1 Five years into our marriage, I told Caleb Cross I wanted a divorce. "Is this just because I gave the promotion to her instead of you?" he asked, his brow furrowed. But his attention was already back on the phone, his voice dropping to a murmur to soothe Leah Jones on the other end. "Yes," I said. "Fine." Without a second glance, he scrawled his name on the divorce papers I’d placed in front of him. "Let's see how many days you last before you come crawling back." From college sweethearts to husband and wife, we had been each other’s first and everything. He was so sure I couldn't live without him. But I was done. The job, the promotion… that was his last chance. It wasn't like I was desperate for a position. An offer from a top-three tech firm in the States was sitting in my inbox, a world away from his reach. I accepted it. From now on, we were strangers. The slate was wiped clean. … Caleb hung up the phone, his eyes betraying nothing. A chill crept over my heart. He lifted his gaze, his expression lazy, bored. "Stella Vance, you have zero work experience. You won't survive a day without me." I shook my head. "Don't forget, I graduated from the same top university you did. I'll find my own way to survive." "Suit yourself," he said, signing his name with a flourish. "Just don't drag this out. Mom's still at the hospital, and she's expecting you." I didn't answer. I just folded the papers, ready to leave, when our housekeeper showed Leah Jones in. She was dressed in a sharp power suit, her red lipstick a slash of professional confidence. "Mr. Cross, I had a few more thoughts on the proposal you recommended me for. I was hoping to run them by you." Caleb’s eyebrow arched as he glanced at me. In the past, I would have been the one to throw her out, then slap another set of divorce papers on his desk. I’d done it ninety-nine times. But this was the hundredth. And this time, there would be no more games. A flicker of something—triumph?—crossed Leah’s eyes. "Oh, Mrs. Cross, please don't misunderstand. I’m just here to discuss work. It’s all terribly boring stuff. Perhaps you could wait outside until we're finished?" I moved past her, heading for the door, but her voice followed me, a stage whisper meant for me to hear. "You know, for someone who can't help with the business, you'd think she'd be more understanding of how busy Mr. Cross is. You've really spoiled her." My fists clenched. I spun around. "And who the hell are you to him? Did you not see we were having a private conversation? Or do you just make a habit of showing up at your boss's house on a weekend to 'sync up'? What's the rush? Got a deadline with the devil? Have your parents ever heard of the word 'boundaries'?" Leah’s lip trembled, her eyes instantly welling with tears. She actually clutched her files and made a show of turning to leave. "That's enough!" Caleb snapped, grabbing her arm to pull her back. His glare was fixed on me. "Leah is right. She was just sticking up for me. Can't you, for once, not assume the worst in people?" The study fell into a dead silence. Watching them, his hand still on her arm, a bitter laugh escaped me. What a joke. This marriage was a joke. These people were a joke. Every second I stayed here was another second of my life wasted. 2 I spent the night at my best friend's place. In the dead of night, my phone buzzed. It was a screenshot of a social media post, sent from Leah’s account. The caption read: "Burning the midnight oil! Nothing like a late-night coffee to power through. So grateful for a boss who believes in me. I mean, who else gets to work side-by-side with their amazing boss until the early hours? #Blessed #BestBossEver" The background was unmistakably Caleb's study. If you looked closely at the reflection in the window, you could see their silhouettes sitting together, their bodies nearly touching. Just then, my friend rushed in, shoving her phone in my face. It was a text from Caleb. "Are you done being mad? Come home. We can talk about that new position." A cold, humorless laugh escaped my lips. That "new position" was just another empty promise, another delay tactic. It wasn't the first time he'd apologized to me right after spending an evening with Leah. It was his classic move: a slap, then a rotten piece of candy. It wasn't always like this. Back in college, when I wanted to enter a major coding competition, he gave up his own spot just so I could have it. My friend came out of the shower to find me staring blankly at my phone, my eyes red. "Second thoughts?" I shook my head, my throat tight. "If you're not ready, then wait," she said softly. "You two have been through so much. You can't just throw it all away. Besides, you haven't hit your one hundred times yet…" "We have." She froze. "What?" "One hundred times," I said, taking a deep breath and forcing the tears back. "It's done." "I accepted the offer from the tech firm in the States. I haven't been idle all these years, you know. I've been managing investment funds online, building my portfolio. My resume is solid. They offered me a senior position with a great salary. It's a huge opportunity." "Are you sure? What did Caleb say? You two were so in love." My voice was steady when I replied. "Yes. We fell in love because we saw the light in each other. But after we got married, that light went out. I lost myself. A love like that… there's no point in trying to keep it alive." My friend wrapped me in a hug, her eyes shining with pride. "If you've made up your mind, then do it. But you should still go to the Cross Corp gala tomorrow. Don't let Caleb suspect anything's different." The next morning, I drove to the venue. I was planning to find a quiet corner and disappear, but then I heard my name. "I