Isabelle Everett's perfect life crumbles when her billionaire husband, Damion Ryder, serves her divorce papers on their anniversary. Betrayal, heartbreak, and deceit propel her into a six-year journey of self-discovery. Now, with secrets exposed and old flames rekindled, Isabelle must choose between the man who broke her heart or her high school sweetheart, the one who's always loved her but has an ulterior motive. Will forgiveness transform their lives, or will the past destroy their future?
"I have something for you," Damion says, his voice cutting through the chatter and laughter surrounding us.
I turn to face him, my heart skipping a beat. The celebration is grand-golden lights casting their warm glow, guests mingling, a symphony playing softly in the background. But none of that matters now. All I see is Damion, holding an envelope with a look so unreadable it sends a chill down my spine.
"Happy anniversary," I whisper, forcing a smile, hoping for even a flicker of warmth in his eyes.
"Open it," he says, the words sharp, almost impatient.
I swallow, my fingers trembling as I take the envelope. It's lighter than I expect, and an inexplicable dread creeps up my spine. Has he bought another mansion in my name? Damion can be full of surprises. But as I slide out the paper, the world seems to slow. My eyes scan the page, and I feel the floor vanish beneath my feet.
Divorce papers.
The words blur, the room closing in as if it's suffocating me. I look up at him, searching for some sign that this is a cruel joke. "Damion, what is this? Divorce papers? On our anniversary?"
His face remains cold, detached, as if this is just another business transaction. "Yes, Isabelle. This farce has gone on long enough. It's time we end things. You're empty. Heaven knows you have no eggs to be hatched."
I can barely breathe. The sounds of the party grow distant, muted by the ringing in my ears. "You're ending our marriage because I can't give you a child? Because your father won't let it go?"
His jaw tightens, and the hardness in his eyes deepens. "This isn't just about that, Isabelle. Do you think I haven't seen it? The way you cling to me, desperate, pretending we still have something worth fighting for? It's suffocating. I need someone who isn't just... holding on because of who I am and what I have."
"Clinging to you?" My voice cracks, and I take a step closer, desperation seeping into every pore of my body. "Damion, how can you say that? I love you! I've stood by you through everything, through the pressure, through the silence that felt like it would choke me. I'm not here for your wealth or your name. I'm here for you."
He scoffs, a bitter sound that slices through me. "Love? Isabelle, love isn't enough. It never has been. I need a partner who strengthens me, not someone who reminds me of failure every single day."
His words land like punches, each one knocking the breath out of me. Failure. That's what I am to him now. My hands shake as I reach for him, my fingers grazing the fabric of his suit. "Please, Damion. Don't do this. We can find a way-there are other options. We can talk to the doctors again, we can-"
"No." His tone is final, as if closing the chapter of a book. He steps back, and the space between us feels like an endless chasm. "I'm done talking. I'm done pretending this can be fixed. It can't. And I'm done living this lie."
I stagger back, the air thick with humiliation and disbelief. "A lie? Is that all I've been to you?"
His silence says more than words ever could. My chest tightens, and I force the sob threatening to escape back into my throat. Before I can plead further, the sound of laughter pierces the air.
A sharp, familiar laugh.
Kaia Jenkins steps into view, her blonde hair perfectly styled, her emerald dress shimmering as she weaves through the crowd with practiced elegance. She's holding a glass of champagne, her lips curved in a smirk that sends a fresh wave of dread through me.
"Didn't expect this, did you, Izzy?" Her voice drips with mock sweetness. She glances at the envelope in my trembling hands, her green eyes dancing with triumph. "Damion told me he was going to handle this tonight. But seeing it in person? Oh, it's better than I imagined."
My stomach churns. "Kaia, what is this? Why are you here?"
She slides an arm around Damion's waist, and my world tilts further. "Because he invited me," she says simply. "You see, I've been helping Damion figure out what he really needs. And unfortunately, it's not you."
Damion doesn't push her away. He doesn't move. My heart sinks further as Kaia presses a kiss to his jaw, her smile growing as the room begins to stir with whispers. The humiliation burns like fire, spreading across my skin.
"You're mine now, Damion," she purrs, loud enough for the nearby guests to hear. "And I'll give you everything she couldn't."
I can barely hear over the ringing in my ears. My gaze shifts to the crowd, to the faces watching this unfold like some grotesque drama. I catch whispers-pity, amusement, judgment-and the shame is unbearable.
"Stop it," I whisper, my voice trembling. "Kaia, you don't-"
"Oh, but I do," she interrupts smoothly. "You thought you had this perfect little life, didn't you? But Damion and I... well, we've been planning this for a while. Haven't we, darling?"
My eyes dart to Damion, searching for a denial, an explanation-anything. But his cold silence is the final blow.
I step back, the envelope slipping from my hands, and suddenly I feel like I'm drowning. The weight of their betrayal, the stares of the crowd-it's too much. My knees threaten to buckle, but I force myself to stay upright, even as tears blur my vision.
"How did it come to this?" I whisper, the question hanging in the air, unanswered.
Chapter 1 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
03/06/2025
Chapter 2 POOR ISABELLE
03/06/2025
Chapter 3 DAMION
03/06/2025
Chapter 4 KAIA TRIUMPHANT
03/06/2025
Chapter 5 TREMOR
03/06/2025
Chapter 6 SOB TEARS
03/06/2025
Chapter 7 FIVE MILLION DOLLARS
03/06/2025
Chapter 8 GET OUT OF MY WAYY
03/06/2025
Chapter 9 I TRUST DAMION
03/06/2025
Chapter 10 WHAT DID I JUST HEAR!
03/06/2025
Chapter 11 GET THE FUCK OUT
03/06/2025
Chapter 12 YOU PLANNED THIS
03/06/2025
Chapter 13 SWEET DREAMS, DARLING
03/06/2025
Chapter 14 THE DRESSER
03/06/2025
Chapter 15 CRESTFIELD CITY
03/06/2025
Chapter 16 BRIAN WINTERFIELD
03/06/2025
Chapter 17 MOMMY IS THAT DADDY
03/06/2025
Chapter 18 AUNT STEPHANIE
03/06/2025
Chapter 19 YOU ARE THE ONE OBSESSED
03/06/2025
Chapter 20 LETS GIVE US ANOTHER SHOT
03/06/2025
Chapter 21 I HAVE TO TAKE THIS
03/06/2025
Chapter 22 WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING
03/06/2025
Chapter 23 HIS KISS
03/06/2025
Chapter 24 MID MORNING
03/06/2025
Chapter 25 YOU NEED TO LEAVE
03/06/2025
Chapter 26 THE TRUTH
03/06/2025
Chapter 27 WALTER RYDER
03/06/2025
Chapter 28 SWEETHEART
03/06/2025
Chapter 29 UNKNOWN NUMBER
03/06/2025
Chapter 30 GLASS
03/06/2025
Chapter 31 BLINDFOLDED
03/06/2025
Chapter 32 OKAY
03/06/2025
Chapter 33 THE NARRATIVE
03/06/2025
Chapter 34 HOW DID YOU FIND HIM
03/06/2025
Chapter 35 UNSTABLE BUSINESS TYCOON ENDANGERS CHILD
03/06/2025
Chapter 36 I KISSED HIM BACK
03/06/2025
Chapter 37 BRAIN WAIT
03/06/2025
Chapter 38 DAY OR TWO
03/06/2025
Chapter 39 THIS STOPS NOW
03/06/2025
Chapter 40 CHASING HER BACK
03/06/2025