AFTER DIVORCE I BECAME RICHER THAN MY EX-HUSBAND

Sabella POV

Inside the car, silence settled heavily between us, but it was not the peaceful kind. It was the kind of silence filled with hidden intentions, dangerous thoughts, and secrets nobody dared to say aloud.

I sat in the front passenger seat while Alexander and his mother occupied the back seat like royalty being escorted to their grand celebration. The soft leather beneath me felt expensive, the air conditioning cool against my skin, yet none of it comforted me. My mind was too occupied with everything that had happened.

Behind me, Melissa suddenly laughed softly.

“The bitch has finally left the line,” she said proudly.

Alexander chuckled beside her.

“And tonight,” Melissa continued, satisfaction dripping from her voice, “the Knight family will officially welcome their new daughter-in-law.”

A smile slowly formed on my lips, though my chest still felt strangely tight.

For a moment, victory tasted sweet.

Not because I loved Alexander.

Not because I truly wanted to replace Sophia.

But because I believed this was justice.

Sophia had destroyed our family long before today.

She sold her birthright.

She sacrificed the Williams family properties just to help the man she loved build his empire. The very properties our father treasured with his whole heart. The same inheritance he protected for years with pride.

And when Father discovered what Sophia had done…

He died.

The memory still haunted me.

I could still remember the trembling of his hands, the disbelief in his eyes, the pain in his voice when he realized the daughter he trusted most had given away the family’s legacy for love.

He had adored Sophia.

He believed she would become the pride of the Williams family.

Instead, she shattered everything.

And now…

Now Alexander Knight had become rich and powerful because of her sacrifice.

So why shouldn’t the Knight family pay for it?

Why shouldn’t Sophia experience pain too?

I closed my eyes briefly and rested my head against the seat.

Yet even in that moment, something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

Because one truth kept bothering me.

I never sent Alexander that video.

The video of Sophia speaking with the man who bought the Williams properties.

That day had been the only day I truly decided to play my own game against my sister. I wanted Alexander to doubt her. I wanted cracks in their marriage.

But those messages…

Those pictures…

The anonymous information Alexander kept receiving…

None of them came from me.

Which meant somebody else had been manipulating everything from the shadows.

Somebody wanted Sophia destroyed long before I became involved.

And suddenly, I realized I had only been another pawn.

A slow chill crawled down my spine.

Whoever that person was, they clearly hated Sophia far more than I did.

But at that moment, I pushed the thought aside.

I no longer cared.

Not tonight.

Tonight was supposed to be my victory.

A few minutes later, the car finally stopped.

I looked outside the window and my breath caught.

The event hall was breathtaking.

Golden lights decorated the massive building beautifully while luxurious cars filled the entrance. Elegant guests walked inside wearing expensive gowns and tailored suits. Music echoed faintly from within the hall while photographers waited near the staircase.

Everything looked magnificent.

Everything looked like a dream.

The driver opened the door for us.

Alexander stepped out first, adjusting his expensive suit confidently. The moment he stood outside, flashes from cameras immediately surrounded him.

He smiled proudly like a man who owned the entire world.

Then he turned toward me.

“Isabella,” he called.

I quickly walked toward him, trying to act composed.

“Yes?”

“Is everything okay?” he asked casually.

“I’m fine,” I replied softly.

But before I could say anything else, Alexander glanced toward the road.

“I think Clara hasn’t arrived yet,” he murmured. “She just left the hotel.”

I froze instantly.

My heart skipped.

“Clara?” I repeated slowly.

Alexander nodded absentmindedly.

I stared at him carefully before asking,

“Your ex-girlfriend who abandoned you when you had nothing?”

The curiosity inside me immediately turned into uneasiness.

Melissa smiled strangely but said nothing.

Then suddenly, headlights appeared.

A black BMW slowly drove toward the entrance with another security vehicle following behind it.

Alexander’s entire expression brightened immediately.

“There’s Clara,” he said happily.

And before I could even process what was happening, Alexander and Melissa both walked toward the arriving car excitedly.

Confusion filled me.

The car door opened slowly.

A beautiful young woman stepped out gracefully.

She wore a stunning silver gown that hugged her body perfectly while diamonds sparkled around her neck. Even from where I stood, I could smell her expensive perfume drifting through the air.

And the moment I saw her face…

Shock nearly knocked the breath out of me.

It really was Clara.

Alexander’s former lover.

The woman who abandoned him years ago.

Before I could recover from my shock, Alexander reached her and kissed her directly on the lips.

My eyes widened instantly.

“Alexander!” I shouted.

The both of them turned toward me.

Alexander frowned slightly.

