Chapter 1
"Sign right here."
Jasper Goodman tossed a document onto the coffee table in front of Charlotte Summers. It landed with a dull, heavy thud.
The three words were cold and sharp, like ice cracking under her feet.
Charlotte pulled her gaze away from the television and let it rest on the papers before her.
The bold black letters spelling out Divorce Agreement burned into her vision like a brand.
Three years of marriage. And this was what he gave her for their anniversary.
"Why?" she asked. Her voice was quiet and steady. There was no tremor, no crack.
Jasper tugged at his tie, his handsome face twisted with impatience and open contempt. "Charlotte, spare me the act. You're embarrassing yourself.
"You think I haven't figured out what you've been doing to Emily?"
He leaned forward, planting both hands on the coffee table. His presence pressed down on her like a weight she couldn't shake off. "Three years ago, you schemed and clawed your way into Emily's spot as my wife.
"Three years I've swallowed my disgust and smiled for the cameras. And that's still not enough for you?
"And now you're going after the Lane family's deal, trying to strip Emily of everything she has left?
"What's wrong with you? You got a heart in there at all?"
Every word was a poisoned dart, each one finding its mark deep in the hollow of her chest.
Emily Lane was Jasper's first love. She was the one he had put on a pedestal and never once taken down.
Charlotte understood that this was how he had always seen her: a manipulative, spiteful, jealous woman.
Charlotte let out a laugh. It was icy and hollow. Her eyes stayed cold, untouched by any real feeling.
She picked up the agreement and skimmed through it.
The terms were spelled out clearly: the house, a pile of money, all of it hers as a goodbye gift.
How thoughtful of Jasper.
He could not get rid of her fast enough. Clear out the problem so he could make room for his precious Emily.
"You see that?" Jasper straightened up and crossed his arms. His voice oozed satisfaction. "I didn't leave you with nothing.
"Put your name down and go quietly. We'll call it even."
Charlotte turned to the last page. There it was. His name, signed with a big looping flourish: [Jasper Goodman.]
She used to doodle his name all over her notebooks back in the day. Now it looked like a prank someone had played on her.
She grabbed the pen without thinking twice and wrote down [Charlotte Summers.]
Her handwriting was neat, but there was a finality in every line.
Jasper blinked. He had not seen this coming.
He had run the whole scene through his head a hundred times. She could be crying, screaming, tearing the papers up, and maybe dropping to her knees and begging him to stay.
But he never imagined she'd sign without a second thought. She did it so cold and quick, like she was signing for a package. It set something off inside him. A hot, restless anger he could not name.
"You—" He started, but the words died in his throat.
Charlotte pushed the signed papers back across the table and rose to her feet. "You got what you asked for."
She looked him in the eye. Her gaze was still, like a pond with nothing living left in it.
"We're square now, Jasper." Her voice held no warmth. She turned and walked off. She did not once look over her shoulder.
Jasper watched her go. He looked at her narrow shoulders and her steady stride. Something tightened in his chest, hard and sudden, like a hand had reached in and squeezed.
A restless, tangled feeling crawled up his spine and settled there. Something about this was wrong.
This was not how the scene was supposed to end.
Charlotte closed the bedroom door behind her and shoved it hard. The latch clicked into place. She let her back slide down the wood until she sat slumped on the floor. The weight of everything crashed down all at once.
Three years of marriage was like a joke.
She had actually believed she could try hard enough and be good enough to make him love her. But that door had never been open once for her.
Maybe it was better this way.
Her phone buzzed against the floor. It was a text from Sophie Hart, her best friend.
[Happy anniversary, babe! You guys doing anything fun? Want me to swing by with some burgers and beer? I make an excellent third wheel.]
Charlotte stared at the words. Her eyes began to burn. A tear slid down her cheek before she could catch it. She typed something out, then erased it all.
Two words. That was all she could manage. [It's over.]
On her couch across town, Sophie read the message. A chip slipped from her fingers and hit the floor. "Oh, hell no."
She called right away. It rang six times before Charlotte picked up.
"Charlotte." Sophie's voice was sharp with worry. "What happened? Did that piece of work do something?"
"I'm fine." Charlotte's voice came out thick and wobbly. She was clearly fighting to keep it together.
"Like hell you are. You've been crying. Talk to me. What did he do?"
"He wants a divorce."
"What?" Sophie's voice spiked. "Is this about Emily Lane? That woman again?"
"Yeah."
"That man. That absolute jerk. I'm coming over. Right now."
"Don't." Charlotte cut her off fast. "Please, Soph. I don't want a big scene."
"A scene? Charlotte, you let people treat you like a doormat! Does he have any clue what you've done for him? If it weren't for you, his company would have gone belly up a long time ago—"
"Stop." Charlotte's voice cracked. "Please. I can't hear that right now." If Sophie kept going, the wall she had built up would come crashing down. "Sophie, I need to be alone for a bit. Clear my head."
She hung up before Sophie could argue.
Charlotte crawled onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow. The same bed she had picked out with Jasper.
Every inch of this house had his and her fingerprints on it.
And now, every inch of it was hurt like hell.