Semua Bab Seducing my Ex-husband back: Bab 1 - Bab 5

THE DISCOVERY~CLAIRE’S POV~I should have known something was wrong when I came home to silence.Richard's car was in the driveway next to Monica's little red BMW, but the house felt empty. Too quiet. Even the grandfather clock in the hallway seemed to tick softer than usual as if it knew what I was about to find and did not want to be the one to announce it."Richard?" I called out, setting my purse on the marble table by the front door. "Monica?"My best friend had texted me an hour ago, saying she had stopped by to drop off the wedding photos from her cousin's ceremony last weekend. Monica was always doing thoughtful things like that, bringing over fresh cookies, helping me pick out new curtains, and making sure I never felt lonely when Richard worked late.Which was most nights lately.I kicked off my heels and padded through the corridor in my stockings. The living room was empty, but I could hear something from upstairs. A soft thudding sound, rhythmic and steady.Maybe they

~CLAIRE’S POV~The pen felt like it weighed a thousand pounds in my hand.I stared at my signature on the divorce papers, Claire Winfred, my maiden name looking strange and unknown after three years of being a Blackwood. The ink was still wet, but already it felt like I had signed away more than just my marriage. I had signed away my entire identity.I was reaching for the call button to summon a nurse when the door opened again.Richard stepped back into the room, and for one foolish moment, my heart leaped. Maybe he had changed his mind. Maybe he had realized what a mistake he was making. Maybe…."You signed them." His voice was flat as he looked at the papers on my bedside table."Yes." The word came out as barely a whisper.He moved closer to the bed, and I smelled his cologne, the same expensive scent I bought him for Christmas last year. It was the same scent that used to make me feel safe and loved when he held me close.Now it just made me feel sick."Good," he said, gatheri

~CLAIRE'S POV~{ONE YEAR LATER}The woman staring back at me from the floor-to-ceiling mirror looked like she had walked straight out of a "revenge glow-up" Pinterest board, and honestly? I was living for it.I adjusted the lapels of my custom-tailored black Armani suit—yes, I was one of those people now who could casually drop designer names. The fabric felt like butter against my skin, and the price tag? Let's just say my old self would have fainted, but my new self had simply handed over Alexander's black card with a smile.Gone were the desperate puppy-dog eyes that Richard used to call "needy" (what a charmer, right?). In their place was a look of amused confidence, perfectly framed by makeup that actually enhanced my features instead of trying to hide them because some man thought they were "distracting."My chestnut hair, once long enough to sit on because Richard preferred it that way, now fell in a chic bob that screamed "I make my own decisions, thank you very much." Even