All Chapters of Divorced and Done Playing Nice: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Our six-month divorce battle finally ended because I gave in.Everyone was stunned.Julian and I had been married for seven years, and our divorce had dragged on for six months. To everyone watching, we looked like two people too stubborn to let go.The media blew up, and Julian released a polished statement:[We're sorry for taking up public attention. Although Esther Everett and I are officially divorced, we remain friends. I wish her all the best in finding happiness again.]My eyes landed on one word."Friends."I let out a quiet laugh.Because of Winnie Dunne, Julian and I had fought more times than I could count.We hadn't been friends in a long time. We couldn't even fake being civil anymore.Today was the most reasonable he'd been in six months.After I agreed to the divorce, he sat on the couch for a long time before putting away the papers he'd brought for our negotiation."In that case, I'll have the divorce agreement sent to you as soon as possible."You'll kee

Winnie stood there, her eyes turning red on cue."Mr. Kane, I know you don't like me, but Esther already left the company. Why are you still treating her like she's your boss?"Besides, didn't Esther resign because of her PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP? You're taking your frustration over her leaving out on me. It really hurts..."She put extra emphasis on 'personal relationship.'The employees who'd been whispering exchanged looks, even more convinced than before.Larrie was so caught off guard that he couldn't find a response.I folded my resignation papers and shrugged."Larrie was just being polite. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"And I never said why I resigned. Spreading rumors is pretty upsetting too."Winnie went pale.Before she could respond, Julian quietly stepped in front of her.His eyes landed on me."That's on me. When you're free, I'll arrange a farewell party."You've done a lot for this company over the years."I smiled."No need. If I'd known any

My response blew up across every major platform.It hit the internet like a bomb.#EstherEverettResponds shot straight to the top of the trending list.The comments turned into a war zone, with supporters and haters going at each other.Some said I was still denying the obvious. Others said the truth was finally coming out.Hot takes and theories flooded every corner of the internet.Everyone had something to say.***Third-Person POVMeanwhile, Julian was still in his office.The only framed photo on his desk sat in front of him.Suddenly, he remembered a promise he'd made years ago.Back then, Esther had been curled up on the couch, watching a documentary about the polar regions with bright eyes.She tugged on his sleeve."Julian, let's go see the Northern Lights someday."He smiled and agreed.Once things settled down, they'd go.Esther had jumped up, thrown her arms around his neck, and spun with him a few times.Her eyes crinkled with joy.She looked full of sta

After all these years, nothing had ever felt as satisfying as this.Public opinion flipped overnight.#JulianCheated shot to number one.#WinnieTheHomewrecker followed right behind.Then more hashtags started trending:#EstherHasProof#JuliansTimeline#ValentinesDayReceiptsThe comments went from dragging me to tearing them apart.[OMG, the receipts are undeniable. She even has the transaction records.][$47K on the side chick for Valentine's Day?? That's actually vile.][So Julian pushed that fake analysis video just to take the heat off himself? Yeah, okay.][Poor Esther. He cheated, then tried to make HER look like the villain.]People started digging through Winnie's social media.They found out she'd been subtly flaunting the relationship for months.One photo showed her in the passenger seat of a luxury car with the caption:[It's nice to have someone who cares about me.]The date was the day before our wedding anniversary.There were also photos from a private

They wanted to turn "Julian cheated" into "a divorcing couple destroying each other."They wanted everyone to think neither of us was innocent.I wasn't backing down.I made a new social media account and answered every claim one by one.No insults.No victim act.Just facts.I compiled every shady deal Julian had pulled at Lumora Corp.That included records of him using insider information to trade stocks.And proof he'd funneled favors to certain people to lock down land deals.I'd looked the other way before.Not anymore.I put everything out there.Every post came with timestamps and screenshots.The night I published them, the servers nearly crashed.#JulianCorruptionScandal went viral instantly.Lumora Corp's stock dropped twelve percent when the market opened the next morning.He paid trolls to drag me, so I hit back with proof.He hired shady PR accounts to clean up his image, so I took the truth to major news outlets.Back and forth we went, like two people