Chapter 4- The divorce

Cassie's eyes were fixed on the screen as she stumbled backward.

She couldn't believe what she had just seen. Trent and Misty? It was unthinkable. And yet, there it was, on the news for everyone to see.

Her heart was breaking, and she didn't know how she was going to survive this.

She was still very much married to Trent. They had never divorced, and now he was announcing his engagement to her sister?

It was unbelievable. Did her parents know about this. She tried to convince herself that they didn't, but there was no way Trent would made an announcement if they didn't.

Cassie was still trying to organize her thought process. It was difficult with the amount of whispers.

"Oh no, he's like the most eligible bachelor in the whole city! Why is he getting married? I'm going to die alone!" one of the girls joked.

"I know, right? He's so gorgeous and rich. I would have given my left arm to marry him," another girl chimed in.

"I had a crush on him for years. I even tried to get a job at Silverwood Enterprises just to meet him," a third girl admitted.

"Oh my god, have you seen Misty's I*******m?" one of the girls asked. "She's absolutely stunning."

"I know, right?" another girl replied. "I saw her at a charity event last week, and she was breathtaking. That girl is a true beauty."

The girls all nodded in agreement, and one of them added, "And she's so elegant and refined. I bet she's going to make a beautiful bride."

Cassie's heart twisted with pain as she listened to the girls' conversation.

Her eyes stung with tears. She remembered how much she used to love hearing those words. How other girls raved about her husband, even at work. She loved knowing that Trent belonged to her, that she was the one he came home to.

But now, looking back, Cassie realized how naive and stupid she had been. Trent's constant "meetings" and "business trips" made sense now. He had been lying to her, cheating on her, and planning his life with someone else. Her sister!

Her cup slipped from her fingers. The hot coffee burned her, but Cassie didn't even notice. She was too busy trying to process the news.

It felt like a dozen knives had been shoved into her heart at once. Trent, the man she had loved and trusted, was marrying her own sister. The pain and betrayal were overwhelming.

Without thinking, she turned and ran out of the café, onto the busy street. Cassie didn't know where she was going; she just knew she had to get away.

She pushed through the crowds. Her eyes were blinded by tears.

A sob escaped Cassie's throat. All she knew was that she had to get away from the pain and the memories that were suffocating her.

Looking back, there was never an official announcement for her and Trent's wedding. Cassie realized that it had been a very intimate affair.

Only close friends and family had been invited, and Trent had agreed to the small ceremony without hesitation.

Was it all planned from the start, because that was what it seemed like. Cassie felt like her whole life was a lie, unraveling right in front of her.

And then there was the phrase "only daughter." Cassie's heart ached as she thought about it. Even though she was adopted, she was still her parents' daughter.

They had raised her, loved her, and supported her. The phrase was like a slap in the face. It was just a reminder that she didn't quite fit into her family's perfect little box.

Her eyes stung with tears as she walked. Her feet carrying her on autopilot. She didn't know where she was going or what she was going to do, but she knew she had to get to the bottom of this.

Her phone chimed in her bag. Cassie took it out. Her eyes lit up as she read the text from her father.

[Cassie, baby. Please come home, we need to talk. Can you come home, I'm sending a driver to you.]

Maybe, just maybe, there was hope. Maybe this was all just a big misunderstanding, and her family could fix it.

She felt a surge of relief as she typed out a response to her father. [Yes, please. I'd love a ride home.]

As she waited for the car to arrive, Cassie's mind began to spin with possibilities.

Maybe Trent and Misty had gotten caught up in some kind of publicity stunt, and it wasn't real. It was a prank. Or a really and joke.

Maybe they could all just sit down and talk about it, and everything would go back to normal.

Cassie was willing to overlook everything - the pain, the betrayal, the humiliation. She just wanted to wake up and have it all be a bad dream.

She wanted to go back to the way things were before, when she was happy and in love with Trent. Maybe, just maybe, she could get her old life back.

She stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the car to arrive.

The driver pulled up to the side of the road and got out. "Cassie, your father sent me to pick you up," he said.

Cassie got into the car without saying a word. The driver got back in and drove to the house.

When they arrived, the driver escorted Cassie to her father's study. Her father was seated behind his desk.

The driver stepped aside and let Cassie enter the study alone. He closed the door behind her and waited outside.

"Hello Daddy," she said but there was no response.

Just then the door opened. Her mother, Bridget walked in alongside Trent and Misty.

"What are the doing here?" she asked her father.

"Cassie, we need to talk," her father said.

Trent and Misty approached her. "We've been trying to reach you, Cassie," Trent said condescendingly. "We need to discuss the terms of your separation from me."

"Daddy, is this what you called me her for? You called me to threaten me."

"Watch your words Cassidy, he is still your father," Bridget growled.

"Then he should act like it! Act like your fucking father and do something about this--"

Before Cassie could finish, she was cut off by a slap. "Do not talk to your father like that!" Bridget was about to land another slap when Payne stopped her.

"That's enough! Let's just get this over with!" He pulled out a brown envelope from his desk drawer. "Cassie, sign this and leave!"

Cassie couldn't tell which pain was worse, the one in her heart, or the one radiating from her cheek. Her lips quivered and her body shook, but she couldn't cry. Not in front of the enemy.

"You are a fucking disappointment!" she said to her father who couldn't even meet her gaze.

Cassie took the papers putting her signature on them. "Fucking joke!" she sneered.

After signing, Trent smiled at Misty. "It's all taken care of, darling."

She took one good look at everyone in the room. Cassie wasn't going to take it lying down. Now she knew her father was in on it too.

Cassie had spotted photocopies of the Audit documents as she stepped into the office.

"I can have a car take you back!" Her father said as she was halfway to the door.

"Keep your fake sympathy to yourself," she barked, "I can find my way."

"Uhhh...Cassie," Trent retorted, "Bring the company car back tomorrow, alongside your cards. Any card affiliated to Murphy Magnolias or Silverwood. Don't make me call my lawyers."

Cassie's head snapped back, "Expect me!"

Cassie's hands shook as she opened the office door. She had just lost her entire life in flash.

She called Cora multiple times but there was no answer. It just meant she was in one of her never ending meetings.

After leaving her at least fifteen calls and twelve voice mails, Cassie decided to walk. It was already late at night, and she couldn't go back into the mansion to beg for a ride. She had to protect what was left of her dignity.

....

Cassie's heart skipped a beat as a black SUV approached from behind her. She had been walking for what felt like hours, the last thing she needed was to be abducted.

As the SUV stopped in front of her, Cassie's instincts told her to run. But her legs felt heavy, and she couldn't seem to move.

The window rolled down, and a familiar face appeared. It was the mystery man from the café, the one who had paid for her coffee.

"You look like you need a ride," he said.