Chapter 1

Chaos erupted at the charity gala when a massive decorative backdrop near the stage suddenly broke loose and came crashing down.

My husband didn't even hesitate. He left me behind, diving to shield his new PR manager and wrapping her tightly in his arms.

"Tiffany, thank God," he gasped. "It would kill me if you got hurt."

As I stood there in a daze, my son rushed over to fuss over Tiffany, not sparing a single glance for me.

Clutching my bleeding arm, I stared at the three of them. They looked like the picture of a happy family.

That was the moment something inside me finally died.

I was done with this husband, and I was done with this son.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my ankle, I stormed forward and ripped the lapel mic right off my husband, Julian Sterling. "There's a whole crowd watching, Julian," I snapped. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself, saying things like that?"

A piercing screech of audio feedback instantly filled the hall, and the noisy crowd fell silent in a heartbeat.

Then, the whispers started.

The Sterling Group shareholders criticized me, saying I was out of line for embarrassing Julian in this setting.

But others whispered that Julian and his son had lost their minds, coddling a mistress at such a high-profile event.

The buzzing whispers closed in on us, and Julian's expression darkened until he looked ready to kill.

He snapped into action, barking orders at the staff to clear the guests out of the hall immediately.

His PR manager, Tiffany Blake, stood tall next to him in a striking red dress. She was a dead ringer for Claire Monroe, the woman Julian had loved and lost years ago.

My son, Liam Sterling, stepped in front of Tiffany to shield her, fixing me with a wary look. It was as if he thought I might lose control and lash out at her.

The contrast gutted me. The three of them looked like a tight-knit family unit, while I stood there like an unwanted outsider.

Julian kept one arm around Tiffany to soothe her while he turned his impatience on me. "Chloe, I just forgot I was wearing a mic, okay? Do you have to be such a drama queen about it? Or are you just that jealous of Tiffany?

"I'll move her to my vacation villa. Then she's out of your hair.

"And relax. I swore to my grandmother that you'd always be Mrs. Sterling. That hasn't changed."

When I stayed silent, Liam puffed up his cheeks, glaring at me with pure venom. "Stop acting crazy," he snapped. "An orphan like you was never good enough to be my mom anyway. I want Ms. Blake.

"And stay away from us. If you try to hurt my new mom, you're gonna be sorry."

I looked at my husband and son, who were looking at me like I was their enemy.

Though I tried to speak, the words just wouldn't come.

Tiffany's eyes gleamed with triumph as she flashed a dazzling smile at me. "Mr. Sterling and I are soulmates. We don't care about labels or status.

"Mrs. Sterling, take your anger out on me? A catch like Julian deserves the best choices, doesn't he?"

Suddenly, I felt drained. I didn't want to play these games with them anymore.

I reached up, unclasped the necklace at my throat, and held it out to Julian. "Here, you can have this back," I said.

He froze for a second, looking sour as he took it, then carelessly fastened it around Tiffany's neck. "It's yours now," he told her.

Then Julian gave me a mocking smile. "Chloe, you really are the perfect little wife my family raised. You certainly know your place.

"This necklace has been a Sterling heirloom for a century, and you just handed it over like it was nothing."

When I didn't react, Julian let out a cold laugh. "Since you know your place, why did you have to embarrass me today?

"Or did you just want to make me look bad on purpose?

"I'll hire a few etiquette coaches for you. Clearly, you need a refresher on the rules."

I didn't say a word. Julian turned his back on me, grabbed Tiffany's hand, and started to walk away.

After a few steps, he ripped the ring off his finger and flung it at me. "Since you're too good for my family's necklace," he sneered, "I don't want the ring you gave me, either."

The ring clattered against the floor, spinning wildly before it finally died in a dark corner.

I had spent months hunting for that specific ring. There was a time he treated it like a holy relic, refusing to take it off for anything.

But now, he tossed it away like it was nothing more than trash.

Without another glance, Julian stormed off with Tiffany.

Liam didn't hesitate to scramble after them.

Beside me, the old butler let out a heavy, tired sigh. "Mrs. Sterling, why did you have to set him off?

"You know he's never let go of the past."

I offered him a faint smile instead of an answer. Walking over to the corner, I picked the ring out of the dust and dropped it straight into the trash can.

*****

When I got home, I peeled off the heavy, suffocating evening gown.

I pulled on a simple white shirt and started sweeping my clothes from the closet directly into a suitcase.

Usually, ending a marriage meant fighting over assets and bank accounts.

But for Julian and me, the only thing actually tying us together was Liam.

The whole city had celebrated the Sterling wedding five years ago, calling it the event of the century. But no one guessed the truth: the bride and groom never actually signed the marriage license.

Even after five years, Julian's cruel promise from that day still echoed in my head. It felt like a knife slicing into my heart every time I thought about it.

"Chloe Gomez, my heart belongs to Claire Monroe," he had declared. "And so does the spot on my marriage certificate.

