My hands were clasped together on the table, my fingers twisting anxiously as I listened to them go over the best course of action."We need to take control of the narrative," one of the PR representatives, a sharp-dressed woman named Claire, said. She folded her hands in front of her and gave me a calm but firm look. "Right now, the public is divided, but Dan has the upper hand. He got ahead of the story and made you look like the bad guy. We need to change that."I swallowed hard. "How?"Claire exchanged glances with one of her colleagues a guy named, Tom, before pulling out her tablet. "We’ve drafted a post for your social media. All you need to do is approve it and post it."She slid the tablet in my direction and I picked it up with shaky fingers and read it silently first, my eyes scanning the words they’d crafted:“I’ve stayed silent long enough. Everything Dan has said abo
After I dropped the bombshell about Dan hitting Amber, Dad was the first to pull himself together. He looked at me, shaking his head, and said he had no idea that guy used to lay a hand on her. “That’s bad. It’s a good thing Amber left,” he added. “No woman should have to endure a beating in a marriage.” I could tell he meant it. His voice had that steady, no-nonsense tone he gets when he’s pissed.Mom, though, she was still in shock. Her eyes were wide, and she spoke up before Dad could say anything else. “I had no idea,” she said, her voice soft, almost trembling. “Thank God Amber left. Poor Amber. I wonder why she pretended to be happy while he was hitting her.” Then she paused, and I could see her thoughts shifting. She turned to me, her expression tightening. “Even though what Dan did was awful, Liam, you don’t need to insert yourself into this situation. You can help Amber without dating her. This whole thing is messy and you shouldn’t let yourself get dragged into it.”I couldn