The Divorce

The phone rang at exactly 10 a.m. It was Elena, of course.

Ashley answered without hesitation, already knowing what to expect.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Elena’s voice was icy, a sneer dripping from every word. “If you go through with this, you’ll regret it. You’ll have no one left, Ashley. No one.”

Ashley rolled her eyes, her fingers tightening around the phone. The anger bubbling inside her only grew.

“Really?” she shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Is that a threat, Elena? Because, spoiler alert, you’ve already lost.”

Before Elena could retort, the sound of a car pulling up outside caught Ashley’s attention. She glanced out the window and saw the sleek black limo.

Speak of the devil…

Demitri walked up the front steps, his usual confident stride somehow looking arrogant today.

“Ashley,” he said, his tone as cold as ever. “We need to talk.”

She didn’t bother to reply right away, too busy fuming over Elena’s words. Her mind raced as she recalled the promise she’d made to herself. If Demitri didn’t show, the world would know what was going on. She would expose him. And she was more than ready to follow through.

But now that he was standing in front of her, her resolve began to waver.

Ashley crossed her arms, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “No talking. You’re here. Let’s get the divorce done, shall we?”

Demitri sighed, clearly frustrated. “You don’t get it, Ashley. This whole thing—us—was never real. I never loved you. It was just a business arrangement, but now…” He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he stood taller, as though this was all part of his master plan.

Ashley’s heart sank, the words hitting her harder than she’d expected.

“And now, what? You’re ready to throw me away and take Elena as your ‘real’ wife?” she spat, her voice trembling with fury. “Is that it, Demitri? I already asked for a divorce and here we are. Let’s get it done and stop wasting my f**ing time!”

Ashley felt her pulse quicken as the words sank in. She wanted to scream, to throw something—anything—but instead, she just stood there, numb.

She strode towards the podium where they would get their marriage annulled and he followed.

After she was done signing, she stood behind him, waiting for him to do the same.

Demitri blinked, stunned, before slowly reaching for the papers. He didn’t say a word as he scribbled his signature across the line, sealing their fates.

With that, she turned and walked out the door, the sound of her heels echoing in the empty house. Outside, the chauffeur stood by the luxurious car, his posture impeccable as he opened the door for her.

“Madame,” he said politely, giving her a small bow as he gestured toward the vehicle.

Ashley climbed into the backseat, a feeling of finality washing over her. She pulled on her sunglasses, the dark lenses hiding her steely gaze as she pulled a small device from her bag. It was a recorder. She’d been smart. She had everything documented.

“Take this to JPN media,” she instructed the driver in a low, steady voice. “It should be on the news tonight. Make sure they get it.”

Let the world know.

Let Demitri and Elena have their little game. It was her turn now.