Chapter 4

I stared at the divorce papers he'd prepared in advance, frozen.

Vincent's voice came down from above me.

"Shelagh, you and I have been married six years."

"You know how much I've been hoping for this baby."

His face was a picture of anguish. "You know how badly I don't want this child to grow up a bastard."

I gave a cold laugh and slapped him across the face.

"If you know that, then why bring this piece of filth into the world at all?"

"Vincent, you disgust me."

His head snapped to the side from the blow.

He didn't argue.

"I'm keeping this child, no matter what."

"Shelagh, you're too domineering. Being with you, I never feel any warmth."

"Haven't you ever noticed that our five-thousand-square-foot house feels like some giant office building? Nothing like a home at all."

"It's only in Debbie's little thousand-square-foot apartment."

"that I feel like I'm home."

Six years. Six years I spent drinking through business dinners until my stomach bled, half killing myself to earn that big house.

And Vincent told me it wasn't as warm as Debbie's little apartment.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

"Fine. Have it your way."

"We'll divorce."

Hearing that I'd finally given in and agreed to the divorce.

Vincent froze.

"Really?"

He said it carefully, half expecting a trick, or that I was joking.

Only when he saw how serious my face was did he finally let out a breath.

"Shelagh, I knew you always understood me. You've always been level-headed."

"Divorcing you is only to give the baby in Debbie's belly a proper name."

"Even without that certificate."

"we're still husband and wife. Of course, if it bothers you, we can be friends instead."

Before he left, he patted my shoulder and even had the thoughtfulness to add a word of advice.

"I know you've been lonely all these years."

"If you can't stand it, you could find someone else. Someone younger, more attentive."

"I wouldn't mind."

I opened my eyes and drew back from his reaching hand. "That won't be any of your concern."

Vincent knew perfectly well how much I'd given up for my career.

Apart from him, there had never been room in my eyes for any other man.

He was only confident enough to say something like that because he wanted to twist the knife.

But what he didn't know was that this time.

I would never look for another man who'd only scheme against me.

And the Mason Group he'd built with his own hands.

was finished too.

Vincent took the signed divorce papers and left, exactly as he'd wanted.

From that day on, a clear change came over me too.

I stopped clinging to Debbie the way I always had.

Stopped trying to make her suffer just to feel a little better myself.

So when Vincent opened a new flower shop for Debbie.

I didn't rush over to wreck the place the way I once would have.

I didn't do what I'd threatened out loud, either.

Didn't string up a banner reading something like "Debbie Pruitt is a mistress" to strip away every shred of her face.

I'd simply come to terms with it, and let Vincent go.

I shut myself in my room for a whole day.

Shed the powerhouse-queen-of-the-boardroom shell.

Put on a face mask like any ordinary girl, binged a show.

Ordered the crawfish boil I love, turned off my phone, and enjoyed one ordinary day.

I just didn't expect that at night, Vincent would come storming in, kicking the door open in a rage.

"Shelagh! I actually thought you'd learned to change. Why would you wreck the event like that and humiliate Debbie?"