When Love Finds Its Way Back

Isn’t it funny how love works?

I have always loved Dreston, and he has always been the one for me—my first love. As a child, I loved him, as a teenager, nothing changed. And now, even as his wife, I still couldn’t love him any less.

But he only ever loved Tina—my teenage best friend. She came into our lives and didn’t just take him away from me. She took my happiness, my laughter, and even the girl I used to be.

I still remember her words to me:

“You knew he was mine, yet you married him.”

She made me feel like I was the villain. Maybe I was foolish to believe that love alone would bring him back to me. But nothing changed. He would always love her.

I finally gave up the day I signed the divorce papers. I learned to let go, to move on, and to start fresh. And just when I had finally decided to start my life again—just when the universe rewarded me with a man who loved me unconditionally…

Dreston came running back.

Now he wants a second chance.

Chapter One: A Broken Heart

Cassienne walked out of Dr. Zach’s office, holding the small prescription paper in her hand. She felt tired and a little dizzy, and all she wanted was to get home and crawl into bed. She headed toward the elevator, but just as she was about to step inside, a familiar voice drifted down the hallway.

That voice. She could never mistake it for another. It was her husband. Dreston Tremont.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Dreston’s tall, straight figure standing out among the people in the corridor, his arm wrapped around a slim woman beside him. As they walked, the woman looked up at him, revealing her face. It was Tina Arcley—his ex-girlfriend.

“Did you see that guy? He is so handsome. I feel like I'm on fire just looking at him.”

“Don’t even think about it. He’s here with his wife.”

Two nearby nurses whispered about them. Meanwhile, Dreston and Tina smiled at each other, looking effortlessly perfect together.

Cassienne couldn’t remember him ever smiling at her like that—not with that soft, loving look he was giving Tina. And he wasn’t alone. Someone else stood with them—a doctor.

“Remember to rest well,” the doctor said gently. “Since you’re still at the early stage of your pregnancy, you shouldn’t do any vigorous work. I hope you understand?”

Pregnant?

Cassienne’s breath caught. Her hand flew to her mouth.

“Your wife’s mood will be affected by pregnancy hormones,” the doctor continued. “As the baby’s father, you should take her out into nature more often. It will help her stay in a good mood.”

Cassienne struggled to stifle the gasp building in her throat. Shock rippled through her, blurring her vision.

“I’ll see to that, Doctor,” Dreston replied, sounding protective. “I’ll make sure she gets all the rest she needs.”

Through her blurred vision, Cassienne saw them as they began to turn in her direction. Panic rushed through her, and she quickly slipped behind a nearby pillar, pressing her back against the cool stone. Her heart hammered so loudly she feared they would hear it. She peeked out just enough to see Deston’s hand resting at the small of Tina’s back, guiding her with a tenderness he had never shown Cassienne.

He led Tina toward the elevator, his body angled as if shielding her—like she was the most precious thing in his world.

Cassienne pressed herself tighter against the pillar, doing everything she could to make herself invisible.

They moved closer—close enough for her to hear their breaths. Close enough for her to see the tenderness in his eyes when he looked at Tina.

She tried to steady her breathing. She tried to stay calm. She tried to do what she had been forced to master over the past five years—swallow the pain and pretend she could bear it.

This was the price of her own foolish decision, the mistake she made five years ago when Dreston’s parents had approached her in desperation. They needed him married—for the sake of the family’s image.

Tina wasn’t an option. His parents never approved of her. So they turned to Cassienne—the girl who had loved him since childhood, the foolish girl who loved him quietly and secretly, even as a friend.

She had signed the contract without hesitation, agreeing to pretend to be his wife for five years. In her naïve heart, she believed that living with him, sharing his days and nights, might awaken something in him. That he might learn to love her the way she loved him.

They had been close once, back in their innocent days. He had liked her—really liked her—before life pulled them apart. They reconnected in high school, and for a brief moment, it felt like fate. He didn’t remember her fully then, but she remembered him. She could never mistake him for anyone else. Yet things were still fine between them… until Tina came into the picture.

Tina was her friend. Cassienne had introduced her to Dreston, but that turned out to become her greatest mistake.

As soon as Tina stepped into Dreston’s life, everything changed. The boys who admired Cassienne drifted away. His friends, who once liked her, forgot her. Everyone’s attention moved to Tina.

Tina didn’t choose any of those boys. She chose Dreston—Cassienne’s secret first love. Tina was beautiful, and Cassienne was no less, but Tina had a charm that commanded attention anywhere she went. And just like all the other boys, Dreston fell under her charm too.

