Chapter 2
Ashley was shockingly efficient.
Less than 30 minutes later, she called me back.
She said, "Ms. Carter, I have a buyer who just moved back from overseas. He's very interested in your house, and he meets every condition you set.
"Full payment, 100 million dollars. He can sign the contract and handle the paperwork immediately."
I kept my cool. "Alright, send me the address. I'll head over right now."
I didn't hesitate. I took a cab straight to the address Ashley sent.
On the way, my mind was clearer than it had ever been.
Michael and I had been married for five years.
He came from an ordinary family, but he was brilliant, and I met him at a business forum.
I admired his talent and ambition, and married him despite my parents' objections.
After the wedding, I used my family's connections to pave the way for him.
He made the most of it and went from an ordinary employee to vice president in only a few years.
Everyone said I had a knack for spotting talent.
I once believed I married for love.
I thought his kindness was genuine.
I thought his refusal to live in my house or spend my money was nothing more than old-fashioned pride.
Now I could see that all of it had been a carefully built con.
He wasn't refusing anything. He was waiting for the right moment to take the whole thing for himself.
"I've already taken care of all the divorce paperwork behind her back."
That line sliced through me like a dull blade, over and over.
It was the cleanest insult anyone had ever handed me.
He had treated me like an idiot he could lie to and throw away whenever it suited him.
The cab stopped in front of a luxury club.
Ashley met me at the door and led me into an elegant private room.
The buyer was a polished, middle-aged man named Steven Harris.
We skipped the small talk and got straight to business.
The contract was already drafted, every term crystal clear.
Steven clearly wanted the house badly, and he barely raised an objection.
I handed over my ID and the property deed.
The name on the deed, Emily Carter, was printed in clean black letters.
I had bought it outright before the marriage, I held sole ownership, and there was nothing in dispute.
That was the strongest thing my parents ever handed me.
I signed the papers, he swiped the card, and I watched the transfer go through.
When my phone chimed with the message confirming that 100 million dollars had landed, the weight in my chest finally came down.
That money was my shield and my ticket into a new life.
"Ms. Carter, it's been a pleasure," Steven said, standing and shaking my hand.
"The pleasure is mine," I said with a small nod.
As I left the room, Ashley walked beside me and looked like she wanted to ask something.
"Ms. Carter, why would you sell a house like that so suddenly?" she asked.
I curled my lips into a mocking smile. "Just clearing out space. Let someone else start a marriage in it."
Ashley froze, and then understanding moved across her face.
She didn't push it and only sighed. "As long as you're at peace with it."
Leaving the club, I didn't go back home.
That place felt contaminated.
I checked into a five-star hotel, and the first thing I did was call my best friend, who happened to be one of the best divorce lawyers in the city.
"Olivia, I need your help," I said.
Olivia Bennett's voice on the other end was as sharp as ever. "What's going on? Did you and Michael fight?"
I took a deep breath and calmly recounted everything that happened today, including that line about him already handling the divorce.
Silence stretched on the other end.
A few seconds later, Olivia's voice came back, barely containing her fury.
She cursed, "That bastard.
"Emily, hang tight. I'm coming to you right now.
"And you did the right thing. Selling the house was genius.
"You don't owe a man like that a shred of mercy."
After hanging up, I walked into the bathroom and sank into a tub of warm water.
Steam clouded the mirror, blurring my vision.
I didn't cry.
Ever since I saw that scene, my tears had dried up completely.
All that remained was a bone-deep chill and a tidal wave of hatred.
Michael thought he was the hunter calling every shot.
He was about to find out what kind of prey he had let loose.