Chapter 5

ERIC'S POV

I take a deep breath, feeling the tension in my chest tighten as I look at Julia. We’re in the middle of another argument—if I can even call it that. At this point, it’s like she’s deaf to reason, and I’m exhausted trying to make her see sense.

“Julia,” I say, trying to keep myself calm. I'm tired of the shouting and the arguing, “do you even realize how much you’ve spent this month alone? We’re nearing two million dollars, Julia. On what? Bags? Clothes? Pointless things that you don’t even need.”

She rolls her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back on the kitchen counter. She looks as if she’s utterly bored by the conversation.

“Eric, you’re overreacting,” she says “It’s not that big of a deal. You have the money. Why are you making this an issue?”

My hands ball into fists, and I can feel the anger inside my spreading. I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from screaming.

“Overreacting? Julia, this isn’t the first time. Every month, I keep watching my account drain like a leaky faucet. And I let it slide, thinking, maybe she’s just indulging herself. But this… this is too much.”

She smirks, waving a dismissive hand at me. “Well, if you’re so concerned, maybe you should’ve thought twice before marrying me. You’re my husband. I have a right to your money.”

Something snaps in me and in that moment, I almost lose it.

“A right?” I say “A right to drain me dry and spend on every pointless want you have? Julia, I didn’t sign up for this. I thought we were partners, not… not—”

“Not what?” she interrupts “Not someone who’s going to just sit around like Sophia did, waiting for your permission for every little thing? Newsflash, Eric. I’m not her. I’m not some pushover you can just silence with a glance. I'm not Sophia.”

The mention of Sophia sends a feeling through my chest. Sophia… who never gave me any trouble, who was always understanding, supportive. Not once did she try to bleed me dry. I still think about her sometimes, wondering if I made a terrible mistake leaving her for Julia.

I glare at Julia, trying to keep my anger in check, but I can feel it boiling over. “You’re right, Julia. You’re nothing like Sophia. She knew how to respect me, respect our marriage. She was smart, thoughtful. Not like… this.”

Julia’s face twists in anger, and I can tell I’ve struck a nerve. She narrows her eyes at me "Oh really?"

"You know what? I want a divorce. I can't do this anymore"

“Like hell you want one. If you think you can walk away from this marriage like you did with her, you’re wrong. I’m not going to roll over and play the submissive wife for you, and I’ll never let you divorce me. Do you hear me?”

My fists clench, and for a moment, I can’t trust myself to say anything. The thought crosses my mind, dark and dangerous. One day, she’s going to push me so far that I’ll snap. I can see it, feel it—the urge to just end this, end her. Instead, I turn and walk out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

Once I’m outside, I take in a deep breath. I try to shake off the frustration I feel inside me. I can’t do this anymore. Julia has become nothing more than a self-absorbed woman or a parasite, even. She keeps feeding off my hard work, draining me dry. This isn’t what I signed up for. I regret marrying her. I regret letting myself be charmed by her beauty and empty promises.

The only thing I know is that I need a break. I need to clear my head. Fortunately, there’s an art exhibition tonight. It's an elite, private event I was invited to. It’s a place where I can breathe, forget about Julia, and be surrounded by something… beautiful. Something real.

---

At the exhibition, I feel like I can finally breathe again. I wander through the gallery with a glass of wine in my hand. I admire the pieces on display. Each painting is meaningful. It’s refreshing to focus on something deeper, something that doesn’t drain me or demand anything from me.

I mingle with my colleagues and other business men I see there.

"The guest of honor is coming" my friend, Gerald tells me.

I sip my wine, feeling amused "Who is it?"

"She's a popular business woman. The one everyone's been talking about"

I've heard of her. Everyone's been fascinated by this business woman who built a massive empire from the ground up. I've been wanting to meet her but never got the chance. Tonight is the perfect opportunity. Maybe we can strike a deal together. I'm curious to see who this mogul is.

I continue walking around to look at the paintings. I stop in front of a lovely piece that catches my eye. It's a chaotic swirl of colors and shapes that somehow come together into something breathtaking. Lost in thought, I don’t notice someone approach until I hear a soft familiar voice.

“Isn’t it fascinating?” the person says. The voice is smooth and rich, almost like music. “The strokes seem chaotic up close, but when you step back, everything aligns perfectly. Like life… sometimes we have to step back to see the beauty in the mess.”

I freeze. The person's explanation catches my off guard. It's exactly the same way I think about the piece.

I turn to see who the person is as the voice sounds familiar. My heart skips a beat as I take in the sight before me. It’s her. Mia.

My breath catches. Mia… I barely recognize her. I have to blink repeatedly to be sure she's the one.

She’s different. She looks powerful, classy, sophisticated. Her hair falls in soft waves around her shoulders, and she’s dressed in a way that radiates authority. The blue shimmering gown she's wearing hugs her curves in the most beautiful way and the slit on her dress reaches her thigh.

There’s a glow about her, a confidence I never saw before, and it takes me a moment to process the fact that she’s standing right here.

“Mia,” I manage to say.

I’m at a loss for words. I'm caught in between memories of the past and the reality of the woman before me. The last time I saw her, she was… broken. She was behind bars. But now, she’s transformed. Everything about her is different.

How did she get here? How did she… get out of jail?

Before I can gather my thoughts, Gerald comes towards us.

“Miss Mia" he says. He goes to her and shakes her hand "Thank you for gracing us with your presence"

Mia smiles "The pleasure is all mine"

Gerald turns to me “I see you’ve met our special guest of honor. This is the woman I was telling you about. This is Mia Williams.”