For Cassienne, he was the only boy. Now he was the only man for her. And even after five years of living with him as his wife in name only, her feelings never changed.

Neither did his feelings for Tina. He still loved her.

And now… Tina was pregnant with his child.

Cassienne’s hands trembled as tears burned behind her eyes. A sob rose in her chest, sharp and heavy, but she forced it down. She had learned to swallow pain so deeply it no longer made a sound.

Tina’s voice echoed in her mind—the cruel reminder she used to throw at her.

“You married him even after knowing he belongs to me.”

And Tina was right. Cassienne knew. But she still said yes, because he had been hers first—before Tina took him away.

The elevator dinged. The doors slid open. Cassienne watched silently as Dreston and Tina stepped inside. They stood close together, framed by the narrowing elevator doors.

Only when the elevator shut did Cassienne finally exhale. Even then, their scent lingered in the hallway.

A reminder of everything she could never become.

Chapter Two: A Confused Moment

Cassienne stepped away from the pillar, feeling smaller than ever. Her mood was exactly what it always seemed to be—sadness, sorrow, regret, and a stubborn hope that refused to die no matter how much it hurt her.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and pressed the down button for the next elevator. When the doors opened, she walked in and leaned against the glass wall. The cool surface supported her weight as memories washed over her.

She remembered high school so clearly. How Dreston had forgotten her. How they used to play together and eat lunch side by side. And how everything shattered the moment Tina appeared, stealing his attention and pulling his friends away from her.

She remembered the first time she saw them kiss. Even as a teenager, she had known that kiss was too intimate—nothing childish about it. Yet her love for him never changed. Tina had known that Dreston and Cassienne were together back then, but she still stepped between them and claimed him for herself.

A soft ding snapped Cassienne back to the present. She stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for the car.

When she reached home, Dreston’s car was already parked outside, and his bodyguards stood around it. That meant he was inside.

Hope tugged weakly at her heart—desperate, foolish hope. Perhaps what she saw earlier had been her imagination. Maybe things could still be okay between them.

When his parents made her sign the contract five years ago, they had meant well. They believed their son would eventually love her. They believed that five years would be enough time for her to win his heart, to have a child, to create a bond he could not ignore.

But none of that had happened.

In those five years, Dreston had never touched her. Not once. They lived like strangers under the same roof. And she couldn’t even tell her friends the truth—that at twenty-seven years old, she was still a virgin. They would mock and laugh at her

But this was her reality now. Married… and untouched.

She walked into the sitting room, and there he was.

Dreston stood beside the floor-to-ceiling glass window, holding a glass of whiskey. One hand rested in his pocket, making him look powerful and heartbreakingly calm. His black curly hair was messy in a handsome, effortless way. His grey eyes met hers, and her heart immediately began to race.

Her heart had always belonged to him. Nothing had ever changed that.

“I didn’t know you went out,” he said casually. “I thought you would be home.”

His voice was smooth, soft—wrapping around her the way it always did.

“I was at the hospital,” Cassienne said quietly. There was no point in lying.

He frowned. “Are you sick? Why didn’t you tell me?”

For a moment—just a tiny, fragile moment—she almost mistook his words for care. But she knew better. This was how he spoke to everyone. To staff and to strangers. To anyone but Tina.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Just a little fever. The doctor gave me some meds.”

He nodded, set the glass on the coffee table, and walked closer to her. But he was too close. Then he reached out and pressed his palm gently against her forehead, checking her temperature.

The familiar tingling sensation rushed through her, and she stepped back quickly, needing space before hope rose again.

“You should rest,” he said softly, almost lovingly—as if he truly cared. But he does, that was the irony of it.

But to her, she knew it wasn’t real care. It was just a pity. He pitied her condition, he pitied the way she was slowly wasting her life beside him.

And honestly, she couldn’t blame him. None of it was his fault. It was hers to begin with. She had been the foolish young woman who believed that love and patience alone could win the heart of a man who never truly looked her way.

For five years, he had been kind to her. He had never mistreated her in any way. He always provided for her needs. Even though she had her own salary, he still deposited a large sum of money into her account every month. He never allowed anyone to disrespect her.

He gave her everything—except his heart. Because his heart already belonged to another woman.

“Cassienne?”

His voice pulled her out of her thoughts. For a moment, she had forgotten he was still standing in front of her, watching her drift into her memories.

“Yes,” she answered quietly. She stepped aside and walked toward the kitchen, assuming he might be hungry, assuming he needed something. At least that was something she could still offer him—care he never asked for but she always tried to give.

