Chapter 3

"Bella, aren't you allergic to lilies? Let's get these flowers into Sophia's office." Anna pointed at the bouquets, pulling me away.

Even my co-workers remembered something like that. Had Vincent really forgotten?

Sophia loved strong scents. Jasmine perfume, lily bouquets.

I remembered when we first got married, Vincent memorized everything I liked. I loved the delicate scent of lily of the valley, and he had them specially ordered and planted all around our villa. I was allergic to lilies, so he'd never let one in the house.

Now, he'd even forgotten my allergies.

"Bella, are you okay?" Anna asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm fine." I looked away. "Let's get back to work."

I went to my office and started preparing for next month's big exhibition. It was a project I'd been planning for six months, featuring ten up-and-coming artists. The client was one of New York's biggest art investment funds. The deal was worth millions. This exhibition was supposed to be a major milestone in my career.

At eleven o'clock that night, I was the only one left in the gallery, still finalizing the details.

The door opened and Vincent walked in.

"Why are you still working so late?"

"Prepping for the exhibition." I didn't look up.

"What exhibition is so important?" He walked over to my desk.

"The emerging artists showcase next month."

Vincent glanced at the papers on my desk. "Bella, I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"This exhibition. Give it to Sophia."

My hands froze over the keyboard. I looked up at him.

"What?"

"Sophia has a genuine eye for this stuff. She needs a serious platform to build her reputation," Vincent said, as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "She's trying to build a new life, you know? To put her past behind her. She wants to be seen as more than just some girl from the clubs."

"I've been working on this for six months."

"I know how hard you've worked, but this is more important for Sophia right now," he said, sitting down. "She's under a lot of pressure. People are always gossiping about her. This exhibition will help her establish a name for herself in the art world."

I looked at his earnest expression. He was fighting for another woman's future. For her reputation, her career.

But when I first wanted to get into this business, what did he say?

"Why don't you just stay home with me? Be my little princess. I'll spoil you. What does a woman need to work for?"

Apparently, for someone else, he could support all of her ambitions.

"Okay," I nodded.

Vincent stared. "Okay?"

"I agree. She can have the exhibition."

"You're... not going to fight me on this?" he asked, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

"Why would I be mad? We're getting a divorce. My work has nothing to do with you."

Vincent's expression was complicated. He pulled a small, elegant box from his pocket.

"This is for you. As compensation."

Inside was a diamond necklace, simple and elegant.

"This will look good on you," he said, his voice gentle. "And Bella, can you take back what you said about the divorce?"

"What?"

"I've been thinking. I know you don’t really want a divorce. You’re just saying that because you’re angry. We just have a communication problem." He reached for my hand. "I'll take you to Vegas this weekend. We can start over."

I looked at the necklace, but all I could see was the one he gave Sophia.

"Vincent, do you think a necklace can fix our problems?"

"No, this is just a start," he said, his eyes pleading. "Bella, I'll change."

"I don't need you to change." I closed the box. "I just need you to let me go."

"Bella..."

"I'll take the necklace, as payment for the last six months of my work." I stood up. "But the divorce is final."

Vincent's face darkened. "Why are you being so stubborn? I will never agree to it. You need to calm down and not do something you’ll regret."

"I'm not being stubborn. I'm finally seeing things clearly."

I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

"Bella, we're husband and wife!" he yelled after me.

"Ex-husband and ex-wife," I said without looking back, and walked out of the gallery.

On the way home, I was scrolling through Instagram. Sophia's latest post popped up. In the photo, she was wearing a complete set of diamond jewelry. A necklace, earrings, and a bracelet, all from the same designer, the same collection. Exquisite and ridiculously expensive.

The caption read: "Building my forever with the only man who matters. Thank you, V."

I zoomed in on the picture, studying the jewelry. Then I took out the necklace Vincent had just given me and compared them.

The same brand. The same design.

A sharp pain shot through my heart.

The necklace he'd given me wasn't a gift. It was an afterthought. A scrap from the feast he'd laid out for her.

Just like me. I was just the extra piece in this family, the one that didn't belong anymore.