Chapter 1

Laura Thompson watched her marriage crumble when her husband abruptly asked for a divorce. She had always suspected that he never truly loved her, but she had decided to win him over gradually. However, everything fell apart when her husband's ex girlfriend reentered his life and persuaded him to leave Laura. Completely disheartened after putting so much effort into a marriage that ended in failure, Laura decided to agree to the divorce and start her life anew in an uncertain place. However, Jason Davies realizes that he made a mistake by separating from Laura due to his ex girlfriend's influence. He now recognizes that he loves Laura, even though he didn't realize it before. Jason intends to reunite with Laura and win her back. The lingering question is whether Laura will forgive Jason and return to him after being hurt so deeply by him.

Chapter 0001

Today, I decided to cook my husband's favorite dish. I always enjoyed pleasing him and taking care of our marriage. I wanted him to know how much I loved him and how happy I was that he married me.

We got married right after college, and we had been together for five years. My husband, Jason Davies, a billionaire, was somewhat distant and indifferent to me, but I was fighting every day to win his heart. I thought I was making progress until that fateful day, when everything fell apart.

Jason entered our house that night and went straight to the kitchen, looking for me. He had a striking presence; he was tall, handsome, and well-dressed in his CEO attire. He looked irresistible, especially in his navy blue tie that matched his blue eyes and jet-black hair. I fell in love with him the moment we met.

I smiled warmly when I saw him in the kitchen doorway, happy to have him back home. "Oh, you're back early," I said, moving toward him to embrace him and give him a welcoming kiss, as I always did. However, this time he pulled away, rejecting my affection, which left me confused.

"We need to talk. Can you come with me, please?" he said, asking me to join him in his office. I noticed he held a rectangular envelope in his hand, and his jaw seemed clenched, indicating a serious matter.

"Is there a problem?" I asked, feeling uneasy. He sighed, appearing uncomfortable, and simply nodded.

"I'm waiting for you in the office," he said, leaving the kitchen.

I asked the household cooks to keep an eye on my special sauce to prevent it from spoiling and ruining the dinner I had carefully prepared for Jason. Then, I left the kitchen and went to my husband's office.

We lived in a sophisticated mansion in the upscale neighborhood of Manhattan, surrounded by servants and luxury. Despite that, I enjoyed cooking for my husband and taking care of him.

I adjusted my long, wavy, brown hair in the hallway mirror before walking into his office. My almond-shaped eyes were brown like my hair, and I was moderately attractive. I should have been smiling, but I was visibly anxious because of my husband's abrupt request. He had never treated me with such coldness.

I took hold of the door handle and gently turned it, stepping into the office, where Jason was seated on the other side of his desk, the envelope still in his hand.

"Sit down," he said, pointing to one of the empty chairs in front of him. I offered a half-smile, my face still displaying confusion. He was not the husband of the year, but he had never treated me so harshly before.

"What's going on, Jason? Does this have something to do with your recent trip to London?" I asked as I took the seat, as he indicated.

He had traveled to London on business a few weeks ago, and ever since he returned, he had been so busy that he barely spent time at home. Today, he said he would come home, so I prepared a special dinner to celebrate his return. I had learned to handle his business trips, given his importance and influence.

"I'm not talking about work; this is about us," he replied, handing me the rectangular envelope that had been in his hand all along.

I took the envelope and opened it, revealing a small stack of printed papers. Completely innocent of what this could be, I reluctantly read the content of the first page: A DIVORCE AGREEMENT. I gasped in shock as I flipped through the document.

"What does this mean?" I asked, still in shock.

"If you go to the last page, you'll find my signature there, which clearly means I've already signed the divorce. I just need you to sign on your part," he said calmly, handing me a pen.

"What are you talking about, Jason? Why divorce?" I asked, my voice trembling and my heart racing. Why was he asking for a divorce? What was happening? Why was he changing his mind like this?

He sighed before responding, "There comes a point in a marriage when a couple reaches their limit, and we should just get a peaceful divorce. You can keep all your marital rights and start your life as you wish. Just sign these papers to end this civilly."