“Tell me what you need, and i’ll make it for you,” she said, avoiding his eyes. She wasn’t sure she could handle the way he looked at her.

She heard his footsteps slowly approaching. Her heart tightened, because she didn’t even know what she was doing anymore. She always became like this around him—confused and nervous, painfully aware of her own feelings. His presence made her heart react in ways she could never hide.

Sometimes she wondered if he knew.

If he could feel it. If he noticed how she broke a little more every day, or if he simply pretended not to see it.

When he reached the marble counter, he stopped.

“I don’t need anything, Cassienne,” he said.

She glanced at him briefly. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and his grey eyes were fixed directly on her.

Even now, the way he said her name stirred something deep and dangerous inside her. Something she had learned to hide. Over the past five years, burying her reactions had become second nature—swallowing her emotions, pretending she didn’t love him the way she did.

“Although I wanted us to talk,” he continued, “but since you’re not feeling well, it can wait.”

Talk?

Her chest tightened.

“Is it about the baby?” she asked before she could stop herself.

Chapter Three: The Unexpected

His brows tightened the moment the words left Cassienne’s mouth. The calmness he had worn just seconds ago vanished instantly. His expression darkened, his nostrils flared, and his lips twitched—not with confusion or concern, but with irritation and anger.

“Why are you suddenly talking about us having a baby?” he snapped.

His voice was sharp, cutting through the small courage Cassienne had gathered. She hadn’t meant them. She was referring to the other woman—the one carrying his child. But explaining it felt pointless. If he wasn’t willing to talk about Tina’s pregnancy, pressing him would only make him resent her more.

“You know what this marriage was about before you agreed to it,” he continued.

His tone grew harsher, cold enough to steal the air from her chest. Once again, she had no defense—not even a single word.

“Stop listening to my mother for once in your life. Don’t let her deceive you.” He didn’t stop there. “And may I remind you that the only thing you can get from this marriage is money, nothing else.”

The words struck her like a slap—hard and merciless.

Cassienne’s lips parted. She wanted to tell him she had seen him with Tina. She wanted to say she had heard the doctor. That she knew about the pregnancy. She wanted to say something—anything.

But her voice failed her.

That was who she had become—a woman who stayed silent, who swallowed every insult, the woman who endured cruelty because she didn’t know how to fight back. No… because she loved him.

Her eyes burned. Hot tears blurred her vision. No matter how much she blinked, they kept forming. They always came.

“That’s unfair,” she whispered. The words escaped before she could stop them. “You shouldn’t have said that to me.”

It was the first time in five years that her pain slipped through. The first time she spoke against him. A tiny part of her hoped he would soften, that he would understand she wasn’t heartless.

But his next words shattered her.

He stepped closer, standing directly in front of her, towering over her with zero gentleness in his eyes.

“Stop those tears and don’t make me the villain here. It’s not fair.”

His tone held no warmth. No softness, not even polite restraint.

“Try to see this from my point of view, Cassienne. I didn’t ask for this. And don’t bring this matter up in front of me again.”

Then he turned, walked past her, and climbed the stairs without looking back. Leaving her alone in the kitchen.

The tears fell freely now—hot and relentless. Cassienne pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle the sob that escaped her mouth. The pain was too sharp and too heavy for her to take. Her heart felt shredded, piece by piece.

His words were always final. To him, they were law.

Gathering the little dignity she had left, she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She knew she was broken. She knew she had made foolish choices. But crying over spilled milk wouldn’t change anything.

She picked up her bag and the prescription paper from the table, then walked upstairs to her room—her lonely room.

Inside the spacious bedroom, she didn’t bother changing. She crawled straight into bed and curled up tightly. Her head throbbed with a painful ache. All she wanted was to rest and forget the conversation.

At some point, she fell asleep deeply, as though her body was trying to escape reality.

A soft knock at her door woke her up. Cassienne blinked in confusion, realizing she had overslept. She pushed herself up and opened the door.

Mrs. Rawlings, the housekeeper stood there, her gentle, motherly face full of concern.

“Good morning, Mrs. Tremont. How do you feel now?”

“Good morning, Mrs. Rawlings. I’m fine. Thank you.”

“I heard you weren’t feeling well,” she said. “Mr. Tremont instructed me to make some soup for you. Should I bring it inside, or will you come out?”

Cassienne let out a small scoff and shook her head. The familiar ache tugged at her chest. This—this tiny gesture—was what confused her every time. These small acts he delivered through others. These crumbs of concern she always mistaken for affection.

