Chapter 1

The message came at exactly 4:00 p.m.Be ready by six. A driver will pick you up.—EthanAva stared at her phone for a long moment, her lips slowly curving into a smile she couldn’t hold back even if she tried.Six years.Six years of marriage, and somehow, her heart still reacted to him like this, like a girl in love for the very first time.She hugged her phone to her chest and laughed softly, the sound echoing faintly in the quiet apartment. It had been weeks… no, months, since Ethan had done anything remotely romantic. Not that she blamed him. Being the CEO of a billion-dollar company didn’t exactly leave room for candlelit dinners and spontaneous surprises.Still… this meant something.He remembered.Their anniversary.Her chest warmed at the thought as she hurried toward her wardrobe. Tonight had to be perfect.⸻By 5:45 p.m., Ava stood in front of her mirror, giving herself one last look.She had chosen a fitted champagne-colored dress that hugged her curves just right, elegant

Chapter 2

“I want a divorce.”The words landed slowly… then all at once.Ava blinked, staring at him as she had misheard. Like maybe the music, the wine, the emotions, something had twisted his words into something they weren’t.“A divorce?” she repeated, her voice almost hollow. “What… what are you talking about?”Ethan looked away, his jaw tightening.“I’m serious.”Ava shook her head immediately, a breathless laugh escaping her.“No. No, you’re not serious.” She waved her hand slightly, as if brushing the words away. “This isn’t funny, Ethan. Is this some kind of prank? Because it’s not—”“It’s not a prank.”Her words died in her throat.The silence that followed was heavy. Suffocating.“I don’t understand,” she whispered, her voice trembling now. “Why would you say something like that?”Ethan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly like this conversation was exhausting him.“I know this is coming as a shock to you—”“A shock?” Ava cut in, her voice rising. “You think?”“I love you, Ava

Chapter 3

Ava didn’t remember how she got out of the hotel.One moment, she was standing in that penthouse, her world collapsing in slow motion… and the next, she was outside, the cold night air hitting her face like a slap.Her chest tightened. Her breathing came in short, uneven bursts. And then—She broke.Tears spilled down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself, like she was trying to hold together something that had already shattered.“No… no, no, no…”Her voice trembled as she fumbled with her phone, her fingers shaking so badly she almost dropped it.There was only one person she could call.Maya.The phone rang once.Twice.Then—“Ava?” Maya’s voice came through, bright and teasing. “Why are you calling me? Aren’t you supposed to be celebrating your anniversary?”Ava opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, only a broken sob.Maya went quiet instantly.“…Ava?”Another sob escaped, louder this time, uncontrollable.“Hey, hey— calm down,” Maya said quickly, her tone shi

Chapter 4

Ava didn’t even remember entering the place.One moment, she was in the car, barely breathing… and the next, she was in front of Maya.And then—She broke all over again.“Ava… hey, hey…” Maya rushed to her immediately, pulling her into a tight hug. “Calm down. What happened?”But Ava couldn’t speak. Her body shook as sobs tore through her chest, her fingers gripping Maya’s clothes like she would fall apart if she let go.“It’s… " It’s Ethan…” she finally managed, her voice breaking.Maya stiffened slightly, then pulled back just enough to look at her. “What about Ethan?” she asked carefully.Ava wiped at her tears, but they wouldn’t stop. “He… he said he wants a divorce.”Silence.For a second, Maya just stared at her.Then—“What?”Ava nodded, crying harder. “He just said it like that… like it was nothing…”Maya’s expression hardened, her mind already working. “Okay,” she said firmly, guiding Ava to sit down. “Start from the beginning. Did you guys fight?”“No…” Ava shook her head i

Chapter 5

Ava stared at him like she didn’t recognize the man standing in front of her.“What do you even mean by that?” Her voice shook. “I signed a prenup, Ethan. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”Ethan let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Stop acting as if you love me all of a sudden.”The words hit her like a slap.“I know exactly why you married me,” he continued coldly. “You saw money. Power. Influence. And you took your chance.”Ava’s chest tightened. “That’s not true—”“You were a poor girl who came from absolutely nothing,” he cut in, his voice sharp now. “So of course you grabbed the opportunity when you saw it.”Tears filled Ava’s eyes. “I loved you,” she whispered.Ethan shook his head slowly. “No. I was the one who loved in this relationship.”Silence fell heavy between them.“I fought for you,” he continued. “Against my family. Against everything. You had nothing, Ava… and I still chose you.”Her heart broke all over again.“But if it was the other way around?” he added, his voice t

Chapter 6

Ava didn’t think.She didn’t breathe, she just banged on the door, hard. Again and again. Her heart pounded as if it would burst out of her chest.“Open the door!” she snapped, her voice shaking with anger and desperation.A second later, the door opened. Ethan stood there, surprised. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his brows furrowing.But Ava didn’t answer. She shoved past him, hard. Ethan stumbled slightly as she pushed him aside and stormed into the room. Her eyes scanned the space wildly, looking, searching, expecting the worst but what she saw made her pause.The woman.She was fully dressed, seated calmly on a chair, documents spread neatly in front of her. A tablet in one hand, a pen in the other. No panic. No guilt.Just… work.Ava blinked, confused. “What… is this?” she asked, her voice uncertain now.The woman glanced up briefly, composed, then back to her work.Ethan shut the door behind them with a sharp sound. “What is all this?” he demanded. “Why are you here, Ava