Chapter 5 : The Final Straw

Candice’s POV

Dr. Ruby stared at me like I’d grown two heads. Her fingers fidgeted with the pen on her desk, her worried eyes darting between me and the thick contract I’d just signed.

“Candice, are you insane?” she finally exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly. “Why on earth would you agree to this? Did you even read it? Hundreds of pages of ridiculous terms and conditions! He’s practically controlling every breath you take for the next nine months. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

I sighed, trying to keep my tone calm. “Ruby, I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?” she shot back, her voice rising. “You’ll be living with him, Candice. Living with Dorian Anderson. You’ll have to follow his rules, his schedule—hell, he even has rules about what kind of fabric you can wear! And don’t even get me started on the part where you have no rights to the baby after it’s born.”

Her words hit harder than I wanted to admit, but I forced myself to stay composed. I offered her a small, tired smile. “Ruby, I appreciate your concern, but I’ve made my decision.”

She slammed the pen down on the desk, glaring at me. “You’re going to regret this,” she said, her voice trembling with frustration. “Please, Candice, don’t do anything stupid. Think this through.”

I stood up, grabbing my bag. “Ruby, I’ve thought it through. I’ll be fine.”

She opened her mouth, probably to launch into another lecture, but I held up a hand to stop her. “I’ve got this,” I said firmly, then walked out of the room before she could argue further.

The divorce papers felt heavier in my hands than they should have. I’d picked them up shortly after leaving Ruby’s office, and now I was standing outside Joshua’s house. My stomach churned as I stared at the familiar door, memories of our life together rushing back uninvited.

This wasn’t a home anymore—not for me. Not after everything.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked.

The door opened, and instead of Joshua, I was greeted by Violet’s smug face. Her green eyes sparkled with malice, and her perfectly glossed lips curved into a cruel smile.

“Well, look who it is,” she said, leaning lazily against the doorframe. “The soon-to-be ex-Mrs. Murphy. What brings you here? Did you come to grovel for scraps?”

I ignored her snide tone and held up the divorce papers. “Where’s Joshua?”

She laughed, stepping aside to let me in. “He’s out, but lucky for you, I’m here to keep you company. Come on in, Candice. Make yourself at home—oh, wait, it’s not your home anymore, is it?”

I walked past her, refusing to rise to the bait. The house smelled different, like her overpowering perfume had soaked into the walls.

“What do you want, Candice?” she asked, trailing behind me with mock curiosity. “Are you here to beg Joshua to take you back? Or maybe you’re just hoping for some pity?”

I turned to face her, holding the papers tightly. “I’m here to give him these and to pack up my things.”

Violet’s eyes gleamed with wicked delight. “How noble,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “But really, Candice, what’s the point? Joshua’s already moved on. We’ve already moved on.”

Her words stung, but I kept my face neutral.

“You know,” she continued, circling me like a predator, “I’ve always wondered how someone like you managed to land Joshua in the first place. An orphan with no family, no connections, no money—what exactly did you bring to the table?”

I clenched my fists at my sides, but I stayed silent.

“Oh, wait,” she said, her voice suddenly mocking with fake pity. “I forgot. You couldn’t even give him a child. All those years, and what did he get? Nothing. You’re not just shameless, Candice—you’re useless.”

Her words cut deeper than I cared to admit, but then Ruby’s voice echoed in my mind: Joshua is infertile.

I straightened, meeting Violet’s cruel gaze with a cold, steady look. “You’re the one who’s delusional, Violet. Stop lying to yourself.”

Her smirk faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, tossing her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Before I could respond, the sound of the front door opening interrupted us. Violet’s eyes widened, and in a flash, her demeanor changed. She gasped dramatically, clutching her stomach as if in pain.

“Candice!” she cried, her voice trembling with fake fear. “Please, don’t hurt me—or the baby!”

I stared at her, dumbfounded. “What—”

Before I could finish, Joshua stormed into the room, his face twisted with anger. “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded, his eyes darting between us.

Violet turned to him, tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Joshua. I tried to stay calm, but Candice—she just won’t leave us alone. I think she’s jealous of the baby.”

Joshua’s gaze snapped to me, his expression hardening. “What are you doing here, Candice?” he spat. “Haven’t you humiliated yourself enough?”

I held up the divorce papers, my hands trembling despite my best efforts. “I came to have you sign these and to pack my things.”

He snatched the papers from me, barely glancing at them before looking back at me with disdain. “You really are pathetic, Candice,” he began, his voice dripping with contempt. “You walk in here like you still have some kind of claim to anything. News flash: you don’t. You never did. Do you know what you are to me? A mistake. A burden I carried for far too long. You’re nothing but a washed-up charity case I pitied.”

“Coming in here with your little papers, acting all self-righteous, like you’re the one ending this. No, Candice, I ended this the moment I realized what a waste of time you are. You couldn’t even do the one thing a wife is

supposed to do—give me a family.

I felt my chest tighten as the tears threatened to spill, but I swallowed hard, forcing them back.

“And don’t think for a second that signing those papers makes you noble or brave,” he added, his tone biting. “You’re not some martyr, Candice.

“You’re nothing but a rag,” he said, his voice cold. “Something I used and threw away when it was no longer worth keeping. A trash I’ve already taken out.”

I stood frozen, my fists clenched tightly at my sides, my nails digging into my palms to keep myself steady.

Violet sniffled softly,.. Her voice was sweet and mocking as she looked at Joshua with wide, innocent eyes. “Don’t be so harsh, Joshua,” she said, wiping at her fake tears. “When the baby comes, maybe we can hire Candice as the babysitter. That way, she’ll at least be useful for once.”