Chapter 1

By the time I found out Simon Jennings was seeing someone else, they'd been together for months.

He kept her from me but took her to parties and introduced her to his friends.

Still, I'd never seen a photo of her or even learned her name.

If he hadn't given in to her and shown up at the fashion show as the brand's investor that day, I might have been kept in the dark forever.

From a distance, I watched Simon. His eyes, fixed on the woman on the catwalk, crinkled with a tender smile.

Camera flashes went off everywhere. A reporter called out, "Mr. Jennings, are you also a fan of Sophia Young?"

His eyes remained locked on her. "No. She's the woman I love."

So even someone as cold as Simon could be that devoted to someone.

Absent-mindedly, I twisted the wedding ring on my finger.

Suddenly, everything felt pointless to me.

*****

After the show ended, rain poured down outside.

Simon walked out of the hall.

When he saw me, he paused, then asked, "What are you doing here?"

I'd never told him that I designed everything for the fashion show he'd invested in.

During our nine years of marriage, I'd looked like a simple housewife, but I'd quietly built a name for myself as a fashion designer.

The organizers had sent me a personal invitation.

Right then, Sophia stumbled out of the hall wearing a stunning gown, her face flushed from drinking.

"Simon," she said softly.

He turned immediately at her voice, his hands instinctively steadying her arms. His eyes were full of concern. "How much did you drink?"

She leaned against his shoulder. "The organizers kept refilling my glass. They want me as their headliner next season."

Simon quickly took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "You don't have to work this hard. I have enough money to keep you in comfort for lifetimes."

The cold air hit my face. I laughed quietly at myself.

Years ago, Simon's startup was failing, and he desperately needed five million dollars to save it.

Meanwhile, my original designs were in high demand with every major brand.

I sold those designs without hesitation. My only condition was that Simon had to be listed as the sponsor.

But the organizers already had another designer they wanted to promote. To make the deal work, I had to stay anonymous.

That season's show was a massive success.

Simon's sponsorship saved his company and launched him into the fashion world.

With my help behind the scenes, he became a major name in the industry.

I'd built the road for his success, but he never looked back at me.

Sophia playfully hit Simon's chest. "You know I'm not some delicate flower."

Simon smiled at her warmly.

Just then, the driver pulled up and spotted me. "Mrs. Jennings..."

Sophia didn't realize he was talking to me. She grinned at Simon. "Stop it! I haven't agreed to marry you yet."

Simon looked at me, his face flushing instantly with a flicker of panic.

But then he helped drunk Sophia into the car.

The black Maybach disappeared into the rainy night.

A familiar voice came from behind me. "Was it worth it?"

I smiled, "It's not about worth it or not. Life's too short. If something's wrong, you let it go."

"I heard you've got another big design coming?"

I turned to see his bright eyes. "Mr. Evans, are you spying on me or something?"

When I got home, Simon still wasn't back.

The living room was dark and dead silent.

I took off my ring and tossed it somewhere. It hit the floor with a small ping. I didn't care where it landed.

I went upstairs to pack.

When I opened my closet, I realized I barely owned anything decent.

Ever since marrying Simon, I'd become a full-time housewife. All I had were pajamas and sweatpants.

Even the engagement ring he gave me didn't fit right.

After all these years, the thing I'd bought the most was dishes.

Forget it. No point thinking about it now.

The movers arrived while I was smashing our wedding photos.

They stood in the doorway. One of them grinned awkwardly, "Getting divorced?"

The younger guy shot me an apologetic look and quickly tried to hush his partner. "Sorry—"

I smiled, "Yeah."

He rolled up his sleeves. "What needs to go?"

Pointing around, I realized that I had bought most of the things in this house. I looked at them both and said, "You might want to call for backup. This is a lot."

I got back to my place at three in the morning.

Exhausted, I collapsed on the couch and checked my phone.

The top trending story was a photo of Simon carrying Sophia into a hotel.

The headlines read: [The CEO's Forever Crush], [Rising Supermodel Sophia Young's Secret Romance], [Sophia really is Simon's forever girl]

I remembered our wedding night. Simon got completely drunk and kept calling out Sophia's name in the bedroom.

I'd thought, "Everyone has someone they can't let go of. He has his, and I have mine. Why should I expect more?"

The next morning, Simon was sweet and loving, calling me honey. He never mentioned the night before. Maybe he forgot, or maybe he just didn't want to face it.

But now I knew—Sophia had been in his heart the whole time.

The next morning, my phone woke me up.

Simon's angry voice came through. "Anna! Where the hell are you?"

I rubbed my eyes and checked the time. Seven a.m.

"Done with your business?" I sat up and looked at the half-unpacked boxes around me.

Simon paused, then snapped, "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you and Sophia go to the hotel last night?"

"I—I was just taking her back!"

I yawned and laughed. "Really? So after you dropped her off, what did you two do? Play cards? Wait, that needs four people... or did you find something else to do?"

Simon took a long breath. "Anna, don't you think you're carrying this a bit too far? Why did you even take the bed?"

I chuckled, "That bed? I bought it."

"What about the curtains?"

"Bought them too."

Simon clenched his teeth. "The couch? The rug?"

"Mine. Want the receipts?"

"Fine, take everything you bought. But did you really have to take the door lock too?"

I glanced at the electronic lock in my trash and laughed.

"Simon, I took everything that's mine. I'll email you the divorce papers. If there's no problem, let's just end this clean."

I hung up, blocked his number, and removed him from all my social media.