"No, Jason. I won't sign anything," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "For heaven's sake, what's happening? After everything we've been through, you just show up here demanding that I sign a divorce? You can't take me by surprise like this and act as if it's something trivial. We're talking about our lives and our relationship!"

"Which relationship, Laura? There's no relationship left between us. I want a divorce, period!" he said, hurling those harsh words at me.

He was acting so cold, showing no consideration for me. The Jason I knew had never treated me with such disdain.

"For what reason, Jason? Can you at least tell me why you want to divorce me?" I asked, tears welling up in my eyes. I still couldn't believe what was happening. Furthermore, I would never have expected this from my husband.

He slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. "Just sign these damn papers!" he shouted at me, and I cried, shaking my head.

"I won't sign anything, Jason! You're out of your mind, our story can't end like this. I'm your wife, I love you, and you love me too. We got married to be together forever. Our story just can't end like this..." I cried in anguish.

I got up from my chair and approached him, who was now looking out the office window. "Jason, whatever I'm doing wrong, please just forgive me and let's talk about it," I pleaded, taking his hand. He pulled his hand away, refusing to touch me.

"Stop insisting, damn it! Can't you see I'm not interested anymore?" He was harsh, treating me as if I were nothing. Treating me as if I were not the woman he had taken to the altar and promised to love and protect until the end of his days. How dare he treat me like this after promising to make me the happiest woman in the world?

Consumed by anger, I took the divorce papers and ripped them into pieces, wanting to get rid of what was ruining my marriage.

"What are you doing, you crazy woman?" He tried to stop me, but it was too late.

"I'm not signing any divorce papers, Jason Davies!" I insisted, and he cursed before adjusting his short hair, now looking at me.

"You may have torn those papers, but I have a copy," he said triumphantly, "and no matter how many times you tear it, I will always demand that you sign it until you give in and set me free from you, Laura."

"No..."

"The servants must have already packed my things, as I instructed. I'm leaving. You can only contact me through my lawyers. I'll be waiting for you to release this divorce as soon as possible," he said.

Then he turned and left the office, leaving me in tears behind him.

Chapter 0002

"Jason did what? Good Lord!" I heard my friend practically scream with surprise on the other end of the line. She seemed stunned by that sudden news. "Tell me it's not true, Laura, please."

"I wish it were untrue too, Ava, but Jason just left the house with his bags..." I said, my voice still choked with tears.

I tried to stop Jason from leaving, but it was all in vain; he picked up his things and left without even explaining the reason.

"Oh my God, Laura... You must be so shaken," my friend said, sounding sad for me. "I'm coming over, okay? I'll take care of you." She ended the call and headed to my house, just as she always did when I was in trouble. She was the person closest to me, and I loved her.

I cried while Jason's stern face and harsh words wouldn't leave my mind. What had I done wrong for him to want to separate from me? I had been a good wife, patient and dedicated. We never had any conflicts in our relationship, and we were even planning to have our first child. But suddenly, everything was turning into a nightmare, and he hadn't even explained it to me.

Ava didn't take long to arrive at my house. As soon as she saw me, she gave me a tight hug. "Oh, Laura, I'm so sorry... How did this happen?"

"I don't know, he just arrived with a divorce request and wanted me to sign..." I said, trying to explain what had happened while I cried in my friend's arms.

"That’s ridiculous, you seemed so in love. There's simply no reason for Jason to ask for a divorce out of the blue," A suspicious look appeared on her face, as if she knew something. "Laura... I'm not sure what I heard, but you know that Jason and Terence are friends."

I nodded. Both of us and our husbands were friends and worked together.

"So, I overheard Terence talking to Jason on the phone a few days ago, right after they returned from London. It seemed like Terence was telling Jason to stay away from someone named Kendall. But as soon as he saw me coming, he hung up the phone."

I furrowed my brow at this news. What did that mean? "Who is this Kendall?" I asked.

"I can't say for certain, but the only Kendall we know is that annoying girl from college who used to be Jason's girlfriend," Ava shrugged slightly.

