Valerie’s POVRon leaned close to me, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, "Stay strong, Valerie. Don't let him break you."My shoulders trembled, trying to hold my emotions in. The tears were still fresh on my cheeks, but inside me, the anger began to rise to gradually cover my sorrow. I drew a little bit back from Ron's easy comfort and, wiped my eyes with the heel of my hand, then turned and narrowed my eyes to Drake."You're a selfish heartless bastard, Drake," I spat, my voice shaking with a mixture of hurt and fury, "How on earth can you do this to me? How on earth can you do this to me? I mean, after everything we've been through—all that I've done for you!"His jaw tightened as he took a step closer, but something unreadable glinted in his eyes. He almost seemed conflicted, as if he wasn't sure what kind of response to have towards my accusations. Finally, he breathed out sharply and said, "Valerie. It was an arranged marriage. My hands were tied. You think I wanted
Valerie’s POVI returned to the ball with my feelings high. Every step I took was heavy with anger and resentment. The echoes of Drake's accusations and Charlotte's smug face haunted my thoughts, intertwining into the storm within my chest. The ball was on, and guests were laughing, gisting, and dancing. No one had an inkling of what had just transpired backstage. The chandeliers glittered, flickering a blinding gold on everything, but to me, it all seemed dim, smothering.I saw Charlotte clinging to Drake's arm, heard her laughter too loud, touch too possessive as if staking a claim on him in front of everybody else. It rubbed salt into fresh wounds. For his part, Drake looked detached, the smile on his face forced. But that didn't matter, my blood started to boil at the sight.I clenched my fists so hard I could feel the crumple of the divorce documents. The very papers representing my hateful, twisted marriage that had been nothing but a farce. I felt by my side the solid, sturdy p
Drake’s POVValerie's statement hung in the air, and the room fell silent, with no sound of clinking glasses or soft murmurs left. The silence sent the weight of her words right through. Valerie stood frozen for a moment, her heart beating in her chest—as if all the guests' eyes had turned on her, their incredulity felt. Yet, she knew she had to stand her ground, no matter how much her knees threatened to buckle beneath her.I was the first to break the silence, my voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting, Valerie?" my tone was cold, dripping with disdain. "This is nothing but gibberish.""It's not gibberish, Drake," she said, fighting to keep her tone very firm, although her throat had tightened and made her voice harder to push out. "I have nothing to gain by lying about this."My eyebrows narrowed, my jaw tightening in anger. I turned around the room, my eyes landing on a few guests who whispered to one another. "This lady is trying to
Valerie’s POVTonight, I was finally ready to break free from the chains that had bound me to Drake, to a past that no longer served a purpose to me.Taking a deep breath and sighing, I turned to Drake, who was standing across the room, his eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my stomach churn. For a moment, I hesitated, the memories of our time together flashing before my eyes, moments of passion, of power, of promises that were never meant to be kept. But those memories were overshadowed by the reality of our relationship, a transactional arrangement that had drained me of my essence, leaving me hollow and desperate for something real."Drake," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside me. "I think it's time we end this."Drake's expression remained unreadable, his lips pressing into a thin line as he studied me."Are you sure about this?" he asked, his tone measured, almost cold.I nodded, though my heart pounded in my chest. "Yes, I'm sur
Valerie’s POV"Valerie." Deep and commanding, Drake's voice echoed down the hall. I stopped, tightened my hold on the strap of my bag, and turned to face him. He stood at the end of the corridor, his expression unreadable, though there was a tension in his stance that made her wary."I came for my things," I said, my voice even, though my heart raced. "I don't plan on staying."Drake stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "You can't just walk away from this, Valerie. From us.""There is no 'us,' Drake," I replied, a sharp edge to my tone. "There never was. It was a contract, nothing more."His jaw flexed, and for an instant, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of something… hurt, maybe? in his eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by the mask of control he wore so well."You're making a mistake," Drake said, his voice low and dangerous. "You know you can't afford to leave. Your brother's medical bills”."Don't you dare," I snapped, cutting him off. My eyes flashed anger as I took a step fo
Valerie’s POVI stormed out of the office, my heart thudding in my chest as each step I took echoed the anger and frustration boiling within me. Drake's last words were still very much alive in my ears, cruel and cutting, words meant to cut me into shreds. He had tried to bring me down to nothing, to make me feel like I was worth nothing. But I wasn't going to let him win. Not this time.He might have pushed my buttons, and gotten under my skin, but he didn't hold power over me anymore. I was done with him, done with his manipulations, and as I walked away from the building, I felt stronger. As I walked to where Ron was waiting, I promised myself that I wouldn't let Drake's words get to my head.I got to Ron's place and he was waiting outside for me. He smiled at me, his expression warm.He held open the car door for me, his hand resting on my lower back lightly as he ushered me inside the car."How was it?" Ron asked softly when we were on the move.I sighed and slumped into my seat
Valerie's POV.A look of puzzlement crossed get face, She stopped and peered intensely at my phone, as I held it up for her to see the picture well, She blinked rapidly trying to make sense of the picture on my phone, I'm sure she would be wondering how I got it, But actually, I'm sitting here, and she didn't notice that. She tilted her head quizzically, as I allowed a mischievous smile make its way to my face. I needed something to control Charlotte, and I am slowly getting it. Apart from Drake she is the only person on my neck that I need to deal with soon. She has been making me dance in her tone. I need to do the same to her.I placed my phone on the table next to me and shipped it from the orange juice placed in front of me. I crossed my right leg over the other leg and waited patiently for her to make an excuse, Because I definitely knew she would get one. But the question I keep asking is why is Drake married when she would flirt around? She claimed to love him, yet she still d
Valerie's POV.Just immediately after Charlotte accepted my request, Ron walked in, I was happy he didn't hear our conversation because I'm sure he would definitely be against my decision, He sat next to me his eyes not leaving that of Charlotte, he must be surprised why she is sitting opposite me, He looked at me and I did the same, I nodded my head in reassurance that I was okay, But that didn't get to his head, “What are you doing here Charlotte? Aren't you supposed to be busy with your date?” He asked her.“It does have anything to do with you so stay out of it, Valerie and I already concluded on a condition and if you want to know about it, you can ask her about it” She answered. I wasn't planning on telling him about it. I poured a glass of water and shifted it to Ron, “Valerie, you—”“Why would you be in an agreement with Valerie? Are you afraid that this would get you to somewhere you don't like? I never expected a whore like you would come to Valerie for help, You might not k