Chapter 4

Marcus handed me the papers without a word. His expression was calm and there was no warmth or regret in his face. It was as though he had rehearsed this moment.

I stared at the stack of documents, my heart thudding in my chest. Divorce papers. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it after everything that had happened, but seeing them in front of me drove home the feeling of abandonment.

I had been thinking that it was something I could work out but this was the end.

"Sign them," he said coldly.

I couldn’t speak a word and my hands shook as I reached for the pen he offered.

My eyes went to his face, searching for any sign of hesitation but there was nothing. Just that blank, indifferent stare.

As I resolved to sign it, I thought about all the times we’d laughed together, the nights we had stayed up talking about our future, and the promises we’d made.

I thought about how I’d loved him, even after the arguments, after the lies, after everything. Each stroke of the pen felt like another piece of my heart breaking, but I kept going. What else could I do?

I signed my name one last time, and as I pushed the papers back toward him, I felt something die inside me.

"Good, you made the right call" Marcus muttered, gathering the documents as if they were merely a transaction, an agreement that had been fulfilled. Behind him, Rachel stood with a satisfied smirk on her face. I couldn’t even bear to look at either of them anymore.

When Marcus left the room with Rachel and the papers in his hand, I collapsed into the nearest chair out of exhaustion.

The silence in the house was so loud it pressed in on me like the walls were closing in. This wasn’t just about the finances. I had lost everything—my marriage, my home, and even my sense of self. It was too much.

I allowed myself to break down and cried profusely as the weight of it all hit me. For many years, I had tried to keep everything together by supporting Marcus through all of his failures, even going as far as sacrificing my own security to keep our life intact, and he had just let go that easily.

The thought that I was now truly alone terrified me. It was one of my biggest fears since childhood. The financial mess, the betrayal—how could I survive everything on my own?

I cleaned my eyes as I came to a conclusion. One thought echoing in my mind: I couldn’t do this alone. I needed help, and there was only one person I could think of who could be able to help me legally and emotionally.

Daniel Foster.

I hadn’t spoken to him in years. Our lives had drifted apart after college, but back then, he had been one of my closest friends. He had always been kind, reliable, and—more importantly—he knew how to handle situations like this. If anyone could help me make sense of this financial disaster, it was him.

My hands trembled as I grabbed my phone. Scrolling through my contacts, I hesitated when I saw his name. It had been so long since we had spoken that I didn't know if he would ever want to hear from me again.

I hated people who suddenly reached out to friends only when they had a problem but here I was doing the same thing. Sadly, I had no other choice so I swallowed my pride and hit the call button.

The phone rang a few times, and just as I was about to give up, I heard his familiar Midwestern voice.

"Anna? Is that really you?" He sounded surprised, but his voice was warm.

My heart instantly relaxed as I discovered that he wasn't furious at me or anything but had picked up right off where we left.

"Yeah, it's me," I said, my voice shaky. "I... I need your help, Daniel."

There was a pause, and then I heard him sigh softly. "Calm down. What’s going on? You don’t sound like yourself."

I took a deep breath, the words spilling out of me before I could stop them. I told him everything—about Marcus, the divorce, the financial mess he had left me in, and how lost I felt. I felt a pang of embarrassment as I spoke, realizing how pathetic I must have sounded, but Daniel didn’t interrupt me at all. He just listened, letting me get it all out.

When I finished, there was a long silence on the other end of the line.

“Are you still there?” I asked in a small voice.

"Yes I am, sorry. I was just digesting everything you've told me," he said finally, his voice full of compassion. "I’m so sorry you’re going through this. But I want you to know that you did the right thing by calling me. I’m here, and I’m going to help you figure this out."

Relief washed over me as I hadn’t realized how much I had needed to hear those words until now.

"I don’t know what to do," I admitted, my voice breaking. "Everything’s falling apart, and I’m scared I’m going to lose the house, too. I just—"

"Hey, it’s okay," Daniel said, his voice steady and reassuring. "First of all, take a deep breath. We’ll figure it out together. I’ve been working with finances for a long time now, and I’ve seen worse situations than this. We’ll get through it."

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. "I appreciate that, Daniel. I just feel so... overwhelmed."

"Of course you do," he said. "But listen, I think I know someone who might be able to help you more than I can. My cousin—Dorian Wilson."

My mind stumbled over the name. "Wait, Dorian Wilson? As in, the billionaire Dorian Wilson?"

"That’s the one," Daniel said with a small laugh. "He’s not as intimidating as the media makes him out to be. He owes me a favor, and I think he could help you with this. He’s got the connections to deal with situations like yours, and trust me, he’s a good guy to have on your side."

I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. Dorian Wilson was a name I had only ever heard in business articles and on TV. He was a titan in the financial world, with influence that stretched far beyond anything I could imagine. The thought of meeting him made my stomach flip.

"Daniel, I don’t know..." I hesitated. "I’ve never dealt with someone like him before. Are you sure he’d want to help?"

"Anna," Daniel said firmly, "he will help. You’ve got nothing to lose, and honestly, if anyone can sort this mess easily for you, it’s Dorian. Just trust me on this, okay?"

"Okay," I said softly. "I trust you. Let’s do it."

Daniel’s voice lightened, a hint of relief there as well. "Good. I’ll set up a meeting with Dorian as soon as I can. Just hang in there, Anna. You’re stronger than you think."

As I hung up the phone, a wave of relief swept over me but I didn't want to give into it. I knew better than to

I was still in the same position when my phone rang, startling me. I glanced at the caller ID and my heart sank as I saw that it was Daniel.

There was no way he was calling me back this quickly if it was good news. It wasn't even up to an hour so I guess he wanted to apologize that he couldn't link me up with Dorian after all.

I braced myself and picked the call preparing myself for the bad news. He spoke in a brisk tone and went straight to the point.

“Congrats Anna, you have an appointment with Dorian Wilson two days from now.”