"Are you speculating that Jason met up with an ex-girlfriend recently? Do you think that's why he wants to divorce me?" I was quite surprised. Ava shrugged.

"I’m not sure but this could be. Jason might have reconnected with Kendall in London, and now he's acting this way," she said, and I had to laugh because I found it unbelievable.

I had been married to Jason for five years, and even though he was never very open or affectionate, he had never looked at another woman either.

"Ava, I'm sorry, but I don't think Jason cheated on me. He respects me, and that's what I value the most in him," I said to her as honestly as possible. She sighed and hugged me again, seemingly giving up on that hypothesis.

"I've asked Terence to try to convince Jason to give up on this divorce so that everything can go back to how it was before. Don't worry, friend, everything will work out." She said this, comforting me.

Ava stayed with me the entire night, providing emotional support because I needed it. She even offered to stay at my house to keep an eye on me, so I was able to sleep that night. However, in the early hours of the day when I woke up, it seemed that the weight of this divorce situation was crushing me. I was so emotional and felt so weak that I found myself picking up my phone and dialling his number, insisting on calling him twice.

Jason finally answered after I insisted on calling him twice. "Why are you calling me? Haven't I told you it's better if we talk in the presence of our lawyers?" He said this while being harsh with me.

"Jason, please. I'm calling you to ask you to reconsider and back out of this divorce plan," I pleaded, almost crying again. I heard him sigh on the other end of the line.

"You never give up, do you, Laura?"

"I can't give up on us..."

"But there's no 'us' anymore. Get used to it once and for all!"

"No, Jason. Please..."

"I'm coming over today because Terence asked me to talk to him. I hope you're ready to sign the papers today. Don't call me anymore, okay?" Then he hung up the call.

I stared at my trembling phone, tears of anguish falling from my eyes. I didn't want to lose him; I didn't want to separate from him. So, I was willing to fight to the end. However, I didn't expect the surprise that came next.

That afternoon, Terence and Ava were at the mansion, waiting with me for Jason to arrive so the four of us could have a serious conversation about the situation of our divorce. We were all sitting in the outdoor lounge of the house, and I had asked the servants to serve a light snack for my guests. We were talking and drinking wine while waiting for Jason to appear.

"Do you think he'll show up, Terence?" I asked my friend Ava's husband. He smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry, Laura. I've put my friendship with him on the line, so he'll have to show up." He assured me that Jason would indeed appear for that conversation.

I sighed and crossed my legs, feeling very anxious. My friend Ava gently stroked my arm, smiling warmly and always taking care of me.

It was at that moment that Jason appeared in the outdoor lounge of the mansion. He was dressed casually, wearing sunglasses, and he looked radiant, not sad at all. He seemed light, as if he were about to float away.

Furthermore, he was holding hands with a beautiful blonde woman who had a confident smile. The two of them approached the three of us, who were surprised to see him with this new woman.

Then he said something, introducing the woman to us. "Hello, meet Kendall McLean, my bride."

Chapter 0003

"What do you mean you have a bride? You’re joking, right?" I stuttered, completely stunned as my husband introduced the girl as his bride.

"Don't look so surprised, Laura. It's not like this is anything new," Jason said, shrugging slightly, his demeanor oddly calm.

Suddenly my throat felt so dry, maybe because of the drink I just had.

"Don't you remember me, Laura?" The blonde woman spoke for the first time, she was still smiling. "It's me, Kendall. We went to the same college. " She paused a second before she continues.

"You must have heard of me because I was Jason’s ex. We had disagreements back then and have been separated for so long, but it's never too late to rekindle our love." She smiles at Jason, who was also smiling at her in such a special way.

I was still sitting without being able to move a single muscle, completely shocked by the scene I saw unfolding in front of me.

"It's normal for Laura to be in shock because she was taken by surprise with this new decision of yours, Jason. We are all surprised, actually," Terence said, verbalizing our feelings.

"I know, I even understand you, but there comes a time in life when we have to make certain sacrifices for our own happiness," said Jason, while smiling lightly at Kendall and stroking her hand tenderly.

