Chapter 1
The divorce papers said "no children." I placed my hand on my still-flat stomach and signed.
The moment my husband, Edward Sterling, got the papers, his eyes lit up with freedom.
The next day, he married the first love who'd waited five years for him.
His mother, Helen Sterling, called and said, "You should have stepped aside long ago."
I hung up and booked a one-way ticket.
Three years later, he stopped me at the airport lounge, eyes red. "You lied to me."
I knelt, straightened my son's bow tie, and said softly, "Say hello to the lady."
The woman behind him froze.
My son looked up with a smile like a freshly unwrapped Christmas gift. "Hello, ma'am."
Edward didn't cry, yell, or lash out. He stared at the family portrait his son had drawn on a certificate, the one where he didn't appear.
And that certificate was on the cover of Time Magazine, Asoraia Edition.
*****
The divorce papers slid across the table toward me.
Everything spelled out in black and white.
Edward sat across from me, his face cold.
His expensive custom suit was flawless, not a single wrinkle, just like him, always polished, always distant.
My eyes fell on a particular line in the agreement: [Both parties confirm no children from the marriage.]
That small line was like a needle, pricking at my heart.
Without thinking, my hand went to my still-flat belly.
Inside, a secret seven weeks old was growing, a secret Edward would never discover.
He wouldn't want this child, just like he never really wanted me.
"Julia." His voice was icy as he spoke. "Sign it. You knew this day would come."
I looked up at him.
After three years of marriage, it was the first time I could look at him with this much calm.
His eyes were deep-set, his nose sharp.
He had the kind of face that could drive every woman in Silvergate crazy.
But that face never once showed me any tenderness.
His patience was wearing thin. His fingers drummed impatiently on the table, pressuring me.
He wanted me to step aside as Mrs. Sterling and let someone else take my place.
The woman he'd waited five years for, the one he cherished above all: Claire Ashton. What a beautiful name.
I gave a soft, barely noticeable smile.
Edward frowned, a flicker of disgust in his eyes.
He probably thought I was putting on a show, trying to get something out of him.
After all, for three years, I loved him so humbly I felt like dust.
Just one careless compliment from him could make my whole day.
And when he came home late, I'd stay up all night waiting for him in the living room.
I became nothing more than an accessory in his life.
He got used to me always giving in. He was sure I'd never leave him.
I picked up the pen. The pen felt icy in my hand, like his gaze.
My stomach felt a faint warmth. My baby was giving me strength.
I didn't hesitate anymore. At the bottom of the agreement, I signed my name: Julia Gonzales. My signature was calm and unwavering.
I was giving him back to the woman he truly loved. And I was reclaiming myself for my child and me.
The moment Edward got the papers, his jaw finally relaxed.
There was a light in his eyes I'd never seen before. It was the light of freedom and the eager light of a man ready to rush to another woman.
He stood up, not wanting to stay a second longer. "The house and the car are yours. There's enough money in the account for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life."
He was using money to settle the score for our three-year marriage and to pay off all the love I'd ever given him.
"No need," I said, my voice rough but steady. "I'm leaving with nothing but myself."
Edward paused, then turned to look at me. He looked me over, a trace of contempt flickering in his eyes. He was probably saying, "What are you up to this time?"
I didn't bother to explain. I met his gaze and said, slowly and clearly, "I wish you and Ms. Ashton a lifetime of happiness."
He stood there, stunned. He probably never thought I'd be this decisive.
He stared at me for a long moment, said nothing, and then walked out without looking back.
The door shut behind him with a soft click. The massive living room felt instantly hollow and eerily silent. It was so quiet that I could hear my heart echoing in the silence.
I sat there, motionless, for what felt like forever until the sunlight outside faded from bright to dusky gold.
Only then did I slowly stand up. I walked over to the wide floor-to-ceiling window.
Downstairs, Edward's car was already gone.
He couldn't wait to see the woman he loved. Not even a minute to spare.
I gently placed my hand on my belly. "Baby, from now on, it's you and me. Mommy's taking you away. We're going somewhere far away, to start a new life."
Finally, tears slipped down my cheeks in silence.
These tears weren't for Edward. They were for a decade-long love that had finally died and for my foolish, heartbreaking youth, chasing after him like a moth to a flame.
It finally ended. The price was signing those papers. The reward was a whole new future, just my child and me. That was enough.