"You're going to regret forcing this wedding."

He had such a cruel smile on his face when he said it.

I thought he was just saying it out of anger, but I was wrong. I never expected him to show up at the altar holding an urn with Claire's ashes.

He had stared at me with utter contempt that day. "Chloe Gomez," he sneered, "if you want to marry me so bad, you can take your vows in front of Claire's ashes.

"You said you'd do anything to be with me, right?

"So you can be the stand-in. In this lifetime, only Claire gets to be my real wife."

He claimed he was worried she'd be lonely in heaven, and that my presence would upset her spirit. This was the only way he would go through with it.

The pain was so crushing I felt like I was suffocating. Yet, I still threw myself into that marriage like a moth to a flame and even gave him a son.

What choice did I have?

It was Julian. That was all it took.

He was the person who had stayed by my side for sixteen years, and he was as vital to me as the air I breathed.

We used to have such sweet days together, and I fooled myself into thinking he would eventually remember why he loved me.

But in the end, he left me behind without a second thought, just like he left that suffocating mansion.

I was done with Julian.

And I was done with my son, Liam, too.

The Sterling manor sat in heavy silence as I dragged my suitcase out the front door.

It reminded me of the silence on that Thanksgiving night years ago. That was the first time Julian's grandmother, Isabelle, brought me home.

Julian was just a teenager then. He had stopped playing the piano to look up at me, his eyes bright with curiosity.

I remembered how his cheeks flushed red as he grinned. "Hey, I heard you play, too," he had asked. "Want to join me?"

But this time, no sweet boy was waiting to welcome me home.

*****

After a long, exhausting journey, I finally made it back to the open ranch lands I used to know. I rented a tiny cottage to start over.

I must have been gone too long because the local slang sounded foreign to my ears. I could barely keep up with what people were saying.

Luckily, my neighbor was an outsider too. His name was Sawyer Vance. He was the one who saved me when I got completely turned around looking for the market on my first day.

The next morning, I baked some pastries to say thank you.

"Chloe, seriously, where did you learn to bake like this? This tastes professional," Sawyer mumbled, stuffing three madeleines into his mouth at once until he looked exactly like a chipmunk hoarding nuts for winter.

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

As we chatted, I learned Sawyer was a painter who had come out here looking for inspiration.

He looked like a college kid, all bright eyes and golden-retriever energy.

The irony was, I was only twenty-five myself.

But after spending years revolving around Julian and Liam, I felt like I had aged decades before my time.

To clear my head, I started filling the yard with wildflowers I picked from the fields. I even set up a small easel among the blooms.

It wasn't much, but for the first time, I had a little corner of the world that was just mine. And that was enough.

That afternoon, Sawyer and I decided to hike up the mountain. We wanted to set up the easels and catch the view right as the stars came out.

I reached out to grab some of the gear, but Sawyer swung the bags behind his back before I could touch them.

"No way," he laughed, dodging me. "I'm not letting you carry the heavy stuff. If my friends saw me making a girl do all the work, they'd never let me live it down."

I stood there for a moment, totally stunned. It felt surreal.

With Julian, it was always the opposite. He would power walk ahead of me, leaving me to trail in his wake while I juggled his briefcase and his coffee order.

Once Liam got a little older, he copied his father perfectly.

He and Julian would walk together, chatting about things I wasn't included in. The only time Liam even remembered I was there was when his legs got tired. Then he'd just snap at me to pick him up.

On family trips, Julian just held Liam's hand.

Meanwhile, I looked like the hired help, lugging every single bag while trying to take work calls with my phone wedged against my shoulder.

Sometimes Julian would stop just to watch me struggle. "God, you're slow," he would sneer. "It's just a few bags, Chloe. You're pathetic.

"Claire would have handled this without breaking a sweat.

"I don't know why Grandma Isabelle insisted on this marriage. Honestly? I would have been happier with a dog."

The memory of his voice cut deep, and I felt hot tears pricking my eyes.

I blinked hard to force them back and quickly changed the subject before I fell apart.

Sawyer must have picked up on my mood because he finished setting up his easel and turned to face me.

"Chloe, look up," he said softly. "The stars don't care about our messy lives. They just shine. It's comforting, isn't it?

"I like to think we can find a new beginning under a sky like this."

I gazed up at the Milky Way stretching across the dark. His words echoed in my mind.

My phone started buzzing in my pocket, shattering the peace.

I answered it. Liam's voice blasted through the speaker, demanding answers instantly. "When are you coming back? No one is helping me with my homework. The house feels weird and empty.

"I want you to cook dinner for me.

"Seriously, what kind of mom just leaves like this? Get back here and take care of me."

The way he just assumed I would obey him was the final straw. It burned away whatever guilt I had left.

"Liam," I said coldly, "you already chose Tiffany to be your mom.

"I am never coming back."