Chapter 1

Amelia pov

The sound of shattering glass made me jump. I stared at the crystal wine glass lying in pieces beside my feet. An uncomfortable feeling settled in my chest.

The kind that appeared before something bad happened.

"Mrs. Blackwood!" One of the maids rushed toward me.

Her face was filled with concern. "Are you hurt?"

I looked down at myself before forcing a smile. "No. I'm okay." I replied

The maid released a breath. "Thank goodness. Please step back."

I nodded and moved aside while she carefully swept away the broken pieces. I should have forgotten about it,It was only a glass. But I couldn't explain why the sight bothered me so much.

The mansion felt strangely quiet tonight.

The enormous dining room was illuminated by soft golden lights.

Candles flickered gently across the table,fresh white roses sat in the center.

Everything was prepared perfectly.

My gaze drifted toward the grandfather clock.

Seven-thirty,I checked my phone again.

No message.

A familiar disappointment settled over me but I couldn't stop myself from hoping.

Today wasn't just another day,today was my third wedding anniversary.

Three years ago, I had become Amelia Blackwood.

The wife of Damian Blackwood,the man I loved for far longer than he knew.

My phone vibrated suddenly. Lily's name appeared on the screen.

A smile found its way onto my face. Unlike my husband, Lily never forgot important dates.

I answered the call. "Hi."

"Don't 'hi' me," she said immediately.

I laughed softly. "What did I do?" I asked.

"What did you do? The better question is what is your husband doing?"

I already knew where this conversation was heading.

"He's working." I replied.

Lily groaned dramatically. "Amelia, if you defend that man one more time, I might actually lose my mind."

"He has responsibilities."

"He always has responsibilities."

I didn't answer because she wasn't wrong on that.

"Please tell me he remembered your anniversary?" She asked

The silence on my end gave her the answer.

"Oh my God."she said in disappointment.

"Lily..."

"No. Don't do that." She said.

I could practically imagine her pacing around her apartment.

"Three years, Amelia. Three years."

"I know." I said and sighed.

"You deserve so much better than this." Lily said

I looked toward the empty seat across from me.

The seat I prepared for Damian with his favorite meal and wine.

A small ache formed in my chest.

"I'll be fine." I said.

Lily's voice softened. "That's what worries me."

Before I could answer, a familiar engine sounded outside,my heart skipped.

The Range rover,Damian was home.

"Lily, I'll call you later." I said hurriedly.

"Wait…"

I ended the call before she could continue.

The front door opened downstairs,every servant straightened and the atmosphere shifted.

I did not like how quickly my heart reacted at his presence,how quickly hope returned.

As if I did not spend years being disappointed.

Footsteps echoed through the foyer before I saw him.

Damian Blackwood who was tall,handsome and perfectly dressed.

His dark hair was slightly disheveled from the wind outside,his expensive charcoal suit looked as flawless as always.

People often called him cold,but there were wrong. Cold things could still be touched.

His gaze swept across the room before landing on me.

"You're home." I said.

His expression didn't change.

"Mm." He said,that was all.

The familiar ache returned to my body,his eyes moved toward the dining table.

His face squeezed because he was irritated.

I knew that expression,I spent three years learning every version of his indifference.

"I prepared dinner." I said

"I already ate." He said bluntly.

The answer came instantly,without hesitation whatsoever.

My fingers curled. "Oh."

Damian started to the staircase,panic rose inside me because If he left now, another opportunity would disappear and another anniversary would end exactly like the previous ones.

"Damian." I said and his footsteps stopped.

He turned slightly. "What?"

I swallowed. "Can we talk?"

His expression became guarded."What about?"

"Us." I said

The silence that followed felt endless and his eyes hardened.

"There is no 'us' discussion that needs to happen tonight." He said.

I forced myself to remain calm. "Today is our anniversary."

"I know." He said.

I blinked,he remembered, he actually remembered,he actually knows.. and somehow that hurt even more because remembering meant he simply didn't care.

"We haven't spent any time together." I said

His patience visibly thinned. "I'm tired, Amelia."

"So am I." I said

The words slipped out.

Surprise crossed his face,I rarely pushed back.

"Excuse me?" He said.

My pulse quickened but I couldn't retreat now.

"I'm tired too."

His gaze narrowed. "Tired of what?"

The question made me scoff.

"Tired of feeling like a stranger in my own marriage."

His expression instantly closed off and the wall between us rose again,the same wall I had been trying to climb for three years.

"There is nothing more to discuss." He said

"Damian…."

"Goodnight." He said,then he walked away,just like that leaving me standing there.

Hours passed,the candles burned lower and the food became cold.

One by one, the servants disappeared upstairs eventually, I found myself sitting alone in the dining room.

The anniversary dinner untouched.

The clock struck ten,then I finally stood.

Maybe Lily was right,maybe I was foolish,maybe love wasn't supposed to feel this lonely.

I barely took two steps when footsteps echoed from the staircase.

Damian was coming back down,my heartbeat quickened. Why? What changed?

He walked directly toward me and his expression was unreadable.

I noticed the document in his hand,a thick file.

He stopped in front of me,without a word, he extended it.

"Take it." He said.

I stared at the document. "What is it?" I asked.

"Read it." He said

The uneasy feeling from earlier returned,my fingers trembled as I accepted the file.

Slowly, I opened it,the title sat boldly across the first page.

DIVORCE AGREEMENT. The world disappeared in my eyes,an unexpected occurrence. My breathing stopped and my mind went blank.

This couldn't be real,my eyes dropped lower toward the signature line.

Damian Blackwood has signed already.

Only my signature was missing,the document slipped slightly in my shaking hands.

I looked up directly at my husband, the man I spent three years loving.

"Damian..." My voice broke.

"What is this? I asked shakily.

His face remained completely expressionless.

"I want a divorce." He said instantly.