Chapter 1

The day before our wedding, I received my husband's wedding photos―with another woman.

I looked at the two of them in the picture and calmly asked Silas for a divorce.

His little assistant called me, sobbing, begging me not to be angry.

"Rowan, it's all my fault. I sent them to the wrong address. Please don't fight with Silas because of me."

Through the phone, I heard Silas comforting her in a gentle voice. "It's fine. She won't get mad. She can't live without me."

I hung up the phone, left a signed divorce agreement on the table, and walked away.

1

When Silas returned, I was already overseeing the professional movers as they packed the last of my things.

He stood at the doorway, glancing at the movers before finally letting his gaze settle on me.

"Rowan, stop this drama. You're a grown woman. Do you really think running away from home is going to work?"

His tone was sharp, his face a mask of pure annoyance.

In the past, if he was this upset, I would have rushed to him, asking what was wrong and offering comfort.

But now, I was done forcing myself to care.

I glanced back at him and picked up the divorce papers from the table, walking toward him.

"You're back just in time. Sign this. We can head to the courthouse whenever you're free to finalize it."

Silas looked down at the papers in my hand, his brow furrowing deeper.

"Rowan, is this really necessary? Brielle just sent the wrong photos by mistake. Because of your one phone call, she cried in my office for half an hour today."

"She's practically a child. Why are you being so hard on her?"

Brielle, Silas's personal assistant.

She was young, beautiful, and knew exactly what to say to make him feel like a hero.

She was everything Silas imagined a perfect wife should be.

When I didn't respond, Silas seemed to lose some of his edge.

He snatched the papers from my hand, tore them into pieces, and tossed them into the trash can by the door.

"If those photos bother you that much, I'll deal with them."

Did they bother me?

Any normal person would be furious to see their fiancé taking intimate wedding photos with another woman right before their own ceremony.

But I wasn't angry anymore.

I felt a brief moment of numbness, followed by a strange sense of relief.

"I don't care. You two can do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me," I said.

"Rowan, stop acting like a spoiled brat. After the wedding tomorrow, you'll apologize to Brielle, and we'll put this behind us."

Hearing that, I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"Apologize? Me? To her?" I looked at Silas, my eyes full of mockery. "Do you honestly think she's worth my time?"

Silas's face went completely dark as he lowered his voice in a warning. "Rowan, don't push your luck. You will apologize to Brielle tomorrow, or else..."

"Or else what? You'll hit me? Or kick me out of the Sinclair family?" I interrupted. "Actually, don't bother. Let's just divorce. Cancel the wedding, or better yet, let her take my place."

Seeing that I wasn't backing down, Silas shifted from dismissive to aggressive.

"Rowan, are you sure about this? If you walk out that door today, don't think about coming back. You'll be dead to the Sinclair family."

I stared at the man I had loved for so many years.

I didn't know when he had become this monster.

His face was familiar, but his words and actions were those of a total stranger.

Silas thought I couldn't survive without him, his family, or his money.

In reality, he didn't have a clue what I actually wanted.

I pushed past him, grabbed my suitcase, and walked straight out the door.

"Rowan, you only have this life because of me and my family!"

"Look at your age! If you leave me, what man would ever want you?"