Chapter 3

Sophie was glowing. She waltzed over, her arms loaded down with gift bags.

She didn't bother waiting for a reply and just sat right down across from me.

"Claire, Mr. Palmer is just the sweetest," she chirped. "I was just joking about being sad, and he took it all seriously. He insisted I be the birthday girl and bought me all this.

"Oh, by the way... I heard you're allergic to mangoes? I feel so bad. I had no idea, or I never would've asked for that cake. It's just such a shame you came all this way and couldn't even have a single bite."

She looked like she was about to bust a gut laughing.

I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of a reply.

As I stood up to leave, Sophie accidentally knocked her glass of water everywhere.

"Oh my god, Claire, what are you doing?" she shrieked. "If you have a problem with me, just say it. You don't have to throw water on me!"

In the blink of an eye, she had real tears streaming down her face.

Henry launched himself from his seat, his phone forgotten. He snatched a bottle from the table and brandished it at me.

"You mess with Mom—" he stammered, his face red with rage. "I mean, Ms. Grant. You mess with her again, and I'll tell Dad. He'll make you pay for this."

The room spun. I took a ragged breath. "Henry. Who is your mother? Me... Or her?"

He didn't hesitate. He just moved, planting himself in front of Sophie, his arms spread as if to protect her from me.

That simple movement broke me. It was a physical, crushing pain right in my chest.

This was my son. I had endured two days of labor to bring him into the world—the same child who had nearly cost me my life on the operating table.

A bone-deep cold washed over me. I turned, one hand pressed to my chest, and stumbled out of that place.

*****

Neither Edward nor Henry came home that night.

My phone lit up. It was a notification from Edward's private Instagram account—the one he didn't think I knew about.

It was a picture. Edward's arm was slung around Henry's shoulder. His other arm was wrapped tight around Sophie's waist, pulling her in as he kissed her on the mouth.

The caption read: [Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me.]

I shivered, even though I was under the covers.

I read the words, over and over, until the sky started to get light. Then I finally passed out.

I woke up to a weight on the bed, to his arms wrapping around me from behind. He'd snuck in while I was asleep.

I jolted awake, scrambling away from his touch like he was a snake.

He frowned, annoyed. But when he got a good look at my face in the morning light, he froze.

"Claire, were you crying?" he asked. "What happened to your face?"

I wiped the dry tear tracks off my cheeks and swung my legs out of bed.

"I'll have my lawyer get the divorce papers to you," I said. "You can have Henry."

Edward let out a heavy sigh. He crossed his arms and looked at me like I was a joke.

"Still at it, Claire? One night wasn't enough to cool you off?" He scoffed. "You'd better drop this little tantrum before I actually get mad.

"Seriously, who else is going to put up with you?"

I walked to the door without looking back. "Think whatever you want, Edward."

*****

I left home and headed straight to the office.

I had barely stepped into my office when my assistant, Anna, was right there with a contract.

"Ms. Bennett, you just left in the middle of the meeting yesterday," she said, her voice tight with disapproval. "The clients were pissed.

"I mean, no matter what's going on at home, you can't just ditch them like that, can you? And—"

I cut her off. "Cancel the deal. We're not selling patents. And as of this afternoon, I'm resigning. I'm taking my research with me."

Anna stared at me for a beat, then rolled her eyes.

She scoffed, "Come on, Claire, everyone in the office knows you and Mr. Palmer were at it yesterday. But that doesn't mean you get to dump your personal drama all over work.

"As one of the executives, you're going to torpedo all of our hard work because you're in a bad mood? No wonder... At least Sophie is nice to us. She brings in coffee and fruit."

I looked up from my desk, my voice dangerously quiet. "Your hard work?

"Anna, let me be clear. That patent? I developed it with my college classmate. This company? I built it with Edward seven years ago when he had nothing. Those contracts? I was the one at all those drunken dinners, securing those deals.

"Without me, there is no company for you to work hard at. You like Sophie so much? Go be her assistant."

Anna's face went white. She was speechless. She just turned and practically fled.

The second my door clicked shut, the whispering started from the open-plan office.

"She's just a lab geek anyway... No people skills," one of them said.

"Serves her right. Old and bitter," said another.

"Hilarious. All that work just to pay for Edward to find a new wife..." someone chimed in.

That was always the same. For years, I had heard them. For years, I had pretended I didn't.

I was done pretending.

I yanked my office door open. The entire office went dead silent.

I let my eyes sweep, cold and slow, over their faces.

Before I could say a word, I saw Edward. He was storming down the hall.

He didn't even slow down. He came right at me, his hand already raised to slap me.

I was ready for it. I sidestepped, and he just slapped the air.

Edward was livid, looking as if he could explode any second.

"Claire, you've really grown a spine, haven't you?" he hissed, "What's next? You're gonna tell everyone you keep me, like a pet?

"You want a divorce? Fine. You got it. Sign the damn papers and get the hell out of my building!"

He threw a stack of papers right at my face. I didn't flinch. I let them flutter to the floor, bent down, and picked them up. It was the divorce agreement.

Right there, with everyone watching, I read every single line. It was a clean break. I took a pen and signed my name.

Edward's throat worked. He swallowed.

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Sophie ran up and grabbed his arm.

"Mr. Palmer, you can't let her go," she pleaded. "Without her, this company is finished!"

Edward's face went dark.

"This company," he announced, "doesn't need a petty, small-minded woman like her."

A few claps started up from the reception desk.

"Well, in that case, Mr. Palmer," a new voice cut through the room—cool and clear. "I must thank you. For giving Claire back to me.

"As of today, she's the new CEO of Summit Corporation. The company I built."