"Okay, so will the lovebirds be able to sit down?" Terence joined the unoccupied sofa next door, inviting Jason and his new bride to sit down, which they did shortly.

Both Terence, Ava, and I were so uncomfortable seeing Jason move and date this other woman right in front of us. Jason had no regard for us; he simply brought a lover of his to participate in a private conversation about the wedding with me.

That was like a punch in my gut; seeing the way he was so kind and in love with this woman was doing more to me than I could imagine. Even after all these years of me working hard to please my husband and win him over little by little, even on the rare days when Jason looked at me with a certain tenderness, he never looked at me like he was looking at this woman now. It was so obvious how much he loved this woman instead of me. For me, the shock was great when I gradually realized that my husband had never been my husband but someone else's.

“So, Kendall,” said Ava, she ended up being right in her suspicions about Kendall being back in Jason’s life. "You've been gone for about five years. Where have you been all this time?"

"Yes," replied the blonde with that charming smile of hers, her mouth painted with a heavy lip gloss. "After I left this city, I lived for a while in Asia and then in Europe. I need to do everything to forget this man here," she said, holding Jason's hand. "But clearly it was an impossible task. All my efforts went down the drain when I saw Jason in London. It was as if my whole subconscious was screaming inside me that I had to be with him, and now we are here."

"But he's married to me; he doesn't belong to you anymore," I said, without really thinking about my words.

Jason sighed, looking at me tiredly, as if he were tired of talking to me. "That's why the divorce process is underway, Laura; you just have to go through the papers."

"Are you sure about this, Jason? Do you really want to break up with your wife because of your ex?" Terence insisted on seeing if Jason changed his mind.

"I've never been so sure about that in my life," he replied to Terence, and then looked at me. "You have to agree with me that there was never any love in our marriage."

"Of course there was, Jason; I've always loved you," I said, answering his question with a lump in my throat.

"You may have loved me, but it was always one-sided, Laura. You know why I married you; back then, Kendall left me, and I was confused and angry. Meanwhile, my parents insisted I marry, so you were there, available. You know I never loved you, Laura. Life is unique, and I'm tired of trying to please everyone. Kendall is someone I love and always loved. If you can understand this, you will finally grant this divorce." Every word he spoke was like a dagger, piercing my heart.

I couldn't stand it, I got up and ran out of that place, wanting to get as far away from all that horror as possible. My vision was blurred because of the tears. I could even hear Ava coming after me to support me, but I didn't stop; I kept running to get away from Jason and his harsh words.

****

Everything I had done all this time to maintain this marriage, hoping that one day my husband would start to love me, had all been in vain. How stupid I was, my God! I even feel sorry for myself and my false illusions.

I stayed in my room upstairs for a while, lying on the couch while my head was leaning on my friend's shoulder. She supported me and let me cry on her shoulders, but after a while my tears had dried, and I was just feeling defeated.

"Terence just texted me," Ava said, patting my shoulders. "He said Jason is adamant, and he's saying he won't leave here until you go over the summary." She sighed, delivering the disheartening news.

"Do you want to know what I think, Laura? I think you shouldn't give in and let this unfortunate man make a clown of you. Can he marry you to please his parents and then separate from you whenever he wants? For God's sake, what a great egoist! You must stay married to him, just for revenge!" She was so angry with the whole situation; I smiled minimally, happy that Ava once again proved to be a great friend.

But this situation hurt me more than anything. Finding out that Jason had married me just to satisfy his desires was like a bucket of cold water on all my hopes. It was as if I had immersed myself in a love story that simply didn't belong to me, but to Jason and Kendall. I never even had a chance in that story.

How could a marriage collapse if it didn't even truly exist? I wiped my tears and got up from the couch.

"What are you going to do, friend?" Ava asked me fearfully.

I took a deep breath and replied, "I'm going to get rid of this once and for all, Ava, I'm going to sign the papers."

