CHAPTER 1

I gazed at the signed divorce papers on the table.

I gazed in the window direction through brimming eyes. Kalus Mike stood there under the glare of the sun of the afternoon, as faultless and stiff as a marble carving and giving out an overpowering aura.

I've signed them. You'll need to sign them at your earliest convenience so that we can finalize the divorce before Lydia gets home.

Kalus rested his hands at his back and said, without glancing at me, "Since we had a prenuptial agreement, there won't be a problem with property division. But as compensation, I will give you an additional $20 million and the villa in the western suburbs. Otherwise, I won't be able to justify it to Grandpa if you get away with not a single cent."

I was shocked. "Does your Grandpa know you want a divorce from me?"

"Grandpa's wishes won't be a factor for me."

My skeletal frame shuddered, so I clung to the edge of the table to stabilize myself. My tears streamed down my face as I begged, "Kalus, can't we stay married?"

Finally, Kalus wheeled around and looked at me hesitantly.

He pressed his slender lips together and scrunched up his dark eyes. His handsome face still caused my heart to skip a beat.

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

My tearful, puffy eyes stared at him. "Kalus, I love you. I still want to be your wife even if you do not love me…"

"I've had enough of this, Amara. A marriage without love is hell for me."

Kalus shooed me away. He did not even bother to listen to me. "Our marriage was a mistake in the first place. You knew that I was only having trouble with Grandpa then. You also knew that I had a crush on Lydia. I just could not be with her then for some reasons.". She will be back from Meridan soon, and I am going to marry her, so you need to leave now that our three-year contract term has ended."

I lowered my head. Large teardrops fell on the table, but I quickly wiped them away.

Kalus saw it, but he did not say anything.

It was just then that his phone rang. He quickly took the call when he saw the name of the caller on the phone screen.

"Lydia, did you get on the flight already?"

He used such a gentle voice that I couldn't help but wonder if it was the same man who was so distant from me a moment ago.

Lydia Osita responded with a bright voice over the phone, "Kalus, I'm already at the Savrow Airport."

"What? You weren't supposed to come in tonight!"

"I wanted to surprise you!"

"Wait for me, Lydia. I'll go pick you up now!"

Then Kalus stormed out.

I was left feeling dejected and abandoned after the door closed.

I had sacrificed so much for the Mikes and had dedicated myself to Kalus during our marriage.

He only thought of his three years of marriage and ten years of pining in the end.

Kalus acted as if he had been released from serving a three-year prison sentence and quickly abandoned me at the first opportunity. This was to wed his childhood sweetheart, Lydia Osita, whom he had been pining for.

I was heartbroken and disillusioned to learn that I could not do anything to win Kalus's heart.

I took a deep breath, grinned wryly, and shook my head. My outraged tears smeared Kalus's stunning signature on the divorce documents.

In the night, Kalus brought Lydia back to Tideview Manor.

Kalus, second son of rich Mike family, carried a demure woman in wedding attire as he walked into the manor, catching everyone's eye.

"Kalus, we are not yet divorced, so let us not be this intimate. Amara will loathe me otherwise if she knows we did something." Lydia touched Kalus's chest while softly whispering to him.

"She won't."

The eyes of Kalus hardened as he replied, "What if she happens to see us? I don't love her. She's nothing more than a name-marriage wife of mine, so she must keep her place."

The Mikes fenced Lydia in and welcomed her while I set the table in the dining room.

Kalus noticed his wife's solitary figure and smiled, musing, 'How was Amara such a submissive servant to my family? Did she think that it would undo my decision for the divorce? How silly!'

"Master Kalus!" Then, after some time, the butler rushed to Kalus. "Young Madam just departed!"

"She departed? When?"

"Just now! She didn't take anything with her. She just took off her apron and left through the back door. There was a black car waiting for her."

Kalus hurried back to the bedroom, which was clean and tidy. He saw the signed and tear-stained divorce agreement on the bedside table.

He scowled and strode towards the window, just in time to catch sight of a black Rolls-Royce disappearing down the drive from Tideview Manor. In a moment, its tail lights vanished into the darkness.

Kalus mused to himself, 'Wasn't she in no hurry to leave this afternoon? It seems like she can't get out of here fast enough now!'

He thought that I had tricked him like a fool, so he grabbed his phone and called his secretary in anger.

"Get to know whose car this is. License plate number SA9999."

"Yes, Sir."

Five minutes passed, and Kalus's secretary called him once again. "Mr. Mike, I found out that the car with that license plate number belongs to the CEO of Zz Group."

The CEO of Zz Group was the Denz family's eldest son, Frank.

I was from a small town. I was poor and had no connections. Over the last three years, Kalus had observed that I didn't even have friends since all I used to do was stay at home. How did I get to know Frank Denz?

Kalus thought that I had already acquired myself a rebound guy.

"Mr. Mike, did you talk about the divorce with the young madam today?" His secretary inquired hesitantly.

"Of course! Why would I delay it?" Kalus grew annoyed.

"Oh… But today is the young madam's birthday."

Kalus was taken aback upon hearing this.

Frank, the eldest son of the famous Denz family, held my hand gently in the back seat of the black Rolls-Royce.

"Your second brother arranged a fireworks show for you tonight to celebrate your homecoming."

"I simply do not have the mood to watch fireworks."

I went back to being Dera Denz, the heiress of the Denz clan. I cried on my eldest brother's shoulder uncontrollably.

I glanced at my old phone and read the last message I had received, which was from Lydia.

[You've stolen Kalus from me. I told you I'd get you to let him go sooner or later. Kalus is mine, so back off!]

I laughed with tears and closed eyes and had an epiphany.

"What's wrong? Do you still miss him after everything he has done to you?" Frank hugged his sister in distress.

"Ash, it's my birthday today…

"I know. Kalus is an ass to divorce you on a day like today."

"That's why there's no remorse on my part. Kalus just murdered Amara Kol."

I awoke with my eyes once again and I was no longer Amara Kol, wife of Kalus Mike. Instead, I had become the proud heiress Dera Denz of Zz Group again. And this time, I was not hung on that man.

Dera said, "I'm over him. I'll be damned if I ever go back to him.".