But now… she knew better not to fall for it again.

“I’ll come out in a few minutes. Thank you.”

Mrs. Rawlings nodded and left.

Cassienne went into the bathroom, took a quick shower, dressed for work, and then realized how late she was. Panic shot through her, because Peter—the development manager—would not take this lightly.

She grabbed the soup, drank as much as she could, and hurried out of the house.

The moment she arrived at the office, she understood from the looks on everyone’s faces that something was wrong, but couldn't tell exactly what.

“Good morning,” she greeted.

They replied politely, but their uneasy silence spoke louder than words could.

Everyone at Auralink System knew she was married to the CEO, but they also knew their relationship at work was strictly professional. No closeness. No special treatment. For two years she had lived this strange duality—wife at home, employee at work.

“Cassienne.”

Her stomach dropped at the sound of Peter Steel’s voice behind her. She turned slowly, expecting his usual stern expression—but surprisingly, his face was softer today.

“I didn’t expect you to come to work today,” he said. “I was told you were sick. The boss said you might not come in.”

So he had mentioned her.

“But since you’re here,” Peter continued, “come with me. I need to introduce you to the new Director of Engineering.”

So that was it.The reason for the look on her colleagues faces.

Cassienne felt a faint lift in her spirits. Maybe this new director would finally support fresh ideas. Maybe her proposal would finally get approval.

She followed Peter toward the grand office door, the one with the golden inscription:

DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING

Peter knocked once. Cassienne straightened her posture, trying to push away her heaviness.

The door opened and they stepped inside the opulent office.

She wasn’t expecting the new director to be a woman.

“Miss Arcley,” Peter said.

Cassienne’s heart stopped.

Arcley?

Did he just say Arcley?

As in Tina Arcley?

Tina lifted her head from the documents she was reviewing and looked directly at Cassienne.

“Hello, Cassienne. It’s good to see you again.” She smiled—but Cassienne knew that smile. She knew the venom behind it.

Cassienne stood frozen as anger and humiliation rushed through her. So now Dreston had brought Tina here to the company? To her department? To stand above her?

Was this how much he despised her?

Tears threatened, but Cassienne blinked hard. Not here, not in front of Tina. She refused to break again.

“Is she my new PA?” Tina asked Peter casually.

The words hit Cassienne like a blow to the chest.

Her? Cassienne? As Tina’s assistant?

Her world shattered all over again.

Chapter Four: Caught In The Act

Peter cut in before Cassienne could react. “No, Miss Ackley, you’re mistaken.”

Tina leaned forward, resting her perfectly manicured hands on the executive desk. Her head tilted slightly, her expression sharp and challenging.

“How so?” she asked. “You said my PA would resume in an hour. And now she’s not?”

Cassienne scoffed quietly under her breath. She recognized the tone. Tina wasn’t asking out of confusion—she was asking to humiliate her, to make her look small in front of Peter. But Cassienne refused to give her that satisfaction, so she forced out a small, stiff smile.

“Mrs. Tremont is one of our newbies,” Peter explained calmly. “She’s skilled in software design. She’s not the assistant I mentioned.”

Tina’s face darkened. Disappointment flickered in her eyes even though she tried to hide it behind a professional mask. She didn’t want Cassienne as her assistant—she wanted Cassienne beneath her.

“Very well then,” Tina said coolly. “Now that I know, you both may return to work.”

She turned back to her documents, acting as if they no longer existed.

“Yes, ma’am,” Peter replied politely. Then he glanced at Cassienne. “Come, Cassienne. Let’s go.”

Cassienne didn’t move for a moment. A childish, reckless image flashed through her mind—smashing the documents right into Tina’s perfect face, wiping the smugness off in one go. The thought gave her a spark of satisfaction, but it faded quickly. She exhaled and followed Peter out.

Back at her workstation, she sank into her chair and stared at the pile of tasks waiting for her. The workload was heavy, but she welcomed it. She needed something—anything—to drown out the tight pain growing inside her chest.

She buried herself in code, in testing, in debugging. Work became her shield.

Still, the truth lingered: she never imagined Dreston could humiliate her this deeply—bringing his mistress into the company, into her department, into the one place she believed she could escape her broken home.

“Concentrate, Cassienne,” she whispered to herself. “Don’t think about them.”

But the tears still pricked the corners of her eyes.

“Mrs. Tremont.”

The voice behind her made her freeze.