Ava also stood up in shock, "No, my friend. You can't give in like this; you must keep fighting!" she pleaded. I knew she was concerned about protecting my honor and reputation.

"But fight for what, Ava?" I asked weakly, "fight for what? For my marriage? For the love I feel for him? What's the point of fighting when it's always been one-sided from the start? I'll only suffer more if I keep insisting. Jason will come to hate me even more, he'll despise me, my life will become a living hell and I won't be able to bear seeing the two of them together. I prefer to step aside, Ava. I don't want to suffer anymore; it's been too painful for me..." I cried, feeling completely broken, my heart shattered into pieces.

Ava realized that it wasn't about revenge; there was no point in continuing to insist when it was Jason who didn't love me and never had. Ava hugged me and allowed me to cry a little more on her shoulder.

"I'm truly sorry for all of this, Laura... please stay strong, I'll always be by your side no matter what decision you make." It was her strength that I needed. I was grateful that at least Ava was there for me through all of this.

So when I went downstairs to the lower floor, Jason was waiting for me, still holding hands with his new bride. The divorce document was on the table with a pen already placed there, waiting for me.

"Have you made up your mind, Laura?" He asked, noticing the suitcase I had with me. He had an excited look, as if he were finally getting what he wanted most.

"You must agree that this is the best decision you are taking," Kendall said, but I decided to ignore her. It was already too much to know that my husband was leaving me because of her.

Terence and Ava were also there, hugging and looking at me with sorrow. They didn't want me to sign, but I was simply tired of fighting against something that had no solution. So I picked up the pen and signed the divorce papers.

Chapter 0004

"Oh yes, right!" Jason said, practically celebrating as soon as I finished signing the papers. He was checking to make sure there were no errors that could jeopardize the process in the future, as what he wanted most was to get this divorce to finally live his love story with his great passion, Kendall. But I had signed everything correctly; I wasn't there to complicate his life. "Wonderful! Finally, this divorce is happening!"

With great sorrow, I took my ring off my finger, and no matter how hard I tried to stay strong, it was almost impossible not to cry as I removed that ring that had been on my finger for continuous five years. I thought I would never take that ring off my finger because I had never considered the possibility of separating from Jason. But now I was doing it. I left the ring on the table and sighed with my head down, hearing Jason and Kendall celebrating because now they could legally get married.

"Well, you'll retain her rights, right, Jason?" Terence said after clearing his throat. He was so sad to see his friends' marriage ending so dramatically. "It's in the law that Laura should receive a part of your fortune, and she should also be compensated for the divorce because you filed for it and were unfaithful," he accused his friend without shame. It was obvious that he was upset with his friend's behavior.

Jason sighed but nodded, "whatever, she can have whatever she wants. The important thing is that I can be happy now with the woman I love and have always loved." He smiled affectionately at Kendall. I even averted my eyes to avoid seeing that display of affection between the two, which struck me like a stab in my heart. My heart was so broken that I would never be myself again.

"I don't want anything; I don't want money, property, or his fortune," I said, responding to Terence. Then I looked at Jason, "I don't want anything from you." I wished my words could convey all the hurt and anguish I was feeling.

"Wait, calm down, Laura; you might not be fully aware of what you're saying due to your pain," Terence said, looking genuinely concerned now. "You don't understand; this fortune is your right. You need to accept it. Waiving it doesn't make any sense. You've spent five years in this marriage, and you have no savings or anything. Accept this money that is rightfully yours."

"Please, my friend, think it over," Ava also interceded for me. "How will you live from now on?" She was so sad that she almost cried.

"Why are you both insisting so much? If she doesn't want it, then let her be. It's her decision," Kendall said, stopping Terence and Ava from continuing.

"Don't you think you should keep quiet now, Kendall?" Ava asked, seemingly scandalized that this woman was still insisting. "Have some sense, for God's sake!"

"It's okay, Ava; I'll be fine. I'll manage," I smiled to reassure them. I chose to ignore Kendall and looked at Jason, "I didn't marry you for your money, Jason. I never had any ulterior motives in our union. That's why I prefer to leave without anything." I was resolute in my words, and for a moment, Jason couldn't respond, looking confused by my response.

