Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Corbin's executive assistant was having another one of her depressive episodes.

He slid the divorce agreement across the mahogany desk toward me.

"It's just a formality, Lauren. Once she stabilizes emotionally, we'll remarry immediately."

I flipped through the pages, paused, and looked up into his eyes.

"I leave with nothing? No spousal support, no assets?"

An impatient crease formed between his eyebrows.

"It's just a fake divorce! Do you really have to be so petty and nickel-and-dime me over this?"

I smiled faintly without arguing. Then, I picked up the pen and signed my name.

He had no idea how long I had been waiting for this exact moment.

The moment my signature hit the paper, Corbin let out a heavy sigh of relief. A radiant smile spread across his face, one I hadn't seen in years.

He leaned in, his voice dripping with reassurance.

"Don't worry, babe. It's purely theatrical. If she weren't my mother's distant cousin, I wouldn't even bother getting involved."

I nodded gently. "I understand."

I turned toward the master bedroom to pack my bags. He blinked in confusion.

"What are you doing? Nobody told you to move out. Besides, where else would you even go?"

I zipped my suitcase shut and replied calmly.

"If we're putting on a show, we have to make it convincing. What if Linnea finds out you're still living with me and relapses?"

His expression froze awkwardly before he quickly nodded.

"Right. Good point."

He opened his mouth to say something more, but a customized ringtone cut him off.

"Something came up at the office. Let me take this, and I'll drive you wherever you need to go afterward."

He stepped out onto the balcony. The instant he answered the phone, his sharp features softened completely.

He looked just like he did when we first fell in love back in college.

While I loaded my bags into the hallway, he was still on the balcony, speaking in a low, tender voice with a look of helpless indulgence.

I slipped out the front door without making a sound and texted my best friend, Harper.

Sitting on the curb waiting for her car, memories of my past with Corbin flooded my mind.

Four years of college romance, followed by six years of marriage.

I truly believed I had found the man I would grow old with.

For his career, I gave up a secure government position in my hometown and relocated more than a thousand miles away to start from scratch in Chicago.

My family and friends all thought I had lost my mind.

Back then, he had wept with gratitude, swearing to the heavens that he would never let me regret my choice.

We grinded together for years. I poured every penny of my savings and wedding gifts into buying our three-bedroom home in the suburbs.

When he claimed his company had restructured and cut his pay, I shouldered the majority of our mortgage, paying thirty-five hundred dollars out of our four-thousand-dollar monthly note on my own.

I believed marriage was a true partnership where you didn't keep score.

Until one evening, when I decided to surprise him at an upscale downtown lounge after work.

I stood near the corridor and overheard his business buddies laughing over drinks.

"Corbin, you sly dog! A promotion, a massive raise, plus that seven-figure annual bonus package! You've got the devoted wife keeping the home fires burning, and a stunning young secretary keeping you warm on the side. You're living the dream!"

I stood frozen in the shadows, feeling as if a baseball bat had struck the back of my head. I prayed desperately that it was just a tasteless guy joke.

Then I heard Corbin's unmistakable chuckle.

"Come on, man. Every successful guy wants the same things. You'll get there eventually. Just keep your mouth shut, though. If my wife finds out, she'll make my life a living hell."

I don't even remember how I walked out of that bar that night. By the time reality hit me, I was sobbing on the sidewalk under the streetlights.

From that day forward, the blindfold came off.

Details I had once ignored suddenly screamed in my face.

He had suddenly hired a personal trainer, returned home from business dinners smelling of luxury perfume, and invented endless weekend corporate trips.

While he slept, I started quietly auditing his financial footprint.

The deeper I dug, the colder my blood ran.

To keep our household afloat, I had postponed buying clothes for seasons and stressed over grocery bills and loan payments.

Meanwhile, he was buying luxury designer bags for his mistress and dropping thousands on VIP bottle service every weekend.

He assumed I was simple, blind, and naive, so his arrogance only grew.

And now, his sweet little assistant was carrying his baby.

He fabricated this pathetic, absurd excuse just to kick me to the curb.

Little did he know, I had been preparing for this day for months.