hear the wife throws a fit and threatens divorce all the time. Can you believe it? How does a guy like Caleb, a total catch, end up with such a petty, dramatic woman?" "It’s gotta be the sex, right? I've seen her type before. I'll bet you anything he gets tired of her within six months and dumps her… oh, Mr. Cross." The two men who had been talking froze, their faces pale as Caleb approached. Jake, the trust-fund brat who always trailed Caleb, just chuckled and raised his glass. "See? Everyone thinks you're headed for divorce. Tell you what, I'll put my money on three months." Caleb’s gaze slid away from the gossiping men, and he took a slow, deliberate sip of his champagne. "She's just high-maintenance," he said with a weary sigh. "What can you do but spoil her?" He shook his head as if burdened by the world's greatest tragedy. "Married women… they get worked up over the smallest things." "Speaking of which," Jake pressed, "you and Leah Jones have been getting pretty close. She's smart, ambitious, and she's actually good for your business. You sure you're not considering an upgrade?" 3 Caleb didn't answer, his silence a tacit agreement with Jake's assessment. My back was to them. I downed the rest of my wine in one swallow, the liquid burning a path down my throat, and walked away. My chest ached. As I searched for a glass of water, a familiar voice stopped me. "Mrs. Cross?" I looked up into the shrewd, gleaming eyes of the man before me and frowned. "What are you doing here?" "I should be thanking you, Mrs. Cross," Mr. Warren said, his tone dripping with provocation. "For so graciously handing over the Ridgewood property. I do wonder if your father will roll over in his grave." "Don't be ridiculous. That property belongs to Cross Corp." Before I could say more, Leah strode up, her chin held high. "I'm the one who signed the property over to Mr. Warren. Is there a problem, Mrs. Cross?" "Who gave you the authority to do that?" I snapped. "There's no need to be so aggressive. It was just a useless plot of land. If selling it benefits Cross Corp, what's the issue?" She shot me a dismissive look. "Besides, you wouldn't understand this stuff anyway. Why don't you stick to being a housewife? We wouldn't want you to interfere and upset our clients, would we?" "Caleb would never have approved this," I said through gritted teeth, forcing myself to stay calm. "You did this on your own, didn't you?" "So what if I did?" Leah's face flushed. "Mr. Cross made me an executive. He said he trusts my judgment." "Does he?" I let out a cold laugh. "Then I dare you to tell him you went behind his back and sold that land." "Leah, he gave you authority to execute, not to sign contracts unilaterally without board approval. Do you know how illegal that is? How do you plan on compensating the company for this mess?" The crowd around us began to murmur, their gazes shifting to Leah with scorn. She bit her lip, her expression one of profound injury, yet she stood her ground. "You can insult me, but you can't insult my contributions to this company! Don't think you can bully me just because you're the boss's wife. Even if Mr. Cross finds out I sold the land, he'll praise me for my initiative. You can check the latest performance reports if you don't believe me. So please, stop making baseless accusations!" "What's going on here?" Caleb’s voice cut through the tension. He arrived just in time to see Leah turn away, dabbing at her eyes. His tone hardened. "Stella, explain yourself." My face was a mask of indifference. I met his gaze. "She sold the Ridgewood property to Mr. Warren. Did you know about this?" Leah immediately looked to Caleb, her voice laced with panic. "Mr. Cross, I was only thinking of the company! But as soon as Mrs. Cross heard I made a profit, she started yelling at me, even threatened to call the police." She added, with a veneer of magnanimity, "I know she doesn't have much experience with the real world, so if she would just apologize, I'm willing to overlook it." Caleb’s frown deepened with every word. For a split second, he actually looked flustered. "The land sale… it was a special circumstance." My heart sank. "Are you telling me to drop it? Or are you just afraid she'll get in trouble if this blows up?" He pursed his lips and reached for my hand. "Of course not. As her boss, I apologize on her behalf. Are you feeling better now?" "CALEB! MY FATHER GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THAT LAND!" I ripped my hand away, my voice a raw scream as I pointed at Leah. "If she doesn't get that land back today, I swear I will make her life a living hell!" "ENOUGH!" Caleb roared. "It's signed. What's done is done. Why are you clinging to the past?" "I'll cover the loss for her. I'll give you the money myself. I can see you've been on edge lately. Take the money, go on a vacation, and cool off. When you've had time to reflect, I'll come get you." I froze. After a long moment, a chilling smile spread across my face. "Fine. Just fine." "You can protect her for the rest of your life. I was blind to ever marry you," I said, already dialing my friend. "Book the tickets. We're going abroad." As I walked away, Caleb just sighed, a look of weary resignation on his face. He turned and put a comforting arm around Leah. He didn't even try to follow me. 4 My friend drove me to a cemetery on the outskirts of the city. "You're not just going to let this go, are you?" she fumed, rolling up her sleeves. "I'm going to go back there and rip that witch's tongue out!" "Of course not." I grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "You're forgetting something. That American tech firm has been looking for a way into the domestic market. They need a prime piece of real