Chapter 1
The day my husband, William Brown, came clean, I was surprisingly calm.
He told me he'd fallen for someone else. I just nodded, packed up my stuff, and left with nothing.
He thought I was a pushover, so less than a month after the divorce, he brought the other woman back home to celebrate his mom's birthday.
But when his mother, Margaret Brown, saw her face, she was so stunned that she dropped to the floor, her face going ghostly pale.
She pointed at him, her voice shaking. "S-She didn't tell you about that?"
*****
The day William came clean, the weather was perfect.
Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm golden glow across the floor.
He sat across from me, his face showing a rehearsed guilt.
"Julia, let's get a divorce," he said.
I was trimming a pothos plant when he said that. My scissors paused for just a second.
An extra leaf fell to the floor.
I looked up at him, calm as ever.
"Okay," I said.
My reaction clearly caught him off guard.
All those lines he'd rehearsed about our love fading and his so-called 'true love' got stuck in his throat.
William's brows knitted together, like he was reassessing the whole situation.
"I've fallen for someone else," William finally said.
He said it like he was doing me a favor, handing me an excuse to walk away.
"Okay," I said, setting down the scissors.
"Her name's Wendy Foster. She's a really good girl.
"We're truly in love."
He sounded like he needed me to believe it, almost showing off.
I just nodded, letting him know I'd heard him.
"So, about the assets..." He finally got to the point.
Over the past five years, we'd gone from having nothing to owning a downtown apartment, two cars, and even a stake in his business.
None of it would've happened without my parents' initial investment and all the effort I poured into it over the years.
He watched me, nervous as hell.
He was terrified I'd mention any of it.
"I'm leaving with nothing," I said.
William's eyes widened instantly.
For a moment, he looked ecstatic, like he couldn't quite believe his luck.
"What did you just say?" he blurted out.
"I said, I don't want anything," I said.
I stood up, my tone as casual as if I was just discussing tonight's dinner plans.
I went on, "The house, the cars, the shares, and the savings are all yours.
"Just get the divorce agreement ready, and I'll sign it whenever you're ready."
William was totally stunned.
He'd probably imagined a thousand ways I'd cry, like throwing a fit, or totally losing it.
But he never saw this coming.
My calm attitude made him feel uneasy for reasons he couldn't explain.
But he quickly decided it was just me being weak and naive.
He thought a woman who'd been sheltered for so long wouldn't know how to live without him.
So, in his mind, this was just me holding onto the last scraps of my dignity.
The scheming and contempt in his eyes was plain as day.
"Julia, are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice dripping with fake concern.
"I'm not asking for your opinion," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "I'm just letting you know.'
With that, I didn't spare him another glance and walked straight back to the bedroom.
I didn't have much stuff.
A twenty-inch suitcase was all I needed.
Just a few outfits I wore often, some professional books, and a photo of my parents from my desk.
I also took the pothos plant with me.
My mom gave it to me. She always said green meant hope.
When I walked out of the bedroom with my suitcase, William was lounging on the couch, chatting on the phone.
He was practically bursting with excitement. "Babe, it's all sorted.
"Julia agreed. She's walking away with nothing.
"Yeah, she's really that dumb.
"Soon, we'll finally be able to be together for real."
When he saw me come out, he didn't bother to hide anything. He made sure to speak louder so I'd hear it all.
I walked to the entryway with a blank expression.
I changed my shoes and grabbed my car keys.
"Oh, right." I turned back to him, acting like I'd suddenly remembered something. "This car belonged to me before we got married, so I'm taking it with me."
William's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
"Of course, that's only fair," he said, playing it cool.
He was trading a car worth less than 60,000 dollars for a fortune in millions. He was hitting the jackpot.
I opened the door, and the sunlight outside made me squint.
"Julia," William called out to me one last time. "I hope you won't regret this later."
I turned back and gave him the kind of smile he'd never seen from me in five years of marriage.
It was light, barely there, almost careless, but for some reason, it sent a chill down his spine.
"Trust me, it won't be me," I said gently.