Chapter 1: I'm done, let's get a divorce

Hunter strode into his office, angry, tired and frustrated with the world and a particular woman. He hadn't slept throughout the night and now he was staring at his secretary's seat, empty where Emily should have been.

He had thought she would crawl back to him as she always did. But three days after her disappearing stunt he still hadn't heard anything from her. He had been sure that she would be back, crying and begging for his forgiveness as she always did. But now, she was proving different and he did not like it, Emily was becoming someone he did not know.

But How dare she? He thought angrily. After trying to kill Carla, killing his unborn nephew and almost injuring his mother, she thought she could go scout-free, doing anything she could and thinking she could get away with it.

Or did she think he would come chasing after her just because she walked out of his house? Well, if that was her plan, he would prove her terribly wrong. No one offended the Thorne family and went scotfree. Emily knew that, after all she had been part of the family for more than three years.

He picked up the telephone and dialled his vice president's number,

“Have someone clear out Ms. Stephen's entire space. Throw out everything or better still, burn them. I don't want to see anything about her. And after that, I'll need a new secretary, preferably one who would take her job seriously. Have I made myself clear?” He screamed at his aide, Joseph.

“But, sir… “

“Don't you dare, don't you dare try to defend her. When she comes back from wherever she is, she can speak for herself. “

“But that was what I was trying to say,” Joe swallowed, “Ms. Stevens was in the office earlier this morning.“

“What do you mean she was in the office, and you're just telling me now?” Hunter's fingers were tapping badly on his desk.

“That was what I was about to tell you,” Joe swallowed hard, knowing what might happen. Being Hunter's second in command, he was the only one who knew of the relationship between Hunter and Ms. Emily Stephens. And he knew how terrible things were between them. Now he had to break this news… And probably get fired for angering Hunter like Hunter's former aide.

“Damn you, Joe, what happened then?” Hunter yelled impatiently. Trying to restrain himself from flinging the telephone and marching to Joe's office to choke the truth out of him. Why did he need to be surrounded with such slow people?

“Sir, she came by to drop a document for you and asked me to personally hand it over to you, I'll bring it over now. I'm sorry sir.” Without waiting for Hunter to slam the telephone down, Joe ended the conversation. Wiping his sweaty hands on his suit, he whispered a prayer, picked up the document and walked out of his office. How could Emily, knowing who her husband was put her in this mess?

In his office, Hunter paced up and down as he thought about what the document would be about.

A resignation letter? An apology note was more likely. She was probably trying to beg him to not divorce her and to bring her back to the house. As usual. He snickered. Soon she would come scurrying  back and he would likely forgive her, after embarrassing her a few times. The thought was so nice that when Joe walked into the office, Hunter was smiling.

Seeing Joseph, Hunter all but dragged the document out of his hand without waiting for him to say anything.

“What is the document about?” he asked him.

“I haven't opened it yet, sir.” Joe stood uneasily, worried that Hunter could see through him. True, he hadn't opened the document, but there had been no need, not when the writer had told him the content. Emily had been all smiles when she told him, "Joseph, it seems I won't be seeing you again when your boss and I finally get separated.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Or do you need me to spell it out for you? Get out!”

Flushed with relief, Joe more or less disappeared from the office.

Hunter sat down on his desk, eager to tear open the packaging, (who could be dumb enough to package a document she was simply dropping off? Obviously, only Emily. Hunter snickered.

There were two documents in the package. Opening the first document, Hunter felt relieved even though he didn't know why. It was just a resignation letter. He laughed, at least she had saved him the trouble of firing her. He was about to tear the paper away when the title of the next document caught his eye;

APPEAL FOR A DIVORCE

Hunter flung the document at the wall. His heart was beating so fast, he could hear it pounding against his chest. How dare she? A divorce? Did she think she could just go like that without any consequences? He'd like to see how she would cope in the world without his protection and the protection of her status as from the Thorne family.

He picked up the telephone and dialled Joe's office.

“I don't care how you do it, but find Ms. Stephens right now.”

“Sir, I can't,” Joe answered.

“What do you mean you can't? Joseph, this is an order!” Hunter roared. He was pacing around the office now, telephone in hand as he yelled at innocent Joe.

“Ms. Stephens said she knew you would try to find her. And that you shouldn't. Because you never will. Should I call your lawyer? She said you would be needing one.”

Without replying, Hunter slammed the telephone down angrily. Hunter sat back in his chair, he couldn’t shake the image of Emily’s defiant eyes the last time they had spoken. It was a look he had never seen before—a spark of something he hadn’t realized she possessed. Independence? Confidence? He scoffed at the thought, but the unease gnawed at him.

He picked up his phone to call someone… just as someone walked into his office without knocking…