After all, he was a billionaire and probably thought I would file a lawsuit to take a significant portion of his fortune. He certainly didn't expect my answer.

"Well, if she doesn't want the money, there's no point in insisting, right?" Kendall insisted jokingly now. "Besides, you'll have more money to spend on me, my love." She laughed melodiously, hugging Jason's arm.

"Look, Jason, be a man and try to convince her to take the money!" Terence was practically shouting at his friend.

Jason just shrugged, "there's nothing I can do if she doesn't want it." He walked away with the divorce papers in one hand and holding his new fiancée's hand in the other.

"This mansion is so beautiful, love," I could hear Kendall saying as they walked away to go upstairs. "We're going to be so happy here, but I think I'll change this tacky decoration, hahaha."

Her ridiculing the decoration of the mansion that I worked on with so much appreciation broke me in half. I realized that everything was over, everything I built all these years would only live in my memory from now on.

"What a disgrace, honestly!" Ava swore under her breath as we watched Jason and Kendall climb the stairs on their way upstairs.

Even though I knew that was the last time he would see me, Jason didn't even look at me, acting as if he were finally free of me. That hurt more than anything. I had practically given my life to this man, but today he turned his back on me and left with another woman. My heart was, without compression, aching and resentful.

"He's my friend, but I'm totally disappointed in him," Terrence commented, utterly embarrassed.

I just wiped my tears, took a shaky breath, and picked up my suitcase, leaving the house with the intention of never coming back.

"Ma'am..." I heard a hesitant voice call me when I was outside, and that's when I saw all the household staff waiting for me outside. They were as sad as if it were a funeral. My heart almost failed. The team of housekeepers had been working with me since the day I moved into this place. So you can imagine how much they missed me and how much they were hurting to see me leave.

"Hi, everyone," I went to hug them all to say goodbye.

"We'll miss you so much...," they said, "this is so unfair; this house will never shine like it did when you were here." They liked me because I was always humble and treated them well.

"I hope you all will be fine. I need to go now," I said, smiling to reassure them, and I left for my friends' car, where I ended up crying again. I didn't want to leave that place behind and all the relationships I had built over all that time.

Terence was driving, and Ava was in the back seat, providing emotional support. I looked out the window one last time at that mansion that had been my home for so many years. It was as if half of me was staying in that place, so I ended up crying again.

"You were strong, Laura, you were amazing," Ava praised me, giving me strength.

"And now? What are you going to do?" Terence asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror. He was still so apprehensive.

And with good reason, I had no money or job. Since I graduated from college, I had been living to please my husband and make him happy, working hard for him. Jason Davies had been the center of my life for the last five years. Now that he was gone, I was as lost as a boat adrift in the ocean.

I sighed, resting my head against the car window and shaking my head. "I simply don't know what will become of me from now on."

Chapter 0005

Laura

After I divorced Jason, things quickly started to become torture for me. I lost friends and people who I thought liked me but who only smiled at me because I was married to Jason, and now that I was separated from him, I no longer had any influence on them, so they started to pull away from me.

I started to realize that I had dedicated myself all these years to pleasing my husband and completely forgotten about myself. Furthermore, I had gotten out of a marriage, and I had nothing—not a career, not a job, or anything else—that could support me because I spent the last years of my life after college taking care of my ex-husband, worrying only about him. And trying to win his love, but in the end, nothing came of it.

And now I was here at square one, without even knowing where I was going to start my life over. I knew I needed to get a job to be able to support myself because I can't always depend on Ava and Terence, who have been lending me money in the last few weeks. I knew I needed to start somewhere.

Likewise, I dried my face with the towel as soon as I finished cleaning myself. I had barely woken up, and I had already gone straight to the toilet to vomit. Recently, I was feeling good. At first, I thought that because of the stress I was facing lately, I was already expected to get sick, but with Ava's help, I discovered that I was expecting my ex-husband's child, which almost destroyed me.

