Victor’s POV
I can’t believe this woman’s being so irrational! What a way to throw a tantrum!
The events of last night replayed in my head like a broken record. Aria's request for a divorce felt like a dagger through my heart. And yet, the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got.
I sat at my office desk, my mind swirling with confusion and frustration. Taking a big gulp from the wine I had in front of me, I decided to get back to the task I was doing. But I could not focus. Aria’s face kept popping up in my head, her voice echoing in my ears.
Last night, when I’d come back from a work-related errand, my mother and brother were already gone. I had slept in the guest room, not wanting to face Aria after our argument.
Today, throughout the day at the office, I tried to lose myself in the piles of documents and hours of meetings, but Aria's words had kept etched in my mind. Her jealousy, her constant need for attention, it all felt so unlike the woman I had married.
I remember she used to be quite independent and competent, having worked a bit at her father’s company. But now, she seems lost all the time, always full of insecurities and doubts.
How did she turn out like that? Is it because we hardly spent time together? Or is it because she stopped working after getting married to me?
As I sat there, lost in my thoughts, a knock on my door snapped me back to reality.
“Mr. Thorn? The board’s waiting for you in the conference room.” It was my assistant Phil.
“Oh, right. Thanks. I’ll be right there.” I pushed my confusion aside and focused on the task at hand.
After the meeting, I packed my things and headed out. Mom had called, asking me to come to her house for dinner.
I don’t have time to deal with my wife’s unreasonable whims and unstable emotions, I thought. I’m too busy, especially with this new app that we’re developing. And now my mother wants to see me.
As I drove toward my mother's house, the familiar route triggered memories I thought I had buried deep.
My marriage with Aria was arranged, a strategic move to solidify a partnership with her father's business. I needed the boost for my own company, and her father's condition was clear.
“Marry my daughter,” he’d told me firmly. I remembered being shocked, but I saw no reason to object. Aria was beautiful and seemed intelligent, qualities that could benefit my ambitions.
In those early days, I didn't really like her. Not personally. But I respected her abilities and what she represented for my business goals. I was single-minded in my pursuit of success, my eyes firmly fixed on the billionaire status I now proudly held.
It was all worth it.
Then, there was that night. I got drunk at a party, a rare indulgence, and woke up to find myself naked beside Aria. The realization hit me like a freight train. How could I have let this happen? But the shock didn't end there.
Shortly after, compromising photos flooded my work email. Pictures of Aria and me, clearly taken that night. The message was clear: marry Aria, or these images would go public.
I remembered confronting Aria afterwards. “Are you blackmailing me?!” I was so angry. I didn’t like people manipulating me in any way. “You know perfectly well that I have to marry you for the sake of my company, my business. Why are you still doing this!”
Aria looked bewildered, as if she honestly knew nothing about it. “I didn’t take those pictures!” She was quite defensive. “Besides, if those get out, me and my family will also be ruined.”
But I didn’t believe her. I knew that they could find a way to deal with such, to make it go away, because of their money.
On the other hand, my reputation might go down the drain along with the company I represented. My business, all my hard work, could go to waste! I was terrified.
I recalled grabbing her phone and opening the folders of photos. There they were! It was clear evidence.
“I-I don’t know how those got there, I swear!” Aria claimed then. “Besides, I was drunk and asleep too. I couldn’t have taken those pictures!”
I was furious. Even though I had planned to marry her, she had to stoop to something like this to make sure I had no way out or that I would never back down.
It was a bitter feeling. Betrayed by someone I barely knew and now forced into a marriage I never wanted.
But what choice did I have? I had to protect my business, to salvage my reputation. So, I married Aria.
Well, I give her plenty of money and she doesn’t need to work at all, I thought. She should be happy. And she should consider herself lucky.
Thinking back to the few years we’d spent as husband and wife, I would say I’ve fulfilled my duties as a husband, taking care of her needs and wants.
Why is she never satisfied?
I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as I navigated the winding road.
"Why does she always have to stir up trouble?" I muttered to myself, thinking about how Aria seemed to always cause trouble for Shane.
