Chapter 3

I didn't even feel the sting on my face; I only felt the burning, judgmental stares of the crowd around us.

I was such a fool. How could I have pinned any shred of hope on Julian?

I turned to Grandma's smiling portrait, silently mouthing apologies over and over again.

I had ruined her final send-off.

Seeing that I had gone completely silent, Julian snapped out of his rage.

He opened his mouth to apologize, but I held up a hand to cut him off.

Julian didn't stay for the rest of the funeral anyway. Melanie called, claiming there was an emergency with the baby.

Without so much as a goodbye, he dashed out.

Later that evening, when I went back to my apartment, my key wouldn't turn in the lock.

I struggled with it for minutes until the door swung open, and my mother stepped out.

"Get lost. Melanie is staying here now. She doesn't want to see your face."

"I bought this place with my own money!" I shouted.

My mother sneered coldly. "So what? It was registered under your father's name. We were legally married, and if I don't want you living here, you can't. Simple as that."

With that, she kicked my packed luggage out into the hallway.

"If you have any shame left, divorce Julian right now."

That was the last time I saw my mother in person.

Numbly, I rolled my suitcase down the street, completely lost.

Before I could even find a cab, a violent mob surrounded me.

I had never seen these people before, but they rushed forward, punching and kicking me into the pavement.

They cursed me, screaming that I was an evil demon who deserved to die.

From their hateful shouts, I realized they were Melanie's fans.

Melanie was an influencer with a massive following online.

"Sign the divorce papers right now, or we'll make sure you never walk again!" one of them hissed, kicking my side.

I pulled out the signed divorce agreement from my bag. "I already signed it. I'm not keeping Julian."

"Smart bitch."

They filmed the whole thing on their phones.

Within hours, the humiliating video of me being beaten in the street went viral, turned into mocking memes across the internet.

Julian's family company took a massive hit because of the public scandal.

I knew this was his mother's doing. She had called me before the media frenzy: "I tried to get Julian to sign the divorce papers without realizing it, but he caught on. He refuses to let you go."

"However, to save the company's stock price, he will compromise. He's going to propose a fake divorce to calm the public. You agree to it, and I will make sure the paperwork is legally binding. But... you'll have to endure some public backlash for a bit."

"As long as I can be free of Julian, I can live with what people say about me."

"I'm so sorry, child."

She truly owed me an apology.

Years ago, when Melanie dumped Julian for money and fame, it was Mrs. Vance who begged me to pull Julian out of his darkest depression.

When Julian finally healed from his broken heart, he held me close and swore, "I thought my love for Melanie was unforgettable, but now I only want to be with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Zoe."

A man's vows really are as worthless as hot air.

That night, Julian tracked me down, looking utterly defeated. "I'm so sorry, Zoe. I didn't think things would blow up like this."

"Let's get a divorce first, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

Surprised by my compliance, he quickly explained, "It's just a fake divorce! Once the company gets through this rough patch, we'll remarry immediately."

"Okay."

I played along just to keep him calm.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, whispering sweet nothings and pouring his heart out.

I felt absolutely nothing.

The next morning, we signed the papers. I stayed out of sight while our lawyers saw the case through. By the time the court entered the final decree, Mrs. Vance had moved my flight to the first available date.

Holding the certified divorce decree in my hands, I let out a hollow laugh.

Finally. Finally, I was free of this man.

For the rest of my life, I never wanted to lay eyes on him again.

I cursed him in my heart: may he never meet anyone who loved him as purely as I did.

Let him be tied to Melanie—the woman who broke him once—and let her destroy him piece by piece forever.

Later that day, Mrs. Vance wired a substantial sum into my bank account.

I sent some of the money to my mother with a note: For your care.

I sent her one last text: [Use this to take care of yourself. This is the last money you'll receive from me. Goodbye.]

I visited my father's and grandmother's graves one last time before heading straight to the airport.

Just before boarding, I uploaded a dossier I'd spent weeks putting together onto Twitter.

Why should I sacrifice my life just so they could live happily ever after?

Since Julian thought Melanie was such a pure, innocent angel, I was going to show him exactly what kind of monster he had ruined his life for.

The moment my flight took off, Melanie's name exploded across the trending topics.

As Zoe's flight took off, Julian's assistant rushed into the nursery, pale as a ghost. Julian was holding the newborn.

Taking one look at the trending dossier, Julian nearly dropped the child onto the floor. "How is this possible?"