All Chapters of Divorced, Now Watch Me Rise!: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

CLAIREI stood on the terrace, the cool night air settling my nerves as I looked out at the city lights stretching endlessly before me.Tonight had gone well, better than well, actually. I'd met investors, business owners, people who seemed genuinely interested in my brand. Richard Lewis had taken my card and promised to send it to his daughter. A woman who ran a boutique consulting firm had asked about wholesale opportunities.Real connections, real possibilities, and more importantly, Ethan and Vanessa hadn't been here. I didn't know if they hadn't been invited or if they'd chosen not to come, but either way, I was grateful for their absence.The last time I'd been at an event like this, it had been Ethan's engagement party, and I'd been there for revenge, wearing Julian's ring like armor, tonight had been different.I'd been here as myself, representing my own work, standing on my own merit. Yes, I'd arrived as Julian's plus-one, but people had asked about my business, not just abo

CLAIREThe morning after the gala, I woke up feeling lighter than I had in weeks. I made coffee and settled at the kitchen counter with my laptop, ready to check orders and respond to customer messages.Julian was still asleep, which was rare. The gala must have exhausted him more than he'd let on. I opened my email and my stomach immediately dropped.Subject: Order Cancellation ConfirmationThen another.Subject: Order Cancellation ConfirmationAnd another, and another.I scrolled through my inbox, my heart racing as I counted. Fifteen order cancellations, all within the past three hours.Fifteen customers who'd pre-ordered my designs had suddenly changed their minds overnight. I clicked on the first email, reading the automated message.Your order #0847 has been cancelled as requested. A full refund has been processed and will appear in your account within 3-5 business days.But I hadn't cancelled these orders, and the customers hadn't contacted me asking to cancel.With shaking han

CLAIREJulian read the email I'd sent over my shoulder, then closed my laptop gently. "You handled that well," he said."I had to tell them the truth," I replied, rubbing my tired eyes. "They deserved to know what happened."Julian stood up and walked to the kitchen, filling a glass with water and bringing it back to me."Drink," he said, setting it in front of me. "You've been staring at that screen for two hours without a break."I took the glass and drank, realizing how thirsty I was. Julian sat back down beside me, his expression serious but calm."I don't want you to worry about any of this," he said firmly.I set down the glass and looked at him."How can I not worry?" I asked. "Vanessa just tried to destroy my business in one morning. Who knows what she'll try next?""That's exactly why I'm handling it," Julian replied. "David is filing the restraining order today. By tomorrow, Vanessa won't be able to come near you, contact you, or interfere with your business without facing l

CLAIREAt six o'clock, I gave up on work and went to my room to get ready, I stood in front of my closet, looking at the limited selection of formal wear. The emerald dress I'd worn to the gala was beautiful, but Julian had already seen it.I wanted to wear something different. My eyes landed on another design I'd had Nina make as a sample, one I hadn't worn publicly yet.Deep burgundy, off-shoulder, fitted through the bodice and flowing from the waist. It was elegant without being too formal, sophisticated without being stuffy.I pulled it out and held it up to myself in the mirror. Yes, this one.I showered quickly and dried my hair, letting it fall in loose waves over my shoulders, makeup next, keeping it simple but polished.Then I slipped into the burgundy dress, the fabric settling against my skin like it had been made specifically for my body, because it had been. I looked at my reflection and barely recognized myself.The woman looking back at me was confident, put together, b

CLAIRE We watched the rest of the opera with our hands clasped together in the darkness, and somehow it felt more intimate than anything we'd shared before.This wasn't strategy, this wasn't partnership, this was something else entirely. When the final notes faded and the audience erupted in applause, I felt tears on my cheeks.I hadn't even realized I was crying. Julian noticed and gently wiped a tear away with his thumb. "Beautiful things make you cry?" he asked softly."Apparently," I said, laughing slightly through the tears."Good," Julian said. "It means you're feeling again. Really feeling, not just surviving."He was right, for so long I'd been in survival mode, just getting through each day, focusing on revenge and rebuilding, but tonight, I'd felt something pure and uncomplicated.Joy, wonder, beauty.The audience was standing now, still applauding. Julian stood and offered me his hand. I took it and he pulled me up, but he didn't let go once I was standing."Thank you for