Chapter 3

3

Tasha worked fast.

She cleaned up the legal errors in the mess Cyrus had sent me and brought back a finalized version.

I didn't hesitate for a single second. I signed my name on the dotted line.

Then, I caught a cab straight to Cyrus's corporate office. I couldn't stand being tied to that man for another minute.

The security guard at the front desk looked at me with a mix of awkwardness and pity.

"Mrs. Adler, I'm sorry. Mr. Adler gave strict orders this week."

"He said if you showed up, we weren't allowed to let you upstairs."

I stood there, stunned for a moment, before a bitter laugh escaped my lips.

My husband had built this company using my family's investment money.

Now that he was a success, I was the first person he chose to throw away.

I swallowed my pride and kept my voice calm.

"Go tell him I'm not here to beg. I just need his signature on the divorce papers."

The guard didn't want to cause a scene and called up to the executive floor.

I stood in that lobby for two hours until my legs felt like they were going to give out.

Finally, an assistant came down and told me I could go up.

But when I walked into Cyrus's private office, he wasn't the one sitting in the leather CEO chair.

It was Maya.

I finally understood why the guard had looked at me with such pity.

Seeing the mistress sitting in my husband's chair was the ultimate insult.

"Where is Cyrus?"

Maya leaned back in the chair, a smug grin spreading across her face.

"What's the matter, Lana? Did you think you could just crawl back here and Cyrus would take you back?"

"You need to face reality. Cyrus only loves me now. If I asked for the moon, he'd buy me a rocket."

"If you have any dignity left, you'll crawl back to whatever hole you came from."

I looked at her, wondering how an Ivy League graduate like Cyrus could fall for someone so cheap and tacky.

I suppose his taste in women had rotted along with his character.

I ignored her petty taunts and pulled the divorce papers from my bag.

"Actually, I'm here to give you exactly what you want. I'm divorcing him."

"Congratulations on winning my hand-me-downs. I didn't realize you enjoyed wearing other people's trash."

I didn't care about being polite anymore. I didn't care if he took her side.

The moment I lost my baby, I lost any hope I had for this man.

But as soon as the words left my mouth, the office door slammed open with a deafening bang.

Cyrus stormed in, his face contorted with rage.

Maya immediately jumped up and threw herself into his arms, sobbing instantly.

"Cyrus! I don't know why Lana is being so mean! She just started attacking me for no reason!"

"Shut up!" Cyrus roared, surprising both of us.

He didn't even look at his crying mistress. He grabbed the divorce papers off the desk, his eyes wild.

"Lana, what the hell is this?! Are you actually serious about this divorce?!"

My lips were pale and my throat was dry from standing for so long, but I felt a strange sense of relief seeing him unravel.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" I asked, my voice devoid of emotion.

Cyrus suddenly looked panicked. The anger was replaced by something that looked like fear.

"Lana, you're joking, right? This is just a game."

"The papers are right there, Cyrus. I fixed the legal mess you sent me."

"I kept the terms you wanted. What else is there to talk about?"

"I didn't mean it! Stop acting out, Lana! We are not getting a divorce!"

For a moment, he looked genuinely desperate. It was almost convincing.

But I knew better now. I wouldn't be fooled by his performance again.

"Cyrus, stop the act. Let's just end this with a little bit of dignity left."