Chapter 1

1

I had been with Gavin Sterling for three years. In those three years, he had a revolving door of women.

"Didn't we agree when we got married? We both play the field," he'd say.

The ninety-ninth time he abandoned me for one of his flings, I finally made up my mind to leave.

Gavin thought I was just throwing a tantrum. He accused me of being petty.

I looked at the man standing beside me.

"Am I being petty?" I asked.

He pulled me into his arms.

"Of course not. My Hayley is the most considerate woman in the world."

Later, a video of him proposing to me went viral.

Gavin panicked for the first time in his life, desperately trying to track me down.

But this time, I wasn't looking back.

……

When I pushed open the door to the study, Gavin was leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window. The morning sun gilded his tall, lean frame.

He was idly playing with a diamond cufflink in his left hand while holding his phone with his right. His voice was so tender it could make someone sick.

"Baby, that pink Porsche you wanted is already in your garage," he murmured.

He chuckled, and I could see the faint remains of a hickey on his throat through his silk collar.

"Stop being grumpy. I'll definitely come over to see you tonight."

"And that diamond necklace you liked yesterday? I already had it sent to your apartment."

He laughed softly into the phone, his sleeves smelling of a stranger's perfume. "Now? No, I'm in a meeting."

"Lying to you? How could I?"

His voice was thick with affection.

"What? Dinner with Mrs. Sterling?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"That's just business... You're the only one I really care about..."

The sound of my pen scratching against paper made him turn around.

Gavin glanced at the documents on the desk dismissively and continued his call.

"I'll take you to the auction tonight. You can buy whatever you want, okay?"

I placed the divorce papers quietly on his leather desk.

He barely spared them a glance. He pulled a fountain pen from his suit pocket.

While still sweet-talking the girl on the other end, he scribbled his flamboyant signature at the bottom of the page.

"Stay sweet, baby. Talk soon."

He hung up, tossed the pen aside, and turned to leave.

"Aren't you going to look at what you just signed?" I asked calmly.

He stopped, turning back to arch an eyebrow at me.

"What? Do you want to buy an island this time?"

"No. It's a divorce settlement."

I looked at him steadily. I wasn't joking.

"What kind of prank is this? Hayley, it isn't funny."

His warm palm moved to the back of my neck, his thumb grazing the small mole at my hairline.

That gesture used to make my heart race. Now, it just felt fake.

He leaned down to kiss the corner of my mouth. The bitter scent of a cigar mixed with the cloying sweetness of someone else's lipstick.

"We've been married for three years. Why are you still acting like a jealous teenager?"

I turned my head to avoid the kiss. He didn't stop, nuzzling my ear instead.

"Didn't we have a deal before the wedding? We both play the field."

His tone was gentle but condescending, as if he were talking to a difficult child.

"You'll always be the only Mrs. Sterling. When I'm done having my fun, I'll come home to you."

"That girl Sierra is just being difficult. She's more trouble than the others."

"See? Those women are just toys. They don't mean anything."

"Be a good girl, Hayley. Don't get worked up over them."

His fingers traced the wedding ring on my finger suggestively. "Maybe we should have a baby soon, hmm?"

The screech of tires sounded outside the window.

He checked his diamond-encrusted watch and grabbed his jacket, pinching my cheek before he left.

"Listen to me. Don't wait up tonight."

He reached the door but turned back, pulling a velvet box from his pocket.

"Almost forgot. I got you a gift."

The box held a pair of ruby earrings.

They were almost identical to the ones he'd given a famous actress last week.

I was all too familiar with these cheap compensations. Every time he upset me, he threw jewelry at the problem.

"Remember to have dinner ready next Wednesday."

He winked at me and vanished around the corner.

I opened the folder.

The sunlight hit the paper, highlighting his messy signature next to mine, which was neat and controlled.

Just like our marriage. He wasted it, and I endured it.

But this time, I wasn't giving him a chance to come back.