Chapter 7

Before Anathea had married Gregory, she'd signed a prenuptial agreement. Sinclair Group's wealth had nothing to do with her, so she wouldn't get a dime.

Not that she cared. If something wasn't hers, she wouldn't take it.

After finalizing the divorce agreement, Anathea signed her name without a moment of hesitation.

She still remembered how, when she and Gregory had registered their marriage, her hands had trembled so badly from excitement that she'd nearly dropped the pen.

Now, she set the pen down without a flicker of emotion. She slipped the agreement into an envelope and tucked it away in a drawer.

"Thea, are you really divorcing Gregory?" Hannah Cole's surprised voice came through the phone.

Hannah was one of Anathea's closest friends. She'd clawed her way up from being a barely-known actress to an A-list star, constantly juggling filming schedules. The two rarely saw each other, but their bond remained strong.

It was exactly because Hannah knew Anathea so well that she was stunned. She'd witnessed firsthand just how deeply Anathea had loved Gregory.

Gregory had been a legend at their school, the kind of person even students from lower grades knew about.

At 16, he'd been directly admitted into the country's top university. By 18, he'd completed his studies ahead of schedule and left for further education abroad.

At 20, he'd founded his own company, turning it into a unicorn startup within six months and taking it public within a year. He'd expanded Sinclair Group's reach into overseas markets, reshaping its business landscape.

By 22, he'd merged his company with Sinclair Group. He'd then bypassed his own father to take control as the new head of the empire.

Gregory was brilliant, devastatingly good-looking, and had the kind of physique that set the bar impossibly high. Falling for him was almost inevitable.

But he had one fatal flaw. He was cold and emotionally detached. He didn't care about anything or anyone.

That kind of indifference had driven away countless admirers. People could be infatuated with him, but they also wanted to be loved in return. No one wanted to spend a lifetime with someone who gave nothing back.

No one except Anathea.

Everyone else only started admiring him after he rose to prominence at 16, but Anathea had already been deeply in love with him long before that.

She'd thrown herself into the fire willingly, knowing she'd get burnt.

Hannah had seen firsthand how deeply Anathea had loved Gregory. She'd tried to persuade her to leave the marriage after witnessing her pain, but Anathea had refused every time.

Anathea had held onto the hope that if she just gave Gregory her whole heart, maybe, just maybe, she could warm his.

But all she'd gotten in return was pain. Again and again, she'd patched herself up, only to be wounded anew. Now, she was finally done.

Gregory had never had a heart. Or if he did, it had never belonged to her.

Anathea had once been full of passion and blind courage, only to be forced to face the brutal reality.

So, no, she wasn't holding on anymore.

"Yeah. I've made up my mind."

"Did something happen?" Hannah asked carefully.

"Not really." Anathea let out a small smile. It was funny how letting go made her feel so much lighter. "I just want out."

There was a brief silence before Hannah's voice shot up a few octaves. "Okay! I support you! Real women leave when they want to!"

As Anathea's best friend, Hannah supported her unconditionally. However, she couldn't help but voice her concern about Xander. "What about Xander? Are you going to fight for custody?"

After all, Xander was the child Anathea had nearly died giving birth to. Over the years, she'd poured all her love into him.

"No," she said flatly. "Gregory is the only heir to the Sinclair family, and Xander is his only son. There's no way they'll let me have him."

"But if Gregory marries Natalie after the divorce, that would make her Xander's stepmother! You know what they say. Once there's a stepmom, the real dad turns into a stepdad too. Aren't you afraid Xander will be mistreated?" Hannah sounded genuinely worried.

Anathea had thought about that too. She'd been willing to stay in this loveless marriage for Xander's sake just so he wouldn't suffer if Gregory remarried.

But now, it seemed that she'd been overthinking it. Xander didn't want her as his mother. He wanted Natalie.

So be it. She'd grant his wish. Whatever happened next was on him.

Anathea spent the next hour on the phone with Hannah, who was determined to lift her spirits.

"It's okay. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Ditch Gregory, and I'll find you someone better! If I weren't stuck on set, I'd be on the first flight over to set off fireworks in celebration! Do you want me to fly back tonight and give you a big hug? Maybe lend you my shoulder to cry on?"

Anathea chuckled. "Do you have that much free time? I'm really fine. Don't worry."

"Fine, then." After making sure Anathea wasn't just putting on a brave face, Hannah finally relaxed. "So… When are you moving out?"

Anathea mulled over it for a moment. "Maybe a month from now. Once I've settled everything, I'll come find you."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Anathea's voice was unwavering.

After hanging up, she went to her walk-in closet to start packing. She'd lived here for five years, so she'd accumulated quite a lot of things, including jewelry.

Most of it had come from Gregory. He'd bought them at charity auctions and tossed them into her collection like afterthoughts.

Anathea picked up a diamond bracelet and tried it on. It was too loose. It slipped right off, clattering onto the table.

High-end jewelry was always resized to fit the wearer, so this shouldn't have happened. It only proved how little thought Gregory had put into buying this bracelet, just as he had in treating her as his wife.

Anathea let out a cold laugh. She kept only a few pieces of jewelry that Gregory's grandmother, Brisa Townsend, had specially given her. Everything else went into a box.

Then, she contacted a jewelry buyer.

Anathea didn't want a single cent of what didn't belong to her from Sinclair Group, but she wasn't going to pretend to be noble either.

Converting these jewels into cash and setting the money aside was simply her way of getting the compensation she deserved.

Anathea had given five years of her life without expecting anything in return. In the end, all she'd been left with were scars. Even a hired housekeeper would get paid. Why should Anathea walk away with nothing?

Once the sale was arranged, Anathea closed the box. Her eyes landed on the ring on her finger.

This was the one thing Gregory had given her that actually fit. It was also the only piece he'd personally placed on her ring finger.

She'd treated it like treasure. For five years, she'd never taken it off.

Anathea hesitated for a few seconds before curling her fingers slightly.