Chapter 3

03.

Lucy slammed the door and left.

She was so agitated that she left a skimpy thong behind.

But I felt absolutely nothing.

My lawyer sent the divorce papers. I printed two copies, leaving one at home and taking one to the office.

For the next few days, I did not see Lucy at all.

But Shawn kept posting on his social media.

Aspen, the Alps, and Bora Bora.

At the bottom of every photo, there was an elegant hand with a diamond ring.

I instantly knew it was Lucy's hand. I custom-designed that wedding ring myself. It was completely unique.

I filed to withdraw all my shares.

The board members were shocked. The company was doing well, and Shawn's big show was about to drop. If I pulled out now, I would lose all my dividends.

I did not give a damn. Over ten years of my life was wasted. This money meant nothing to me.

The shareholders fought over my shares, offering double or triple the price. I let my lawyer handle it while I packed up my office.

Zack walked past my office. He paused and could not help but ask.

"Boss, are you really pulling out?"

Zack was my buddy and the PR director. He was the only one not drooling over my shares in the meeting.

"Yes, I am done. You should probably quit too. It is pointless here."

"If you want a new job, call this number."

I handed him a business card. I could ignore everyone else, but not Zack.

He had been with me since day one. We had weathered so many storms together. I had to look out for him.

Zack gripped the card tightly. He finally muttered a response.

"I will leave as soon as I finish my current tasks."

On my way out, an old friend from a major network called. He asked if I still wanted the prime time slot for the new show.

"Colton, not gonna lie, Shawn's reputation is garbage. The show is mediocre too. If you insist on prime time..."

"Just follow the standard process. Do what you have to do." I interrupted him.

He sounded a bit confused, but he quickly agreed.

With everything settled, I gave myself a long vacation.

Deep-sea fishing, hiking in the Rockies, and climbing.

I picked up all the hobbies I had dropped for Lucy. I also met a great hiking buddy.

She was about Lucy's age. She got lost on the trail, and I guided her out.

She insisted on buying me dinner. I declined a few times but finally agreed to meet at a new steakhouse.

But I never expected to see Lucy there.

To be exact, it was her and Shawn.

They were holding hands and feeding each other. Their sickening sweetness made me want to throw up.

I lost my appetite and got up to leave. Lucy somehow spotted me, and panic flashed in her eyes.

But she quickly calmed down. She marched over and glared at me fiercely.

"Colton! Are you stalking me again? I told you I was on a trip! How many trackers do you need to feel safe?"

Trackers?

I suddenly remembered.

I made a lot of enemies while building my business. Shortly after dating Lucy, I got a brutal threat text.

"Colton, I cannot touch you, but I can touch your loved ones."

"Get ready to plan a funeral for your little girlfriend!"

Lucy was camping with friends then. I drove hundreds of miles in the dead of night to find her safe.

Since then, I gave her a necklace with a GPS tracker. I just wanted to know her location in case of danger.

When Shawn first joined, Lucy often disappeared. Once, she went missing in the mountains for a whole day. I used the tracker to search the dense woods and found them trapped by a wild boar in a tree.

But instead of thanking me, Lucy slapped my face. She called me a sick freak.

Since then, she inspected every gift I gave her. She was terrified I had planted bugs in them.

But today, she was completely wrong.

I told her with a blank face.

"I am not here for you. I have a date."

"A date? Who would buy that?" Shawn sneered from the side.

"Everyone knows you want to tie Lucy to your belt forever!"

"I get that Lucy is amazing and you feel insecure. But this 24/7 stalking is insane, right, Lucy?"

Shawn was a master manipulator. Lucy glared at me under his influence.

"Colton! You are absolutely pathetic!"

"If you keep this up, we are getting a divorce!"

"Sure, please sign this." I agreed easily and pulled the divorce papers from my pocket.