Chapter 5 I will divorce you!

Aubrey's POV :

I didn't bother knocking. The door slammed behind me as I barged into Ryder's house—our house, though it felt anything but mine now. My heart pounded, fueled by fury, exhaustion, and a deep, bone-crushing frustration that had built up over weeks. I stormed through the hallway until I found him in the bedroom, casually pulling a shirt over his head.

He glanced at me, a smirk instantly curling his lips. That arrogant, infuriating smirk that always made me want to slap it right off his face.

"Something on your mind, Aubrey?" His tone was mocking, like he knew exactly what I was about to say.

I clenched my fists, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Why did you do it, Ryder?"

His smirk widened. "You'll have to be more specific, darling."

I took a step closer, my anger pushing me forward. "Don't play dumb with me, Ryder. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

He didn't even blink. Instead, he stepped closer, closing the gap between us. His hand shot out, fingers curling around the back of my neck, pulling me towards him.

"I told you," he whispered coldly. "I'd make you crawl back to me."

A wave of rage surged through me, and before I could stop myself, I shoved him away with all the strength I had left. But I was so tired—physically, emotionally. This man had drained every last ounce of fight in me, and I found myself wondering, not for the first time, why I ever loved him. Why did I marry this scumbag?

My voice broke when I whispered, "Why are you so desperate to keep me? Just let me go. Let me leave in peace, Ryder."

He snorted, a cold, humorless sound. "Do you think I care whether you stay or leave? But if you go, I'll have to find someone else to play the role of my obedient wife. And frankly, I don't have the time or patience for that."

I stared at him, my heart aching in a way that only he could cause. "Then why did you cheat on me?"

His expression hardened, and he shot back, "Why did ‘you' cheat with that actor? Is it because he can satisfy you better than I can? But we both know I've done that many times before, haven't I?"

I recoiled, disgusted. "So that's all I am to you? Just someone to use for sex?"

He rolled his eyes, his tone dismissive. "What else do you want, Aubrey? We had a good thing going. I provided for you, didn't I? Kept you satisfied. Isn't that enough?"

"Enough?" I hissed, feeling the bile rise in my throat. "You're a monster, Ryder. A devil."

"No," he corrected, his voice dripping with cold amusement as he grabbed my waist, pulling me flush against him. "I'm worse than that."

I tried to push him away again, but he was too strong, holding me there as he leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear. "You act disgusted, but we both know how much you loved it when I fucked you. When I pinned your hands to the bed and made you scream my name. Can that actor satisfy you better than I can, Aubrey?"

I couldn't hold back my revulsion any longer. "You're disgusting," I spat, finally managing to wrench myself free from his grip. "You were just using me all this time. All I was to you was a body to fuck."

His smirk faltered, just for a moment, but then it was back, crueler than before. "If that's how you see it, darling. But don't act surprised now. I told you, if you didn't come back to me by tomorrow, you'd face the consequences. You made your choice."

I couldn't stand to look at him anymore. My vision blurred with tears of rage and heartbreak as I turned and fled the room.

I just wanted to leave. To get away from him. Just as I reached the door, I felt a strong hand clamp down on my wrist, yanking me back with a force that made me stumble. My heart skipped a beat as Ryder pulled me back into the room, his grip like a vice around my hand.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was low, and the smirk was gone now, replaced by a cold, hard look that sent a chill down my spine.

"Let me go, Ryder," I demanded, trying to keep the fear out of my voice, but it was impossible to hide the tremble. "I'm done with this—done with you."

He ignored my plea, his grip tightening until I winced in pain. "How long have you been screwing that actor?" he hissed, his eyes narrowing. "How long have you been whoring yourself out while pretending to be my wife?"

"Stop it, Ryder!" I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let me go. "There's nothing between us—nothing like what you're thinking!"

"Oh, really?" he sneered, dragging me closer until our faces were inches apart. "Then why are you defending him? Why do you flinch every time I mention him? You're lying to me, I can see it in your eyes."

I swallowed hard, trying to stay calm, but panic was bubbling up inside me.

"I hate you," I spat. "I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone in my life."

For a moment, there was silence. I could see the anger flaring in his eyes, feel the tension in his grip. And then, suddenly, he let me go. I stumbled back, gasping for air, but he didn't move. He just stood there, watching me with a look that was almost…amused.

"Is that so?" he said softly, his voice chillingly calm. "Well, that's too bad, Aubrey. Because like it or not, you're stuck with me. And if I ever find out that you've been lying to me—if I ever catch you with him—there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

"Fine," I said, my voice dripping with bitterness. "I'll stop seeing Alex. But can you do the same? Can you stop seeing Sage?"

His eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "What kind of rubbish demand is that?" he scoffed, as if the very idea was laughable.

I crossed my arms, refusing to back down. "Why can't you do that? I'm your wife, Ryder. Or have you forgotten? Why do you need Sage so badly, unless you're admitting to cheating with her?"

For the first time, he faltered. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, his phone buzzed on the nightstand. We both glanced at it, and I caught the name on the screen—Sage.

"Answer it," I said, my voice icy. "Put it on speaker."

He frowned, hesitating. "What?"

"What are you afraid of, Ryder? If there's nothing going on between you two, then you've got nothing to hide. Put it on speaker."

His jaw tightened, and I could see the internal struggle playing out behind his eyes. But finally, he relented. "I'm not scared," he muttered, swiping to answer the call and putting it on speaker.

"Ryder?" she began, her voice trembling. "I…I have a doctor's appointment today. Could you take me? I'm scared to go alone."

There was a sob in her voice, and my stomach twisted as I watched Ryder's expression soften. "Don't worry," he said, his tone gentle and reassuring. "I'll be there. You don't have to go alone."

I laughed, a bitter, sarcastic sound that echoed in the room. It was all I could do to stop myself from screaming. "Of course," I said, my voice dripping with venom. "Your knight in shining armor, always ready to save his damsel in distress."

His gaze snapped to me, anger flashing in his eyes, but I was done.

"You don't even need to say anything, Ryder. I already have my answer. And whether you agree or not, I will divorce you!"

With that, I turned on my heel and walked out, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn't look back, didn't wait to see the fury on his face. I don't care anymore. He has made his choice clear.

And now, so have I.