CHAPTER 079: A Beautiful, Angry, Red-haired Woman

“I—” I start, but the words die in my throat. What can I say? She’s right. I didn’t consult her, didn’t consider her feelings when I made that deal with Mike. And now I’m scrambling, trying to fix something that feels like it’s already slipping out of my control.

Her eyes narrow, and I can see the hurt beneath the anger. “You know, Caspian, for once I thought you were different. I thought what we had was real. But you’re just using me like everyone else. I’m just a pawn in your little game, aren’t I?”

I flinch. Her words hit harder than I expected. “It’s not like that. You know it’s not.”

“Do I?” she shoots back. “Because right now, it feels like I’m just another piece in your chessboard. You made a deal to divorce me without even thinking about how I’d feel, how it would affect me.”

“I didn’t—” I stop, struggling to find the right words. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far. It was just… part of the plan.”

“Part of the plan,” she repeats bitterly. “Everything is always part of some p