William’s POV:In the days that followed Sophia’s last text, I agonized over the mystery surrounding it. I wracked my brain, trying to understand who could have possibly forced Sophia out of the city, or why they would target such a wonderful woman. She had no fame or fortune. By all means, she seemed to be just a normal girl who was sweet to everyone who knew her.Alongside the mystery of her disappearance, I also struggled in figuring out just what I felt for Sophia. Her love confession was like a dagger through my heart, and I found myself wondering if what I felt for Sophia was love, too, or if I was just too distraught by her fate.During my grief, there were times where I asked myself: was it my fault? Maybe she had gotten in trouble for loving me? I was a rich and powerful person, after all, and my family had no shortage of enemies.A few days following that final text, as I was stewing in my regret for the things I’d never said, I got a call. I answered without sparing a glanc
Caroline’s POV:To say the press went crazy after the announcement of our divorce would be an understatement. Rumors of my husband’s affair and our impending divorce stirred up headlines everywhere and it seemed like every day there was another news story about us. The media loved a villian, and William made for the perfect man to lambast. While I garnered the sympathy of millions, William was far from happy. My phone blew up with calls and texts from him, telling me to talk to the press and say that I lied. “No,” I snapped at him over a call, and it was empowering to be able to say that. If only I could see the shock on his face from hearing his “perfect” little wife outright refuse him. “I won’t do anything until you agree to finalize the divorce!”William’s voice was steeped in anger, every word coming out as a growl. “Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused? My company’s stock has taken a nosedive! My parents are so angry that it landed them in the hospital!”The fact that he
Caroline’s POV:As the days passed and chemo began to zap away my strength, I gradually began to grow weaker and more gaunt. With each glance in the mirror, I felt like a little more of me was being drained away by the day. I looked awful, and it would only be a matter of time before my hair would eventually fall away.I withdrew from the outside world. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this: withered and slowly fading away. My body felt ugly and weak, and it didn’t help that I was now famous for being the divorced wife of a famous billionaire CEO.My only solace were Martin and Cindy, who were there for me every step of the way, holding my hand when I needed it the most. They were lights in my life that filled me with warmth and reassurance, and I was so happy to have friends like them.Cindy was especially involved in my post-divorce life. She lined my closet with beautiful clothes, constantly stocked up my makeup supply, and even took me out to my favorite places to help me feel
Caroline’s POV:I could have seen that crash play out in front of me a hundred times, and yet I still wouldn’t have believed what I just saw. He’d deliberately hit Martin’s car in an attempt to abscond with me trapped in his car. Was William crazy? Any fear that remained in me swiftly morphed into fury. He’d just hit my friend’s car! Martin could be dead for all I know! The thought of jumping out of the vehicle to run to Martin crossed my mind, uncaring of the fact that we were still moving.“The doors are locked,” William reminded me as I struggled to yank open the door. “Don’t even think about it, Caroline. He’s fine, see?”Willing myself to believe him, I looked back at Martin’s car and was relieved to see him getting out of the driver’s set unscathed. “Oh thank God,” I whispered, “he’s alright.”William piped up, anger simmering in his voice. “Why do you care about him so much?” he scowled, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than before. “Were you sleeping with him?”I
Caroline’s POVA tense silence filled the room. William and I were too stunned to speak as the red mark in his cheek burned. Finally, as if in a fit of sobriety, William got off of me.William endeavored to speak, but he couldn’t seem to find the words. After a minute of floundering for what to say, he spoke, his voice cold and simmering with something I couldn’t quite pin. “You want to be alone? Fine, be alone.”With a scowl and a biting look, he left, leaving me completely by myself.Sitting up in bed, my first priority was to calm my racing mind and pounding heart. I could hardly process all that had just taken place. What had he been planning to do with me? Was he insane?The motives behind William’s behavior eluded me, but at least he was no longer in the room. It gave me the opportunity to finally get some rest without having to worry about his invasive presence. Laying down in the master bed, my eyes slipped shut and I fell into a slow and uneasy sleep. When I awoke, it was du
Caroline’s POV:Silence reigned as William’s mind struggled to comprehend my words. Slowly, he grabbed a bottle of booze off of the coffee table and took a swig, followed by a look of genuine disbelief.“You won’t die,” he said at last, his voice cracking with emotion. “You can’t die. If you die, then… then I’ll die with you.”The cold grip of sadness had my heart in its clutches and I could only shake my head. The desperate look in his eyes only broke my heart. It’s just the alcohol, I tried to tell myself. He’s too wasted to understand what he was saying.“William, you’re drunk,” I whispered, my voice warbling with emotion. “What about Sophia and George? Did you just forget them?”Pain overtook his expression as he seemed to finally remember his future wife and his baby boy. “Oh, right,” he murmured, conflict evident in his tone. “I have a girlfriend and a child.” The look he gave me spoke of someone who was truly lost. “They need me. What am I going to do?”After all the pain he’d
William’s POV:I must have been losing my mind, because thoughts of Caroline followed me with no end in sight. Whether it be with anger or with a sudden sense of longing, my mind turned to her for hours on end. Not only did it fill me with deep frustration, but my beloved Sophia could tell just how distracted I was becoming.I shamefully found myself digging through Caroline’s social media just to see how she was getting along after the divorce. Surely she had to be miserable without me, missing me at every hour of the day. Instead, what I discovered were carefree photos of her downing drinks at a bar with that friend of hers (Cynthia? Candy? Her name didn't matter). Surrounding her were a plethora of strange, disgusting-looking men. As a man myself, the lustful looks in their eyes were easily recognizable, and just the sight alone made my blood begin to boil. It also led me to realize that Caroline was truly a charming woman, and she always had been. Men seemed to flock to her at j
My thoughts were in shambles as they raced to figure out what to say to William. The obvious answer was to speak the truth, but why would I tell him? After all the pain he had caused me and the conflicted feelings he’d stirred up, he didn’t deserve to still be involved in my life. Would he even care if I told him?Anger sparked within my heart and I gave a biting remark in return. “Maybe all that hair is from all the women you keep bringing back home.”William sputtered furiously on the other end of the phone. “How dare you?” he snapped, his voice a mix of rage and indignance. “I take you back to my home, let you take all your junk, give you a nice meal and a place to sleep, and this is how you treat me? You can rot for all I care!”The call was cut, leaving me with a feeling of relief. If I had played my cards right, I wouldn’t be hearing his scolding voice for a while. Despite my confidence, he was a tick I couldn’t be rid of, and he would always worm his way back in one way or anot