“Isabella, what’s the problem?”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re not supposed to be with her!” I cried emotionally. “She abandoned you when you had nothing! And now that you’ve made it, she returned to replace my sister?”

My voice cracked painfully.

Melissa sighed dramatically.

“My goodness,” she muttered.

Then she looked at me coldly.

“Young lady, what exactly were you expecting from us?” she asked. “Did you truly think you could become your sister’s replacement?”

Her words hit me harder than a slap.

I stood there speechless.

But deep inside, humiliation slowly began burning through me.

Still, I forced myself to speak.

“You became rich using the Williams properties,” I said bitterly. “The sacrifices Sophia foolishly made for your family helped you rise. Now you divorce her only to bring back your ex-girlfriend?”

Alexander suddenly laughed.

The sound was cruel.

“Did you actually expect me to choose you?” he asked mockingly.

I swallowed hard.

“Yes,” I answered boldly despite the shame rising inside me.

Alexander laughed even harder.

Melissa shook her head in disgust.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered.

Then Alexander stepped closer toward me, his eyes filled with mockery.

“You really think I would involve myself with another woman from the Williams family after seeing the kind of products your parents brought into this world?”

His words stunned me.

“Barren women. Unfaithful women. Disgraceful women,” he continued mercilessly. “What makes you think you’d be any different from your sister?”

My chest tightened painfully.

Every word pierced directly into my pride.

“Babe,” Clara suddenly interrupted while pointing at me arrogantly, “who exactly is this pathetic woman?”

Alexander smirked.

“That?” he answered carelessly. “That’s my foolish ex-wife’s lazy sister.”

Clara widened her eyes dramatically.

“Your former sister-in-law?”

Alexander scoffed.

“I’d rather pick a prostitute from the streets than choose anyone from the Williams family.”

Clara burst into laughter.

And in that moment, I finally understood.

I was never part of their plans.

Never.

I had only been useful.

A weapon against Sophia.

Nothing more.

Alexander gently held Clara’s hand and began leading her toward the hall entrance.

Then suddenly, he stopped and turned back toward me.

“Oh, one more thing.”

One of his guards quickly handed him a thick envelope.

Alexander tossed it directly at me.

It landed near my feet.

“That’s my wedding invitation,” he said coldly. “You’re invited.”

Tears instantly filled my eyes.

My hands trembled violently.

The humiliation felt unbearable.

Same day.

The same day Alexander managed to destroy two sisters completely.

I thought I had won.

Instead, I became the biggest fool.

Slowly, I bent down and picked up the invitation card.

My hands tightened around it.

Then angrily, I tore it into pieces.

I threw the remains onto the ground and stepped on them repeatedly while tears streamed down my face.

Behind me, loud cheers erupted from the crowd as guests welcomed Alexander and Clara inside the hall.

Their laughter echoed painfully in my ears.

I stood there alone, broken,humiliated, used and finally…

Awake.

A bitter smile slowly appeared on my face.

“So now I understand,” I whispered painfully.

It was Clara.

She had been the one manipulating Alexander all along.

She was the one sending those pictures.

Those messages.

Those lies.

She wanted Sophia gone so she could reclaim her place beside Alexander.

And I…

I helped her destroy my own sister.

Regret crashed into me heavily.

For the first time since everything began, guilt truly settled inside my chest.

Sophia lost everything because of people like us.

Because of me.

I slowly wiped my tears.

No.

I could not enter that hall now.

Not after making such a fool of myself.

Not after realizing I had been nothing but entertainment to them.

I clenched my fists tightly.

“This time,” I muttered painfully, “if Sophia decides to fight back… I’ll help her.”

My breathing became heavier.

“But not openly.”

My eyes darkened with hatred.

“Alexander Knight,” I whispered, “nothing from the Williams family that made you rich will remain with you.”

My voice trembled with rage.

“I swear you and your mother will pay for every single dime.”

The pain inside me only deepened.

Slowly, I reached for my phone.

I stared at Sophia’s number for a long moment before finally calling.

But the call failed.

Her phone was switched off.

My heart sank further.

I had nowhere to find her.

Nowhere to go.

And even if I found her…

Would she ever forgive me?

Probably not.

Because regardless of my reasons, I betrayed her.

Maybe part of me believed I was teaching her a lesson.

Maybe I wanted her to feel the pain our father felt.

But now…

Now I realized I had gone too far.

Still, no matter what happened, I needed to make peace with Sophia.

Not only because of guilt.

But because if the Knight family could betray one sister so easily…

Then none of us were ever safe around them.

And for the first time in my life, I truly feared what Alexander Knight was capable of.