She turned and saw Janet—Dreston’s secretary. Cassienne’s heart sank immediately, nothing good ever followed that expression.

“The CEO wants you to serve him his coffee the way he likes it,” Janet said.

Cassienne’s eyebrows lifted in disbelief. She had never served him coffee at work. At home, yes—but never here in his office, where their relationship was strictly professional.

“I thought that was your duty?” Cassienne asked softly.

“Yes, ma’am,” Janet replied. “But he specifically requested that you bring it.”

Cassienne nodded slowly and followed her to the office pantry. Her hands trembled as she prepared his coffee—sweet and creamy, exactly the way he liked it. The scent alone dragged up memories she wished she could erase.

She set the mug on a small tray and walked toward his office. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she stopped at the door.

She inhaled deeply, trying to steady her nerves, then knocked.

No reply.

She waited… then gently pushed the door and it opened easily. Her eyes stayed on the tray as she stepped inside.

But when she finally looked up—

Her entire world collapsed totally.

Dreston sat in his chair, and Tina was straddling him.

Their lips were locked, and their bodies pressed together.

A small sound escaped Cassienne before she could stop it. Her hands shook violently. The tray slipped and crashed onto the floor, the mug shattered, coffee spreading creamy and wet across the marble floor.

They jerked apart.

A sharp pain stung her ankle. She looked down and saw blood—glass shards had pierced her skin. But that wasn’t the pain tearing through her now.

Tina slid off Dreston’s lap and turned to her with a triumphant, devilish smirk.

Dreston, however, looked uneasy and somehow ashamed. He stood quickly.

“Cassienne?” he said, scratching the back of his head like a guilty teenager caught doing something stupid. “What are you doing in my office?”

She couldn’t believe it.

This was the message he wanted to send, wasn’t it? Loud and clear. That he was done with her. That he never needed her to begin with.

Cassienne swallowed hard and kept her voice steady. “I’m sorry for barging in. I should have knocked properly.”

“Dre, honey,” Tina said softly as she walked toward Cassienne with a fake warmth dripping from her voice. “You didn’t tell me Cassienne works here.”

Honey. The word twisted something painful inside Cassienne. And what was the need for the pretence? They already met not too long ago.

Tina opened her arms for a hug. “I’ve missed you so much, my friend.”

Friend? Cassienne felt disgusted.

A spark of anger broke free inside her. She pushed Tina away—not hard, not enough to hurt her. But Tina intentionally stumbled dramatically, collapsing onto the polished floor like she had been shoved across the room.

“Tina!” Dreston shouted and rushed to her.

Cassienne stared, stunned. Was this her plan all along? To paint Cassienne as the aggressor? To play the victim?

Before she could say anything, two bodyguards rushed into the room, Janet behind them. Their eyes widened as they took in the scene—Tina on the floor in Dreston’s arms, Cassienne standing frozen.

Dreston glared at Cassienne with rage burning in his eyes. Rage she had never seen before.

“Get out,” he said, pointing at the door.

His voice was sharp and accusing.

The room felt suffocating with judgment. Everyone looked at her like she was a monster. Like she didn’t belong. Like she had committed something unforgivable.

Nobody asked for her side of the story. They judged her by what they saw.

Realizing she wasn’t just unwanted—but hated—Cassienne turned and ran. She sprinted straight to the ladies’ room, slipped inside a toilet stall, and locked the door.

Only then did she let the sob escape.

Only then did she finally break.

Chapter Five: A Painful Decision

She sat alone in the restroom stall, crying quietly. The tears wouldn’t stop—not because of what Tina had done, but because of the look she had seen in Dreston’s eyes. A look filled with cold hatred and anger, directed entirely at her.

He had been distant for years, yes—cold and unreachable. But he had never looked at her like that before. Never had he shown such open disgust, as if her very presence offended him.

And the way he had shouted at her in front of his secretary and bodyguards—

“Get out.”

Just remembering those two words made her chest tighten painfully.

More tears slipped down her cheeks as she hugged her knees tighter. Then she heard the restroom door open, footsteps getting closer. The sharp clicking of heels on the tile filled the space.

“What happened in your department?” That was Sandra’s voice—her colleague.

“I think Mrs. Tremont attacked Miss Ackley. And the boss sent her away,” Janet replied with confidence.

Her stomach twisted. Of course Janet would say that.

“Everyone knows the boss and Miss Ackley love each other,” Kate added. “I heard Mrs. Tremont knew this and still got married to him.”