estate." "As a condition of my employment, I can propose that they acquire the land from Warren. It's a win-win. The firm gets its foothold, and Warren gets a prestigious international partner. Neither of them will refuse." My friend stared at me. "Caleb is going to lose his mind when he finds out. If he comes begging… would you ever take him back?" When I remained silent, she shook her head violently. "No, no, forget I said that. That cheating bastard deserves to die alone!" I looked at the two fresh bouquets of roses placed before my parents' headstones and paused. Forgive him? My father had lost everything in a bad investment, then got swindled by Warren over the Ridgewood property. Drowning in debt, he took his own life to protect my mother and me. He never knew what came after. The debt collectors started showing up the moment I left for college. They were relentless. Students and professors alike started to avoid me. "She looks so clean-cut. Can you believe her family owes that much money? They must have pissed off someone dangerous." "Who knows. Those guys look like thugs. I bet she's already sleeping with them to pay it off." "Probably. How else would a student like her get that kind of money…" I would walk through the hallways with my head down, my hands balled so tightly into fists that my nails drew blood. One day, someone pushed me from behind. I stumbled forward, heading straight for a rusted, broken window frame. I closed my eyes, thinking, if I die, it'll all be over… The next second, I fell into a warm, strong embrace. Caleb had saved me. He held me, his expression deadly serious. "Don't listen to them," he said. "You're brilliant." After my father's death, I had sworn to become strong, to excel at everything, to protect myself and my mother. And from that day on, using the excuse that he'd saved my life, Caleb was always there. It was annoying. He completely upended the solitary life I had grown accustomed to. Then the debt collectors came to our home. They threatened to make my mother and me pay with our bodies. Caleb appeared out of nowhere with a group of security guards and nearly beat them to death. "Stop!" I screamed, rushing to pull him back, a strange panic seizing me. "You'll go to jail if you kill them! It's not worth it!" His eyes were bloodshot. "They insulted you!" "They were just threats! You saved me, remember?" I gently took the thick baseball bat from his hands, my voice soft. He always listened to me. After the men were dragged away, he clung to me like a lost puppy. "Even threatening you isn't okay," he mumbled into my shoulder. We got together after that. From college, to marriage, to… this. Everything started to sour the day Leah Jones joined his company, three years into our marriage, and began her regular pilgrimages to Caleb’s study. At first, I dismissed her as a naive, ambitious graduate. What boss doesn't appreciate a hardworking employee? But then she started coming to our house every single week, locking herself in the study with him for the entire day. Any time I needed Caleb, she would intercept, claiming it was urgent work and subtly implying that I was being childish. On my birthday, we had plans. We were going to pick up his mother and go out for a nice dinner. Leah appeared at our door, pulling on Caleb’s sleeve with a look of feigned distress. "Mr. Cross, there are still a few things in the report I don't understand. You know me, I won't be able to sleep if I can't figure it out. Maybe… maybe I could tag along? The more the merrier, right?" "Of course," Caleb said, already ushering her toward the car. "What part of your personality is this?" I finally snapped, planting my hand on the car door. "The part that thinks it's okay to intrude on a husband and wife's private life? Let me get this straight, Leah. What kind of person crashes a private birthday dinner to talk about work? Does the thought of me enjoying myself give you nightmares? Or is there something else you're after?" I shot a look at Caleb. "That's not it…" she stammered, a flicker of guilt on her face. Seeing Caleb’s frown, she straightened her spine. "I was just trying to be helpful. If you can't appreciate that, you don't have to humiliate me. I'll just go!" But Caleb still made her get in the car. "What are you so upset about?" he said, smiling as he fastened my seatbelt. "Her intentions are not pure." "She's just a kid fresh out of college. What harm could she do? I think you're overthinking it. Give her a chance. She's a good kid, hardworking. You'll like her once you get to know her." Again and again, he defended her. It was like he was speaking a foreign language. I became a stranger to him, and in his eyes, I was nothing more than a spoiled, jealous wife. 5 So many times, I told her to get out, to never set foot in our house again. And every time, Leah would put on a show, acting as if she'd been mortally wounded and was about to flee in tears. And every time, Caleb would step in to stop me. "Stella, you're crossing a line. Leah is one of my top executives, someone I mentored myself. Can you stop being so suspicious of everyone? This is my house, and you don't get to make the rules!" That was the first time his words truly cut me. In a rage, I threw the divorce papers at him. But all it took was a few soft words of apology from him, and I would foolishly tear them up and forgive him. And then Leah would be back in the study. Over time, I grew tired of this version of myself. So yes, I'm tired. I'm done forgiving. But to have a love that was once so profound and all-consuming simply extinguish itself… it’s impossible not to feel a sense of loss. Until two weeks ago, when my mother died.
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