Chapter 4

The morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Joseph Bennett's law office, casting long shadows across the polished mahogany desk where I sat. My attorney's face remained professionally neutral as he slid the divorce petition toward me, the crisp white pages seeming to glow under the recessed lighting.

I stared at the document, my own name printed in stark black letters alongside Ryan's. Isabella Montgomery and Ryan Blackwell. Once childhood friends, then strangers bound by contract, soon to be nothing at all.

"Take your time, Mrs. Blackwell," Joseph said softly, offering me a sleek silver pen. "There's no rush."