Her heart shattered again, for what felt like the hundredth time. This was what she had been reduced to—office gossip, whispered judgment, pitiful stories exchanged behind her back.

“I even heard that Mrs. Tremont and Miss Ackley are best friends.”

“Oh my God.”

“And she still married her friend’s boyfriend?”

“This is serious. No wonder they never seemed like husband and wife. I always wondered why, but now I know. He only loved one woman—and that’s Miss Ackley.”

“You should have seen how he carried her away.”

Enough of all of these.

Cassienne had heard enough.

She wiped her tears quickly with the back of her hand and stood up. She opened the stall door. The moment they saw her, their eyes widened in shock. Shame was written all over their faces. None of them could say a word.

But she ignored them.

She turned on the faucet, splashed cold water on her face to hide the redness, and walked out without speaking.

When she returned to her station, she felt the stares—too many of them. News of what had happened had clearly spread far beyond her department.

And at that moment, she made a decision.

A drastic, painful, necessary decision.

She opened a new email. Her fingers trembled only once. Then she typed her resignation letter, printed it, and placed it in an envelope.

When she was done, she sat down and focused on her work—her last work for Auralink.

Hours passed. The office slowly emptied. By seven in the evening, everyone had left. She completed everything on her desk and submitted her final work to Peter.

He looked up from his documents, his voice uncomfortably cold. She ignored the tone.

“You have violated company rules, Mrs. Tremont,” he said.

She almost laughed. Violated rules? If he knew the humiliation she had endured today, he would understand that rules were the least of her concerns.

She ignored the comment, placed the envelope on his table, and turned to leave.

“And what the hell is this?” he snapped.

Without looking back, she replied, “My resignation letter.”

She didn’t wait for his reaction. She simply walked away.

When she returned to her workstation, the cleaning crew was already wiping surfaces and arranging chairs. She gathered her things slowly and quietly. Then her eyes fell on a framed portrait—the photo of her and Dreston taken a year after their wedding.

She picked it up, studied the frozen smiles and pretence of happiness… then dropped it straight into the trash bin.

It meant nothing now.

She walked out of the building and stepped into the noisy street. People rushed home. Cars honked. The city was alive. But inside her… everything felt silent, like she had just walked out of the ruins of her own life.

She drove home without thinking. Her body moved on autopilot, guided only by exhaustion.

When she reached the mansion, she went straight to her room. She pulled out two large briefcases from the closet, unzipped them, and opened the doors to her wardrobe. One by one, she began packing everything that belonged to her.

She didn’t eat dinner. She didn’t drink water. And not surprisingly, Dreston didn’t come home either.

When she opened the drawer where she kept important documents, she found something she had hidden long ago—the divorce papers she had once asked her lawyer to prepare.

She had never signed them before. Not because she wanted to stay, but because she had always held onto hope. She always believed something might change, that maybe one day he would look at her differently.

But tonight—tonight killed every last drop of hope.

She stared at the papers, breathing slowly. What was the point? Why cling to a man who never saw her? Who never loved her? Who probably never would?

If her mother weren’t sick, she would have begged her to leave long ago.

She picked up the pen. Her hand shook once. Then she signed the document.

Now she could finally breathe.

She slipped the papers back into the envelope and set them aside.

The next morning, she placed the envelope inside her bag and left her wedding ring on the nightstand. The empty space on her finger felt strange, but also strangely freeing.

She was done pretending. Done crying. Done loving someone who didn’t love her back. She was done sacrificing herself for a marriage that had been dead from the very beginning.

As she walked out of her room, she remembered how happy she used to be in high school. How bright and cheerful she used to be, how full of dreams.

Then Tina had come… and taken everything from her—even the boy who once looked at her like she mattered.

Her friends had complained that she had changed. They missed the old her.

And maybe… she missed that version of herself too.

She had abandoned her own dreams, her personal projects, all for Auralink—and for a man who never cared. But not anymore.

From this day forward, she would return to herself. She would rebuild her dreams, work on her own project, and work for herself.

She was done being the good wife, done being invisible, done begging for love.

Now she was free. A free bird with broken wings—but she knew she would spread them again.

And when she did… she would soar higher than anyone ever expected.

Chapter Six: His Confusion

Dreston hated himself right now, he truly did. He felt like punching a wall… or even punching himself. He kept asking why he had ever agreed to his parents’ arrangement in the first place—why he had let them push him into decisions he never wanted.

He blamed himself for everything that had happened, every single problem now eats him alive, refusing to let him rest.

He had always been tied to two women—ever since high school.

One was the woman he loved.