Shane never complained, though. She always wore that same understanding smile, brushing off Aria's antics as if they were nothing more than a mild inconvenience. I liked that about her. She was always very classy and refined, completely different from Aria.
As I drove, memories of the accident suddenly flooded my mind. I believe it was Shane who had pulled me from the wreckage. Yes, I saw her wearing that necklace with the heart pendant.
I had been in and out of consciousness, but I remembered the flash of a necklace, its pendant glinting in the firelight. Shane had worn it ever since. I’ll always be grateful for what she did, sacrificing her own safety for me. That accident brought us closer to each other.
When I finally arrived at my mother’s house, I saw my brother Samuel just stepping out.
"I have to leave for work," he said, his voice clipped and efficient. There was no warmth, no hint of the bond we should have shared as brothers.
I forced a polite smile. "Would you like to stay for dinner, Samuel? "
He glanced at his expensive watch. “I'm afraid I can't. There's a conference call with the London office in an hour.”
As I watched my brother’s hurried back retreat to his car, I couldn't shake the thought of Aria. Her radiant smile during dinner with Samuel last night replayed in my mind. It was a stark contrast to the perpetual frown she wore around me lately.
She actually seemed happy, even though they don’t see each other often. The thought made me narrow my eyes. What were they so thrilled about? Why did they act as if they were close?
My eyes narrowed as suspicion crept in. But it doesn’t matter, I told myself silently. She probably just wants my attention again.
I just have to stay quiet and give her some space, and soon she’ll come running back to me like she always does.
Victor’s POVI wondered what my mother’s agenda was this time. With her, it was never just plain dinner. Something was always up. I opened the door and was greeted by the warm, familiar smell of home-cooked meals.“Victor, you're here!” Shane's voice rang out as she came into the hallway, her face lighting up with a welcoming smile. Behind her, I saw Mom and Aunt Felicity waving at me from the dining area. I wasn’t really surprised that Shane was also there, because she and my mother were quite close. “Hey, Shane,” I replied, forcing a smile. “Listen, I wanted to apologize for what happened at the party last time. Aria—”“Don’t worry about it,” Shane interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. “It was my own carelessness. I should've been more careful.”I sighed, relieved by her understanding. Shane was always like this—so forgiving, always speaking well of Aria no matter what happened. It was something I admired about her, but it also made me feel a bit guilty.“You're too kind, Sh
Aria’s POVI’ve had enough. Five years… Five years of enduring such humiliation and belittling by Victor and his family, of being treated like a nobody. And even after five years, he still believed that I was the one who’d taken those stupid naked photos of us to blackmail him into marrying me! God, I would never have stooped so low! But does anyone believe anything I say? No!I couldn't believe I used to be so persistent. I even damaged my friendships for the sake of this marriage.I immediately sent a message to my lawyer, telling him to go ahead with the divorce agreement. That's it. I won't spend any more time arguing with him. Let's just bring this all to an end quickly.Victor didn't come back that evening. But I didn't ask him urgently as usual either. Luckily, my lawyer was very efficient; he sent me the agreement that same night.The next day, I began packing my things. There wasn’t much in this house that truly belonged to me. I took off that very simple wedding ring from
Aria’s POVShane was still chattering away, showing me off. Her voice grated on my nerves. "You see, Aria, I've been working with Victor's company for years while managing my own. I know everyone and everything here," she said condescendingly. "Victor's lucky to have me as a good friend and business partner.""Oh, there's Samantha," Shane pointed out, waving across the room. "She handles all the important accounts. I recommended her for the position, actually.""And over there," she continued, oblivious to my lack of enthusiasm, "that's Peter. He's in charge of marketing. I often give him tips."“Are you done? I don’t have time for this, Shane, just take me to Victor’s office.” I interrupted her, feeling my patience wear thin. She paused and sneered. Just as we turned a corner, she stopped suddenly and I looked back at her in confusion. But then I collided with someone carrying a glass of water. The cold liquid splashed all over me, soaking my blouse and making me gasp."Oh, my god,
