All Chapters of CUTTING THE CORD: my ex-husband regret : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The courthouse loomed before me, an imposing structure of cold stone and steel that seemed to echo the finality of what I was about to do. I stood at the base of the steps, clutching the handle of my leather briefcase so tightly that my knuckles had turned white. The autumn wind whipped around me, tugging at the strands of my carefully styled auburn hair, but I didn’t care. Today was the day I severed the last tie binding me to Daniel Blackwood.As I walked up the steps, the rhythmic click of my heels on the pavement sounded like a countdown to freedom. Each step brought me closer to the closure I’d been craving for years. I adjusted my tailored gray blazer, the fabric stiff and unyielding against my shoulders, as if the garment itself could sense the weight of the decision I was making.Inside, the courthouse was just as I remembered—cold, clinical, and utterly devoid of warmth. The smell of disinfectant hung in the air, mingling with the faint scent of old paper and worn leather. I

The cryptic text lingered in my thoughts long after I left the office that evening. The city buzzed around me, vibrant and chaotic, yet I felt a growing unease. The lights of Manhattan glimmered like stars against the deepening night sky, but I couldn't shake the chill that crept into my bones.My car glided through the streets, the hum of the engine a steady backdrop to my racing mind. I stared out the window, watching the familiar sights of the city blur past—places I had once wandered with Daniel, back when everything was different. Back when I was different.But those days were over. I was no longer the naive young woman who had let Daniel Blackwood control her every move. I had built something of my own now, something that mattered. NexTech was my future, and I wouldn’t let anything—or anyone—take that from me.By the time I reached my apartment, a sleek, modern space on the Upper West Side, the feeling of unease had settled into a simmering determination. I couldn’t afford to le

I couldn’t sleep. The city outside my window was quiet, a stark contrast to the whirlwind inside my head. Oliver’s offer replayed over and over, each word dissected and analyzed until it lost all meaning. The man was a master of manipulation, that much was clear, but his intentions remained a mystery, one that gnawed at me relentlessly.I had barely closed my eyes when a sharp knock echoed through the apartment. My heart leapt to my throat, my mind immediately jumping to the worst conclusions. I hadn’t been expecting anyone, and at this hour, the possibilities were far from comforting.I slipped out of bed, pulling on the silk robe that hung on the back of the door. The floor was cold beneath my bare feet as I made my way to the front door, each step heightening the tension that coiled in my chest.Another knock, louder this time, more insistent. Whoever it was, they weren’t going away. I paused in front of the door, my hand hovering over the knob. “Who is it?” My voice was steady,

The morning light crept through the blinds, casting faint stripes across my desk as I sat in my office, staring blankly at my computer screen. The crisp, clean lines of my tech startup’s website, which had once been a symbol of my hard-earned success, now seemed like a cruel reminder of how quickly things could go wrong.The call from my lead developer, Jamie, had been alarming. The company’s flagship product, an innovative app designed to revolutionize the market, had just experienced a catastrophic data breach. Users' personal information was compromised, and our entire system was under siege.My heart raced as I clicked through the emails and messages flooding my inbox, each one a grim reminder of the damage. Jamie’s urgent tone still echoed in my ears. “Emily, this is bad. Really bad. It looks like someone had access to our core systems. This wasn’t a random attack.”I slammed my hand on the desk, frustration boiling over. “How is this even possible? We’ve had top-notch security.

The rain had finally let up by the time I left the café with Sam. The air was cool and crisp, a brief respite from the oppressive weight that had been hanging over me. Sam had retreated into his own world of guilt and regret, leaving me alone with my turbulent thoughts. I needed to focus, to get a grip on the situation, but the anonymous email still burned in my mind. It was clear that something far deeper and more sinister was at play.When I arrived at the office the next morning, my phone buzzed with a new notification. It was from an unknown number, the message short and to the point: *"Meet me at The Hudson tonight. 7 PM. Daniel Blackwood."* The message was unmistakably clear—Daniel wanted to see me.A knot tightened in my stomach. I hadn’t seen Daniel since the divorce proceedings, and the thought of facing him again, especially after everything that had happened, was unsettling. But I knew I couldn’t ignore it. I needed to figure out what Daniel was up to and if he was somehow