Or
Chapter 2
Behind Alaric’s back, Aurora shot me a smug smirk.
That’s when it hit me how ridiculous this whole situation was.
Some assistant who’d been here all of three months had already stolen the trust of my husband of five years
I looked
up at Alaric’s handsome, refined face.
“Are you seriously deaf or something? I just asked her to call me ‘Mrs. Marchand‘. How the hell is that on me?”
I didn’t wait for his bullshit response, I stormed out and slammed the door behind me []
The second I got home, I called my lawyer to draft divorce papers.
While I was waiting, my best friend Viviana texted me a screenshot from Aurora’s Instagram story.]
Viv had studied business admuustration and couldn’t land a job after graduation, so I’d pulled some strings to get her hired at Marchand
Industries.
Now she was the executive assistant to the CEO–basically Aurora’s direct supervisor.
The post read: “Ugh, cramps are killing me today. But someone special made me this incredible ginger tea. So warm and comforting–it’s nice to feel taken care of! 7-||
The picture showed a man’s hand offering her a steaming mug
On that hand was the wedding ring that matched mine
No question whose hand that was–Alaric’s]
Just then, my phone buzzed with a text.
“The housekeeper mentioned you’ve been sniffing Drink plenty of fluids!”
He hand–crafted some ginger tea for her, and I get told to “drink Bluids” like I’m some random patient?||
I stared at my phone screen, waiting for another message that never came, feeling completely hollow inside
From eighteen to twenty–eight–1 knew Alarie inside and out.
He wasn’t the type to go out of his way for anyone, let alone some rookie assistant he’d just mes
Which meant only one thing: he was actually falling for her.
I won’t lie–it destroyed me. []
Watching the person you love fall for someone else right in front of you–it felt like being torn apart plece by piece!]
Tharely slept that night.
When I woke up, my pillowcase was soaked and my eyes were swollen like golf balls []
I splashed water on my face, threw on sunglasses, and drove to the care facility]
| wheeled Dad out to the lawn for some sun.
0
For the first time, we had a completely honest conversation.
The old man lit up a Marlboro, glancing at me every so often.
“What’s with the sunglasses? Did that boy hit you?”
I shook my head and cut straight to the point. “I’m divorcing Alaric“]
Dad reacted like I’d just told him a joke, taking a long drag of his cigarette.
“Yeah? When’s the big day? Should I call my guys to help you pack?”
I shook my head and pulled a bank card from my pocket, pressing it into his weathered hand.
“Take this money. I probably won’t be able to visit for a while.”
That’s when Dad realized I was serious
He just stared at me, completely stunned. Even as I walked away, I could hear him calling after me:
“Wait a damn minute! You’re really doing this? Jesus, Isolde, where the hell you gonna find better than him?”
