Chapter 1

Vanessa’s POV

I held the small envelope tight in my hands, my heart pounding with excitement. Inside, that tiny slip of paper felt like a miracle—a miracle I’d been praying for. My fingers curled around it, like holding it closer could make it more real.

I took a breath as I walked up the steps to our house. Our house. After four years, that word still meant something to me.

I smiled, imagining how my husband’s face would light up when I told him. We’d been trying for so long. Maybe this would finally make everything right between us.  

The door creaked open, and something felt off immediately. My smile faded as my eyes landed on the coffee table.

A brown folder sat there, obviously placed there for me to see. My steps slowed, dread spreading through me like ice. I leaned closer and that’s when the words on the top of the papers came into focus.

Divorce Petition.

The envelope in my hand slipped to the floor.  

“Quinn?” My voice cracked as I called.

He walked out of the kitchen, his face blank, distant. His eyes met mine, and for the first time in four years, I didn’t recognize him.  

“What’s this?” I whispered, my hand trembling as I pointed at the papers.

“It’s what it says,” he replied flatly. “I want a divorce.”

The words didn’t make sense. They couldn’t. I shook my head, a tight knot forming in my chest. “What? Quinn, no. You can’t just—”

He cut me off, his voice hard. “I can!”

My breath caught. “But why?” 

I watched him sigh, like I was exhausting him. “Because I don’t love you anymore.”

I stumbled back a step, feeling my heart break. “But we… We can fix whatever it is. Please, just talk to me. You can’t just throw everything away.”

“There’s nothing left to fix, Vanessa.” His tone was cold, detached. “I’ve moved on. There’s someone else.”

The floor felt like it was sliding out from under me and my legs shook, but I refused to fall. “Someone else?” 

He didn’t flinch. “Yeah. Mia’s back and I’m done pretending.”

I stared at him, my mind spinning. The Quinn I knew wouldn’t do this. But maybe I didn’t know him at all. I turned to look at the folder once more and I suddenly felt a wave of anger. 

“I won’t sign them,” I said, my voice trembling. “I won’t let you destroy everything we built.”

Quinn’s blue eyes hardened. He took a step forward, his face inches from mine. “You’ll sign them,” he hissed, like he was ordering me. “Or I’ll make sure you regret it. I’ll ruin you, Vanessa. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. I held his gaze, searching for any trace of the man I loved. But he was gone, and all that was left was this stranger who was breaking my heart. 

I swallowed hard, my hand instinctively touching my stomach. He didn’t know about the baby. And right now, he didn’t deserve to.

I stepped back, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I need time to think.”

“Don’t take too long,” he said, turning away like I was nothing. “This is happening whether you like it or not.”

He walked out, leaving me alone in the silence with my heart in pieces.

Evening came quickly and I couldn’t bring myself to leave the bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed, my eyes fixed on the floor, the divorce papers crumpled in my lap. My thoughts were all over the place, one bitter truth after another choking me.

My husband always thought that I was worthless. Poor. A burden he couldn’t wait to shake off.

But the irony was, I wasn’t at all. 

I was the daughter of the Calloway family—a name that carried weight, power, and more money than Quinn could ever dream of. I’d hidden that part of myself for him. For us. I didn’t want my name, my family’s fortune, to hang over his head. I didn’t want him to feel small or inferior.

So, I helped him quietly. Invested in his business. Smoothed out his struggles without him ever knowing where the help came from. Watched him rise, watched him thrive, while I stayed in the shadows, content just to see him succeed.

And now, he hated me. He looked at me like I was nothing. Because he believed I was nothing. 

I laughed at how he now looked at me like a  worthless, poor wife who couldn’t keep his attention.

A sound from downstairs broke through my thoughts—soft laughter, sickeningly sweet. I froze, my heart hammering. The sound of her voice sent a rush of heat to my face and I quickly stood up, moving toward the stairs that led down to the living room.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I gripped the railing and looked down.

There they were. Quinn and his ex, Mia Parker. Sitting on my couch. Her body draped close to his, while her fingers were playing with his shirt buttons like she belonged there.  

Quinn leaned back and his eyes met mine. There was no shame, no guilt. Just satisfaction. A smug smile curled his lips, like he was daring me to react.

“Vanessa,” he called with fake politeness. “You remember Mia, don’t you?”

Mia lifted her head right then. “Hi, Vanessa. You don’t look so good,” she quickly added and then giggled shamelessly, flipping her blonde hair back.

I scoffed, “What the hell?” it came as a murmur. 

She smirked, moving a bit closer to me. “I'm very sure you're someone who values dignity a lot, you should sign it if you still have some left.” 

My fingers dug into the railing. The pain was the only thing keeping me from breaking apart right there.

“It's not in your place to talk. You're nothing but a mistress, how dare you lecture me on what dignity is? Does it look like you have one?” I fired angrily at her. 

Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “You’re still here?” His voice dropped, cold and dismissive. “I thought you’d be gone by now.”

I still wanted to understand this. Even though it was clear what the situation was, I wanted another understanding badly. 

“How could you do this to me Quinn? What did I ever do wrong? I've been devoted and loyal to you, I did everything you wanted but you–”

“That's the point! Don't you understand how boring you are? If only you were half as good as Mia.”

I was holding the divorce papers in my other hand. My throat felt tight, but I swallowed down the lump. I've been with him for years and he's comparing me to a mistress?

This was what Quinn wanted. To break me. To humiliate me until I had no fight left.

Slowly, I descended the stairs, my movements calm, controlled. I walked past them, not sparing either of them a glance, and placed the divorce papers on the coffee table. My signature stared back at me. I had signed the papers before coming down.

“You shouldn't even think of trying to convince me. I'm telling you, no matter what you do, I'm not going to accept you back. A woman like you who's always sloppy thinks you can be with me?”

He thinks I'm sloppy when all I've been doing was helping him run his business so he could reach where he is today. Now he thinks my efforts aren't worth it?

I wiped the tears from my eyes, “If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't get to where you are today! You think everything that happened to you was a coincidence and pure luck? You think you're that lucky?”

They both laughed at me like I said something ridiculous. 

“You think a poor girl with no roots like you can hold a candle to me? How dare you talk about helping me. I did everything myself! You're just trying to leech off me and I won't let it happen, bitch!”

Mia mocked me further, “She's really feeling herself. You think you're all that just because he decided to keep you? You must think you're the daughter of a rich man or something.”

Quinn pushed me back, “Sign the damn papers right now before I completely lose it!”

His eyes were so different from when we first met. He was looking at me now with so much hatred and it was so clear what he wanted. My life. 

But is this worth losing my life over? It's breaking me but why should I lose my life for them?

“There,” I said quietly. “You got what you wanted.”

He nodded, “Good. Now get out of here, you disgust me!

I turned to go back upstairs, my heart pounding so hard that it hurt. But before climbing the stairs, I paused. 

“You know,” I said, my voice steady, “you spent so long trying to make me feel small. But one day, Quinn, you’re going to realize who you really lost.”

I didn’t wait for his reaction. I walked out because I was done. I was done pretending. Done sacrificing myself for someone who couldn’t see my worth.

It was time to go home. Time to remember who I was.

And this time, I wouldn’t let anyone take that from me.