Having his child at this point in the championship was out of the question, I had already separated from him, and now this child was on the way to making my path even more difficult.

Since I needed a job to support myself, I accepted a part-time job at a restaurant that would pay me $13 per hour to serve as a waiter. Even with the nausea I was feeling due to the pregnancy, I needed to work, so I put my head down and went to do my chores.

"You're Laura, right?" My boss asked me as soon as I had already changed my clothes and put on my waitress uniform.

"Yes, sir. I'm Laura," I replied, and the man nodded.

"Look, we have a shortage of waiters in the luxury wing of the restaurant because one of our permanent workers got sick. You're going to have to replace it, okay?" He said. The waiters who served in the luxury area of ​​the restaurant were much better trained and more experienced, and knowing that the owner of the restaurant was choosing me to replace one of his employees in the VIP area meant that my work was being well approved. Who knows, maybe I will leave with a good tip today?

I smiled and nodded, then replied, "Of course, sir. I can handle it."

The man took me to the VIP area of ​​the restaurant that was upstairs, being in that kind of place was not a surprise for me since I had spent five years of my life married to a billionaire, and from time to time we would go for walks and luxurious parties. I was willing to do my best because I needed money. The boss gave me a table at which I had to serve a high-class couple who had booked, but I didn't expect the couple to be my ex-husband and his new wife.

They arrived at the restaurant exuding ostentation and happiness like a beautiful young billionaire couple in love. The way they talked and interacted made me feel nauseous. I was paralyzed in the corner, not having the strength to move.

"I loved that gift you gave me, Jason, my love," Kendall said. "The color of that yacht matches the stone in my ring." She shook her fingers in front of Jason as they both laughed.

"I can give you as many yachts as you want, my sweetie," my ex-husband told her, and the lunch I ate earlier almost came up my throat, my tears also threatening to come out.

I had to go to them; I had to smile at them and serve them, but I couldn't take it. No matter how much I needed that money, I couldn't take it, the wound was still too fresh. Then I turned around, wanting to run from there.

"Hey, waitress!" I heard his voice calling me, and I froze instantly, still facing away from the couple. "Aren't you supposed to bring the menu?"

"By God, what an incompetent girl!" Kendall complained, "I'm going to rate this fifth-rate place one star." Her voice was so annoying, for God's sake.

I swallowed my tears and turned around with the menus in my hands. "Sorry, lady and gentleman. Welcome to Charme, the best restaurant around," I said formally as the waiters were instructed.

"Laura?" Jason was the first to recognize me, looking at me in surprise.

"What?" Kendall was shocked and then laughed. "Now you're working as a waitress, Laura? Unbelievable!" She seems to be having a lot of fun now.

"I hope you don't give me a negative review, Kendall," I warned her, and she looked shocked.

"What did you call me? That's Mrs. Davies to you, waitress!" She corrected me, and I widened my eyes, unable to hide my surprise.

"Y-you guys got married?" I looked at both of them. You could almost hear the sound of my heartbreaking.

"We got married this past weekend," Jason replied without much emotion in his voice.

"So fast," I thought, but my thoughts ended up spilling out of my mouth, and Kendall threw her head back laughing.

"You're so stupid. What did you think? That Jason would come back to you one day?" She ridiculed me, maybe deep down I still had a glimmer of hope... "What are you doing standing there like an ugly statue? Go there and bring me some wine, you worthless woman!" She ordered, and I closed the door for her, that was already too much.

"Look here, you can't order me around," I was starting to say, but I was stopped by Jason.

"Yes, she can, we are paying for this place, and you are paid to serve us, so bring what my wife ordered!" He was harsh and thick in his words, looking at me with some disgust. He wanted to humiliate me. Was this the man I once loved? I swallowed hard and went to get their wine.

They went back to talking as if nothing had happened, while I served them expensive food and drinks. "Oops, my spoon!" Kendall exclaimed after a while as she dropped her spoon on the floor. The spoon was right next to her foot, but she still approached me rudely. "Hey, waitress. Come get my spoon!"

