Aria’s POV
I’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 my hand and threw it on the table. Without looking back, I turned to leave.
It was a beautiful day, but I hardly noticed because of my nerves. The crisp, clear sky seemed to mock the turmoil churning inside me.
Clutching the divorce agreement in my shaking hands, I stepped into the imposing office building of Thorn Enterprises.
It was ironic that the first time I visited my husband's company was to divorce him.
I walked to the reception desk, my heels clicking loudly against the marble floor, each step echoing the finality of my decision. “Excuse me,” I said to the receptionist, trying to keep my voice steady. “I'm Aria Thorn, Victor's wife. Could you inform him that I'm here?”
The receptionist's eyes flickered with surprise, then settled into a look that was somewhere between pity and disdain. “Ms. Aria,” she said slowly, “Mr. Thorn isn't at the company and his wife is already upstairs.”
A knot of confusion and dread tightened in my stomach. “I'm his wife,” I insisted, my voice rising a notch. The receptionist's disdainful gaze did not waver. I felt a flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck.
“Mr. Thorn’s wife,” she repeated, enunciating each word as if I were slow to understand, “is already upstairs.”
“Aria? What brings you here?” I suddenly heard Shane’s voice. She grinned at me as if we’d always been good friends.
The receptionist greeted her and smiled, “Mrs. Thorn, how are you?”
Shane had told the receptionist I was a friend, conveniently leaving out the part where she wasn’t really Victor’s wife. She's playing that little trick again. But I ignored it and played along. Because she could take me up there. I just wanted to finish what I came here to do.
“I need to talk to Victor immediately,” I told Shane as we headed upstairs to the main office. I tried to sound casual. “Where’s him?”
Shane smirked. “He went to another company for a meeting. See, I know more about his movements than you do. Doesn't he tell you anything?”
Her words stung, but I tried to stay calm. Inside, I felt a knot of discomfort tightening.
"Mrs. Thorn," someone called out.
“Yes?”I turned around and saw several men in corporate suits approaching. The man who had spoken looked puzzled. "Who are you?"
Before I could explain, Shane stepped in smoothly. "Mr. Lee, our meeting is in an hour. I'll have the relevant documents ready; Victor has entrusted this matter entirely to me."
Mr. Lee smiled, clearly impressed. "You're really good, as Victor's wife. He always speaks highly of your abilities."
Unable to bear it any longer, I interrupted, "I'm sorry, but I'm Victor's wife, not her."
The man looked at me with disdain, sizing me up. "Is that so? Funny, he's never mentioned you. I've seen too many women like you, trying to cozy up to wealthy men." He then turned to Shane and remarked, "Women like her need to be dealt with quickly, or they'll surely multiply like weeds."
Shane smiled but remained silent. The men left without even glancing at me. I looked at Shane in disbelief and said, "Are you satisfied now? Is this how you want to be acknowledged as Victor's wife?"
Shane feigned surprise, "When did I acknowledge that? When did I ever say I'm Victor's wife?" She then grabbed my hand unexpectedly, "Come on, let me show you where Victor's office is. I know it better than you."
The nerve of this woman! She always keeps rubbing it in my face that she’s more like Victor’s wife than me. I was tired of it all, and I just couldn’t wait to not have to deal with both of them anymore.
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
Aria’s POVSamuel looked surprised to see us. His expression was guarded as he approached Victor and me on the street. “Hello, Aria,” he greeted me with a hint of warmth. “Victor,” he added, barely acknowledging his presence.“Samuel,” Victor replied, his tone clipped and icy.I glanced between the two men, sensing the tension. “Samuel, what are you doing here?” I asked.“I arranged to meet someone for business in this building,” Samuel explained, gesturing vaguely towards the entrance. “Their office is here. What about you two? What brings you here?”Before I could respond, Victor cut in. “That's none of your business, Samuel.”I noticed the sharpness in Victor's voice and wondered what had transpired between them. Ignoring the hostility, I decided to answer Samuel's question myself.“We're here to finalize our divorce at my lawyer's office,” I said matter-of-factly without any feelings. “It's almost done.”Samuel's eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really? The two of you are getting
Aria’s POVI stood at the doorstep of my childhood home, my heart heavy with the news I was about to deliver. Taking a deep breath, I rang the doorbell and waited. The familiar sound of footsteps approached, and the door swung open to reveal my parents, their faces lighting up at the sight of me.“Aria, darling! What a surprise,” my mother exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug.“Come inside,” Dad urged with a big smile. “What brings you here, Aria?”“Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you,” I said, stepping back to look at their concerned faces.We sat down in the living room, and I braced myself for their reaction. I decided it was best to just be direct and get it over and done with quickly. “Victor and I are getting a divorce,” I blurted out, my voice barely above a whisper. “We’ve already signed the documents.”They looked shocked. Mom gasped and seemed like she was about to cry. “Divorce? Why, Aria? Has Victor been treating you poorly?” My father's voice was filled with anger and conce