Elena blinked back repeatedly, Divorce papers?

Her gaze moved from the document to his frame, he didn’t look like a man who’d just gutted her life open.

He looked comfortable, fuck it the bastard even had time for a glass of wine. That explains pretty much everything.

He set down the pen and slid the document toward her, his eyes void of any emotion at all.

“Sign it. Let’s end this while you still have your dignity.”

She stared at the papers, then at him.

“This is what you call dignity?” her voice cracked,

“You bring your mistress into my house. You steal my father’s company. And now you want me to thank you for a ‘settlement’?”

Jacob exhaled softly, his eyes could almost roll to the back of his head like he couldn’t continue going back and forth with this.

“Listen, you’re hurt, I get it .” The words came off blandly, like chicken without seasoning. “But, I’m offering you a clean slate. A generous one, considering everything.”

“Considering everything?” A scoff escaped her throat, her jaws clenched. “I gave up everything for you. You were nothing, Jacob! Nothing. And I made you into something.”

“You didn’t make me,” he said coolly. “You married me, you wanted to have a husband so bad. That was your choice.” He leaned his waist by the counter,

Her nails dug into her palms. “So you repay me by handing Cruz over to your secretary like it was a party favor?”

“She’s really not getting it, is she?”A familiar voice rang from the entrance, the voice was getting comfortable enough in the house such that it was haunting her already. So she knew who it was,

Cassia entered, arms folded over her silk robe, barefoot like she lived here. Elena’s gaze dropped to the robe, it was hers. She had completely taken over the house.

She leaned against the doorframe, her lips curved into a mocking smirk.

“So what if you made him something?” she said lightly. “Congratulations, you did good. You backed a man who had potential. And now you’re mad he grew past you?”

“Cassia,” Jacob warned.

“No, let her hear it,” Cassia said, as she stepped forward, “You paraded around like some desperate housewife, begging for affection. You pushed him into this marriage and now you have the audacity to be hurt because he’s breaking free?”

Pushed him into a choking marriage? That was the lie he was spreading now?

A bitter laugh escaped Elena’s throat, she turned back to Jacob. “So, what was I? The fool who loved you enough to ruin her life or the needy and lonely woman who forced you to be with her?”

Jacob’s expression didn’t change. “You were useful, Elena. you held on until I could get on my feet and I appreciated that..”

“Appreciated?” she choked.

He leaned forward, like this was just another business pitch. “Look, the settlement includes full debt coverage, luxury apartment rights, and a monthly stipend. You’ll be comfortable.”

She stared at him like he’d grown another head. “You think I care about being comfortable?”

“Then you can choose to sleep on the streets, I’m tired of your whining.” Cassia spat before walking out of the kitchen.

“I lost our baby,” she said, her voice trembled. “And you said it didn’t matter. I thought you were just trying to make me feel better, but you meant it.”

“I did.” His gaze held hers with no emotion. “I wanted to be free from you. That miscarriage was just the sign I needed.”

Before she could even process the words, her palm collided with his cheeks in anger. Her palm stung, but his cheek barely turned red. He didn’t even blink.

“That all you’ve got?” he chuckled softly,

Her breath heaved, her eyes shook in their sockets as she struggled to hold the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

“Did you ever love me?”

He stared at her for too long. “I thought I did. But I realize now… I just needed someone to use.”

Her feet retracted back shockingly, almost like the floor had caved under her.

“That’s what I was to you?” she whispered. “A stepping stone?”

He didn’t answer.

Her eyes brimmed. But the tears didn’t fall.

“You’ll regret this,” she said quietly.

Jacob smirked. “Only if you make it entertaining.”

She stared at the divorce papers on the table, and picked up the pen, she could barely hold onto it with how badly her hands shook.

But with each stroke of ink, she carved out the last piece of her dignity. The moment she was done, she placed the pen down,looked him in the eye, and smiled bitterly.

“I hope you rot.” She choked out with quivering lips before she picked up her car keys again and stormed out of the house.

The second the door closed behind her, her knees buckled. But she didn’t fall, not in front of the house.

Elena made it to her car, hands shook as she turned the key. But she drove out, with no where in mind but she just had to get as far away from him as possible.

The rain wouldn’t stop, and the wipers could barely keep up with the heavy downpour. So many headlights sped past her, but she couldn’t see them, or even feel anything.

The words he said to her burned itself in her head. She was just something he could use, five years and all he saw her as was useful.

Her stomach twisted violently, like she could throw up everything inside of her. Except, there was nothing but bitterness and hate.

She exhaled hard, as she gripped the steering wheel tighter. Suddenly, she parked miles from the house, now in the main city, but on a small road lined with trees and telephone poles.

There were no cars here, no people. Just endless rain and the occasional flash of lightning like the sky was cracking open in her grief.

She pulled off the side of the road, and clicked the engine off. Not even one second for her to think, to listen to the silence. She just wanted to be gone, she had lost.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she came down from the car, and her chest hurt. Her knuckles were white where she gripped the wheel.

Then the shaking started. Her shoulders jerked with silent sobs. She covered her mouth as the tears came fast and hot, dripping down her chin and soaking into her blouse.

A scream tried to rise in her throat, but she swallowed it down.

The wind slapped her wet hair against her as she walked into the middle of the road. Her arms dropped to her sides, Then slowly, she lifted them.

She closed her eyes, maybe if God was watching he’d known she had tried and he could take what was left of her.

Then she heard it, the low hum of an engine growing louder. The headlights turned a curve in the distance, it was a white truck.

She didn’t flinch.

Its horn blared, motioning for her to get away from the road. The headlights flickered endlessly against her but she remained,

Suddenly, the sound of screeching tyres filled the air. She opened her eyes, and suddenly a force slammed into her.

A body wrapped itself around her as it pushed them off the road, They both hit the pavement, the breath knocked out of her lungs.

It took a second for her to register what happened. The world spun for a moment, rain beat down on her face.

She felt strong hands cradle her skull, shielding it from the concrete. Her back ached, while her chest heaved frantically.

And then, she raised her face off the unknown chest she was on. Her eyes caught soaked hair, a sharpened jaw with blue eyes that burned into hers with anger and shock.

He stared down at her, breathing hard as rain dripped from his lashes.

“Are you insane?” he yelled loudly as the heavy sound of the rain continued,

She blinked repeatedly, as her eyes scanned his continuously. But soon her vision began to blur,

“I-I know you.” She mouthed before passing out in his arms.