The Baron's Forsaken Wife

Synopsis

When I was sixteen, my grandfather caught Edward Shaw pulling me out of the river. He claimed my virtue had been compromised and forced Edward to marry me on the spot. I had always admired him, but I knew our marriage began in shame. For years, I kept my head down and played the dutiful wife, never stepping out of line. Even when he brought his beloved into our home and treated me with nothing but coldness and contempt, I swallowed every word of protest. But the years of silence took their toll. The constant worry and grief wore my body down, and I could feel myself fading. I knew I didn't have much time left. That morning, Edward had just helped Lord Quinn secure the throne, and he planned to use his newfound favor to petition for a noble title for his beloved. He glanced up when I walked in, his expression flat. "If you're here about the title," he said, "don't bother." He didn't wait for my response. He grabbed his petition papers and swept out the door toward the palace, without so much as a second glance at the table where I had quietly laid the divorce papers.