Chapter 1
When Arlene Sinclair handed over the divorce papers, Emery Tucker was busy sweet–talking his new thing over the phone.
“Emery, I want a divorce Sign here. In a month, once the waiting period is over, well both go our separate ways. No more ties between us.”
He barely reacted–just grunted, took the folder from her, and flipped straight to the last page without even glancing at the contents. With the same careless ait, he scrawled his signature across the lined
As soon as he finished, he stood up, grabbing his jacket, still murmuring into the phone to soothe the girl on the other end.
“Alright, alright, I’ll be there soon, okay?
Only when the call ended and Emery was already at the door did he pause, as if something had finally dawned on him. He tumed back to Arlene. “By the way, Arlene what was that you just had me sign?“%
Hesigns first, then asks?
Arlene’s lips curled into a bitter, mocking smile!!
Adv–1
Before she could finish, Emery waved her off, distracted. “Next time you want to buy a house, just go ahead and do it. No need to bring me contracts to sign. I’ve been home with you for days, but my girls upset with me now, you know?“%
Thats when Arlene realized–he hadn’t listened to a word she’d said. He thought he’d just signed a real estate deal, like always.
It made sense. Whenever they fought the worst, her favorite form of revenge was to spend Emery’s money on entire blocks of luxury properties.
Real estate was already a sinking ship, and she’d blown hundreds of millions just to vent her pain and anger.
Back then, she still had hope. Whatever love remained made her unable to accept that his heart had changed–that’s what drove her to the edge of despair
How had it come to this?”
She remembered the first time they met in a bar
She’d gone to pick up a friend and found Emery, drunk and about to fall over Dut of basic decency, she’d helped steady him.
He had only glanced up at her once before he was smitten
of how he’d broken
Emery Tucker was infamous in their city–a handsome, reckless playboy who changed girlfriends frequently. Half the girls in town had stories of their hearts E
Arlene wanted nothing to do with him. She didn’t want to be just another notch on his belt, so she turned him down flat!
But Emery didn’t give up. If anything, he became obsessed–rolentless in his pursuit, acting as if she was the only woman left in the world
He filled the plaza with flowers on Valentine’s Day set off fireworks by the beach all night just to make her smile, and was always there, a steady presence whenever she needed him.
Little by little, her untouched heart surrendered to his grand, relentless affection.
Once they were together, Emery gave up his wild ways and focused solely on her–always checking in, letting her know his every move
People said Emery had finally settled down, that the notorious rogue had changed for her.
Arlene believed it too
So when he dropped to one knee, eyes red with emotion, and asked her to marry him, she’d said yes without a doubt-
But less than a year into their manage Emery slipped right back to his old habits–entangled with other women!!
They fought endlessly. Time after time, Arlene found herself screaming in their shattered living roontunecognizable even to herself, while Emery just massaged his temples, exhausted.
Eventually, he suggested an arrangement: “We each do our own thing, and when we’re tired of it, we’ll come back together
“Arlene, I love you, but forever with one person? it just gets dull
“We’ll both have our fun, but no falling for anyone else. When we’re done, wall come back home, alright?”
Adene refused, but Emery didn’t care–he lived as he pleased
Eventually, the broke too. Out of spite, she started seeing someone herself–college athlete named Pearson MacLeod
At first, it was just to get back at Emery!!
But Pearson was gentle, always there when she needed someone, even rushing to her side after her car accident, eyes red and worried, never leaving her until sha was out of danger.
He was young, pure, and in time, he began to heal the wounds Emery had left all over her heart
Arlene once tried to buy him off–with a house, with checks–but Pearson refused everything. All he wanted was her openly
“Angel, divorce him. Give us a chance!
His eyes gleamed with love and honesty, reflecting a version of her she barely recognized–a version that was
whole.
his gaze, she wasn’t the battered, broken woman her marriage had made her. She was radiant
Why had she wasted all these years in a hopeless, vicious cycle with
For the first time, Arlene felt hope. Children know to throw away broken toys and find new ones. Why Emery?
So she said yes
Yes to Pearson. Yes to ending the mess of her marriage
And yes to finally letting herself be free ||