The other was his best friend.

And everything had been fine… until he married his best friend.

What had he been thinking? Why hadn’t he refused? Why hadn’t he fought back? Instead, he had gone along with the plan and given Cassienne a false sense of hope.

He hadn’t been blind. Even in their college years, he knew she had feelings for him. She tried to hide it, but he always noticed the way she looked at him. To him, she was a friend—a sweet, kind that was loyal. Someone he liked, yes… but not someone he loved in a romantic way.

And yesterday… he had hurt both women.

One was his pregnant lover.

The other was the friend who had become his wife in a loveless marriage.

In five years, he had never raised his voice at Cassienne. Not once. But yesterday, he had shouted at her in front of people. In front of his staff. And he regretted it deeply.

He hadn’t gone home afterward. He didn’t have the courage. He should have apologized. He should have spoken gently. But instead, he had avoided her… avoided the guilt sitting heavily in his chest.

His original plan had been to talk to her about Tina joining the company. He wanted her to understand. He wanted her to hear it from him first. But instead, he had ruined everything, choosing the wrong words—hurtful words.

He hadn’t even known she was in the building. He thought she had stayed home sick. If he had known she was at work…

He never would have let something like that happen in his office. Not when she was nearby.

Even earlier, when Tina had come to his office and straddled him, he had intended to stop her. He wanted to tell her it wasn’t appropriate. But he remembered what the doctor had said about her hormones and her need for comfort, and he gave in.

He knew whatever Cassienne did yesterday had come from jealousy—from hurt. But she could have waited. She could have let him handle it.

Their marriage might have been loveless, but he still respected her. He always had.

But seeing her push Tina—pregnant, fragile Tina—had sent his temper flying. He had reacted without thinking.

Today, he planned to call Cassienne into his office and apologize. She deserved at least that. She was gentle and kind to a fault. He believed she would understand and forgive him.

He just needed to control his temper. He couldn’t let yesterday repeat itself.

A knock came at his door.

“Please, come in,” he said immediately.

It must be Peter—Cassiene’s direct boss. Dreston had called him earlier.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Peter greeted.

Dreston looked up. “I would like to see my wife in my office. I hope you don’t mind.”

Peter understood his relationship with Cassienne better than anyone else. He never questioned it.

But suddenly, Peter’s expression shifted. Confusion filled his eyes, and the man didn’t like what that implied.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, irritation starting to rise.

“Sir… I thought you knew already.”

“Knew what exactly?” Dreston's voice sharpened, impatient with Peter’s tone.

“Mrs. Tremont submitted her resignation yesterday. I thought you were aware.”

Dreston shot up from his chair. “She resigned? Why? And how?”

His chest tightened. She resigned? She just walked away?

“How come I’m only hearing this now? Who authorized her resignation?”

“Officially, no one,” Peter replied.

He felt a small wave of relief.

“You can go,” he said tightly. “I’ll handle it myself.”

Once Peter left, he sank back into his chair, breathing hard. His mind spun wildly.

She had resigned and left, without saying a single word to him.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Steve.

“Get the car ready. I’m going home now.”

Then he hit the intercom. “Cancel all my appointments for today. I won’t be available.”

When he arrived home, Mrs. Rawlings met him at the entrance. Her face lacked its usual warmth.

“Where is my wife?” he asked, walking past her without waiting for an answer. He needed Cassienne to explain why she had resigned so suddenly.

He pushed open Cassienne’s bedroom door without knocking—something he never did before. But he needed answers. He needed to know why she had resigned without talking to him first.

The room was empty.

He turned to leave, but something on the nightstand caught his eye.

He stepped closer… and froze.

Her wedding ring.

He picked it up slowly, confusion and shock running through him—no, something deeper, actually. His gaze dropped instinctively to his own ring finger. His wedding ring was still securely there.

Was she in the bathroom?

Before he could take another step, a voice spoke behind him.

“She’s not inside.”

He turned to see Mrs. Rawlings standing by the door.

She stepped closer and handed him an envelope.

“She left this morning and asked me to give you the letter.”

He opened it quickly and skimmed the contents.

Divorce papers.

Her signature was already there.

“Thank you, Mrs. Rawlings. You can go back to work now,” he said softly.

She nodded and left the room quietly.

He stood still for a moment, staring at the envelope in his hand. A faint breath escaped him, almost forming a laugh. Cassienne and her dramatic attempts… she really believed she could fool him with something like this?

He knew her too well. She wasn’t planning to leave him—not truly. He was so sure of it.