Aria’s POVI emerged from Victor’s company building, feeling unsure of my next move. As I hailed a cab, I found myself giving the driver Jessica's home address. Jessica had been my best friend since high school, but our communication had dwindled. Since I’d gotten married, she had persistently advised me to consider divorce, a sentiment she had expressed numerous times. Perhaps I should heed her advice. I’ve just been too stubborn, not listening to her all these years. Despite Jessica's disapproval and anger over my unwavering support for Victor, I held onto the hope that he would eventually reciprocate my feelings.Oh God, I was so stupid.I stood at her doorstep, mustered up the courage, and knocked on the door. When Jessica opened it, she didn’t say anything at first but just looked at me as if she'd seen a ghost. “Hi,” I tentatively greeted her and managed to force a smile. "Aria?” She let me in, but then, she seemed to instantly notice the troubled look on my face. Frowning,
Victor’s POVFor a moment, Aria seemed stunned. Then, she quickly recovered, attempting to wrench her hand away. "I'm not your possession. Not anymore, Victor."Behind her, Jessica glared at me. “I think you should leave now. This is my house and you are not welcome here.”I wanted to say more. But Jessica pushed me away and slammed the door. “This isn’t over, Aria,” I shouted angrily. I stormed back to my office, my mind reeling with anger and confusion. How could Aria do this? And why didn't Shane tell me about the divorce agreement earlier? I barged in, slamming the door behind me."Shane, what the hell?" I demanded, my voice sharp with accusation. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"Shane looked flustered, her eyes darting around the room. "I... I thought it was just some petty fight," she stammered. "Aria was being dramatic, as usual. I didn't think it was serious.""Petty fight?" I repeated incredulously. "She filed for divorce, Shane! This is serious!"Shane took a step bac
Aria’s POVI sat on the couch, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt, lost in my thoughts. My hand, which held my phone, was trembling. I was trying my best to be brave, but I was also scared and uncertain of the future. I honestly still hadn’t thought about where to go from here. Why does Victor have to make it so hard? He never cared about me, anyway!Troy, my friend Jessica's boyfriend, sat across from me, his eyes filled with concern.“Sorry, Aria… Am I causing you trouble?” he asked, his voice soft.I looked up, meeting his gaze. “No, not at all,” I replied, forcing a smile. “It's fine.”“Okay. I was just calling you because Jess is done cooking dinner for us.”“Alright, I’ll be right there. Thanks.”Jessica was like a sister to me, and staying at her house felt more like home than the mansion where I’d been living with Victor for the past years. As Troy and I walked to the kitchen, the delicious aroma of Jessica's cooking filled the air, making my stomach growl in anticipation.D
Aria’s POVI glanced at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. It was 11 o'clock, and Victor was exactly an hour late. My fingers drummed impatiently on the polished mahogany table in Atty. Parker's office. “He demanded I be punctual all the time,” I muttered, my voice edged with frustration. “He'd start urging me the moment I was even a little slow. Now look at him.”Atty. Parker, my lawyer, gave me a sympathetic nod. “We'll give him a few more minutes, Aria,” he said, her tone calm and professional. “He's probably stuck in traffic.”I wasn't convinced. I felt like he was doing this on purpose. I pulled out my phone and dialed Victor's number again, but it went straight to voicemail, just like the previous times. “He's not answering,” I said, exasperation seeping into my voice.“Let's wait a bit longer,” Atty. Parker suggested, trying to soothe my impatience.Just as I was about to lose my temper completely, the door swung open. Victor walked in, looking disheveled and tired
Aria’s POV“What does this have to do with Shane?” Victor's voice cut through the silence, sharp and accusing.I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to remain calm. “Victor, just sign the agreement. We don't need to drag this out.”Victor's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, his tone condescending. “She and I are just friends and business partners. Why are you always so suspicious?”I took a deep breath, swallowing my frustration. “This isn't about Shane.”Victor scoffed, turning his attention back to Atty. Parker. “She's always like this. Always looking for a reason to argue.”Atty. Parker cleared his throat, trying to maintain his professional demeanor. “Let's stay focused on the matter at hand.”Victor ignored him, directing his gaze back to me. “If you leave me, you won't be able to do anything, right? You haven't worked for five years. How will you find a job? If you don't divorce me, I can give you money, jewelry, or a job. Why are you so damn eager to leave?”His words stung, but t