Chapter 2
The paperwork for our divorce and their marriage was finalized with unsettling speed.
The next day, back at the TV station, I submitted my resignation.
My boss, Samuel Johnson, frowned deeply, leaning back in his leather chair. "Anna, you're at a critical point in your career. Quitting now isn't a rational decision."
Before I could respond, a wave of cheerful gratitude echoed from the hallway outside.
The door swung open without a knock, and Vivian strode in, her smile blindingly bright.
"Good morning, Mr. Johnson! Andrew and I just tied the knot. A little wedding favor for you!" she chirped, placing a small, ornate box on his desk.
My brow furrowed, confusion momentarily overtaking me. What was she doing here?
Her gaze then swept to me, laced with mock sympathy. "Oh, Anna. I'm so sorry, we ran out of wedding favors."
Her tone shifted, turning pointed and saccharine. "Consider this my formal notice. I'll be joining the team here. Looking forward to working together."
The ambition in her eyes was unmistakable. It wasn't enough to take my husband; she wanted my career, too. But it didn't matter.
A cool smile touched my lips. I made no move to shake her offered hand. "As of today, I won't be your colleague."
"Since when do you make major decisions like quitting without consulting me?" Andrew's voice, thick with displeasure, cut through the room.
He appeared in the doorway, Vivian's discarded coat draped over his arm.
The sight was a fresh sting. He was accompanying her here, so publicly declaring their new union.
Our own marriage had remained a private matter for seven long years before anyone at work even knew he existed.
My brows furrowed. "Why should I even talk it over with you? We're divorced now."
Andrew retorted, "As the primary investor in your show, I don't approve.
"I thought I made myself clear. This divorce is temporary. All I asked was for you to be reasonable. Is that so difficult?
"Marriage is just a piece of paper. Why are you making such a scene now?"
My reply was unnervingly calm. "The paper means little to me. I'm simply quitting for my own well-being."
His frustration only grew. "Couldn't you have picked another time? Quitting the day Vivian starts, during her celebratory rounds? It makes her look bad.
"People will talk. Are you deliberately trying to embarrass her?"
Vivian's face instantly crumpled into a picture of wounded grace. "Don't, Andrew. If Anna isn't comfortable with me being here, I'll just leave—"
"No," I interrupted, stepping closer.
With a deliberate motion, I brushed away a tear she'd barely managed to conjure. "The mistake is mine. I should have cleared out my desk sooner, made room for you. My apologies for the inconvenience."
She blinked, caught off guard by my compliance.
Ignoring both of them, I turned back to Samuel. "Please, just sign it."
The moment the pen left the paper, I took the signed letter and walked out without a backward glance.
I felt Andrew's gaze burning into my back with a familiar heat born of irritation, of things slipping from his control.
Vivian gently pulled on his sleeve, speaking softly, "Andy, she's just upset. She'll come around. Don't let this come between you."
Andrew rubbed his temples, not even caring about my resignation. "Let her have her tantrum. She'll be back when the money runs dry."
Under a barrage of curious and pitying stares, I returned to my desk to finalize the handover.
My assistant, Helen Frost, approached with teary eyes. "Anna, you're really leaving?
"You should have heard her out there, bragging about how she 'endured for years' and finally got her happy ending with Andrew. She made it sound like you were the obstacle.
"She's the real shameless homewrecker."
Gently, I placed a finger over her lips and shook my head. "Don't, Helen. Saying more won't help you. Take care of these pending files for me, please."
Gathering the last box of my personal belongings, I offered her a final, quiet smile. "Goodbye."
After leaving the TV station, my first stop was a luxury hotel. I checked in using the black card my father had given me.
It was a card I'd never used in seven years, carefully hiding my family's wealth to spare Andrew's pride.
That pretense was over now.
The charge notification promptly triggered a call from my mother. "Sweetheart, when you're done having fun, just come home. The family fortune is just waiting for you.
"Your dad might not say much, but he's always talking about making things easier for you when you come back to run things."
I checked the flight time on my phone and let out a relieved smile. "I know, Mom. The divorce is finalized. My flight leaves tomorrow night. See you the day after."
After a few more loving words, I hung up and sank into a deep sleep. Tomorrow, I would be home.