He tore the papers into shreds and dumped them into the waste bin before leaving her room.

Chapter Seven: A Fresh Beginning

Cassienne unpacked her clothes, placing them neatly in the wardrobe, when her phone began to ring. The sound echoed from somewhere inside her handbag, but she didn’t rush to get it. Her body felt heavy and worn out. All she wanted was to finish arranging her things and finally rest.

She had rented this condo a year ago, back when she first thought of leaving Dreston. She had even paid the rent in full. Back then, she had packed half of her belongings, convinced she would walk out of the Tremont mansion and never return. But she didn’t. She stayed. She continued to endure everything.

Still, something had pushed her to keep the tenancy. Maybe instinct, or maybe the distant hope that one day she would need this place. And now, here she was, beginning again.

The phone eventually stopped ringing, and silence settled back into the room.

After a few more minutes, she was finally done unpacking. She pulled out her laptop and set it on the new work desk she had bought earlier. She placed it near the floor-to-ceiling window of her bedroom so she could enjoy the sunlight while working.

The room was finally coming together—clean, simple and peaceful. Something she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. She still planned to buy more things, especially groceries. She had always loved home-cooked meals, but life with Dreston meant eating chef-prepared dishes or ordering takeout. Now that she was on her own, she wanted to cook for herself again.

She was just about to head out when her phone buzzed again. This time, she reached into her bag and pulled it out.

Dreston’s face appeared on the screen.

Her heart thumped lightly, before exhaustion washed over the reaction. She stared at his name for a few seconds, debating whether to answer.

But she reminded herself that picking up his calls would only drag her back into the same painful cycle.

So she declined the call, slipped the phone back into her bag, grabbed her purse, and headed to her appointment.

The mall was unusually busy for a Saturday, as though every elite in Southvale had decided to shop at the same time. Ret Mall—one of the biggest and most luxurious in the city—was a favored spot for the richest families, including, ironically, the Tremonts and the Arcleys.

She found a parking spot, stepped out, and began walking toward the entrance. That was when her gaze landed on two familiar figures just ahead of her.

Dreston and Tina.

They were heading into the mall, walking side by side, fingers intertwined. He was laughing, and she was smiling too. They looked good together—like a real couple. Like two people who were genuinely in love.

A sharp pain stabbed through her chest.

He had never laughed with her like that. Not once in their five years of marriage.

Maybe long ago, in high school, they had laughed together. But after the wedding, everything changed. He had become distant—cold even, like a stranger she no longer recognized.

She took in a shaky breath and looked away, ready to leave. She even considered going to another mall farther out of town just to avoid the sight of them. But then she stopped herself.

Why should she leave? She hadn’t done anything wrong. All she had done was walk away from him. She had every right to be here.

So she lifted her head, straightened her shoulders, and walked into the mall.

Inside, she didn’t see them anymore, and relief washed through her. She truly wasn’t emotionally ready for another confrontation—not today.

“Calm down, Cassienne. You’ve already moved on,” she whispered to herself.

Even if the words weren’t completely true, she needed to believe them.

She focused on shopping. She bought groceries, household items, extra cleaning supplies, and a few essentials she had forgotten. Once her cart was full, she headed to the checkout.

The line was long, so she joined checkout point two and waited patiently.

Despite her efforts to stay calm, her mind drifted. He had called her earlier—was he calling while he was with Tina? Or had he picked her up afterward?

“Stop it, Cassienne,” she whispered. “You promised not to think about him again.”

But healing wasn’t instant. Even if their marriage had been empty, five years was still five years. And before that, he had been her closest friend throughout high school. Her heart wasn’t a light switch she could flip off.

Eventually, she paid for her items. Two attendants helped her carry the bags and load them into her trunk. She tipped them generously and thanked them before they left.

“Cassienne.”

Her heart recognized the voice before her body could react, leaving her instantly frozen.

She didn’t even need to turn to know he was close. But slowly, she forced herself to face him.

And there stood Dreston, walking toward her. Even now, after everything, her heart responded to him with a painful, stubborn beat.

He stopped in front of her. He was alone—Tina was nowhere in sight.

He removed his dark sunglasses, and his grey eyes met hers.

“Let’s go home,” he said quietly. “We need to talk.”

Her breath caught. “Home? Talk?” she muttered.

After everything he had done? After what she had witnessed? After how he had shouted at her in front of his staff?

She let out a soft scoff, disbelief filling her.

What did he truly think of her?

“I am sorry,” she replied. “But we have nothing more to say to each other.”