I approached the table and bent down to pick up that damn spoon. That's when I felt a cold liquid wet my head and run down my face. Kendall had spilled her wine on me.

"For God's sake, Kendie," Jason said, but instead of helping me, he was laughing at me along with his new wife. The people who watched that just laughed at my situation, thinking it was funny for a waitress to be humiliated like that.

"This is where you belong, Laura, in the gutter!" She belittled me. I couldn't take it, it was all too much. Heavy tears were falling from my eyes, mixing with the wine that ran down my face and soaked my uniform.

"Why are you doing this to me, Jason? Why are you making me suffer so much?" I begged, wanting it all to come to an end.

"I just want you to go away, Laura," he said. "Go away and never come back!"

Humiliated, despised, and helpless, I got up and left that place as heavy tears blurred my vision.

Chapter 0006

Laura

I was crying like never before. I was devastated and broke. Seeing Jason with his new wife in that restaurant broke me completely. He was taking his life, living his dream next to that woman, while I only sank even deeper into my pain.

I was in the bathroom of the employee restaurant, throwing out everything I had eaten that day, remembering Jason and his new wife. The things they said to me and the way they treated me made me feel so disgusted. Which made me vomit even more. I sat right there on the floor of the bathroom stall and cried some more. Everything was going so wrong in my life, and on top of that, I had this baby on the way. A child.

I had wanted to tell Jason that I was expecting his child when I saw him exuding so much happiness with Kendall, but what good would that do? I couldn't use this child to get revenge on that man who did me so wrong, I had to regain my strength, get up, and keep fighting until the end.

I went in front of the bathroom mirror and looked at my appearance. I looked bad, my hair was messy and wet, the wine and my tears were smeared on my face, and my clothes were all stained with wine. Furthermore, I sighed and washed my face with tap water. I tried to clean my clothes off the sticky wine that Kendall had spilled on me, but that would only wash off with a washing machine, so I gave up and left the bathroom.

As soon as I came out, I saw that the restaurant boss was waiting for me outside the bathroom, and he didn't look good. "You distracted my most important client and his wife, Laura? Have you lost your mind?" He said that, shouting those words at me.

"What? No, I didn't do anything like that. They were the ones who humiliated me and treated me like an animal. Look what that ordinary woman did to me!" I said I was showing my hair and clothes all dirty with wine.

"So what, Laura? Do you think I care about what they did to you? Mr. Davies and his wife stormed out of there, saying they're never going back to this place again. I just lost the most important customer of all my VIP clients. Do you know what negative impact this will have on this place? If people find out that billionaire Jason Davies disapproves of this place, no one will come to eat here anymore, and this place will go bankrupt because of you! And you want me to worry about your shitty appearance?" The man was so furious.

I knew that my ex-husband had great power over the local media, but that wasn't my fault either. "Sir, I…" I tried to speak, but the man harshly shut me up.

"Get out of here, you're fired!"

"What? But I need this job!" I was almost in a panic. What would I do now to support myself?

"Securities! Come and get this incompetent woman out of here!" He shouted at the security guards, who approached me, wanting to drag me out.

"No, it's okay. I know where the exit is," I said and then sighed. If somebody had told me that the day would end like that, I would have laughed skeptically. So there was nothing left to do, I collected my pride and left that restaurant.

Since Jason wanted me to disappear from his life so badly, I did not doubt that he had given the restaurant that negative review just to make the owner fire me, he didn't even care whether he was going to destroy the reputation of that establishment with his negative opinion of that place.

Jason Davies, the man I had loved for five years, was now my worst enemy. I hated him so much, by God, but there was nothing I could do. There was simply no place for me in Manhattan since Jason Davies was like the owner of the city. I needed to get away from that place to a quiet place where I could gather my strength, have my baby, and start over from scratch, away from that man and the world he dominated.

*****

A few days later, I was finishing packing my bags for the trip, and a few minutes later, the doorbell rang, announcing that Ava was outside. I went to open the door, and after a brief hug with her, she smiled at me and asked.

"Everything is ready?" I nodded with a little smile.

"Yes, it is. I've already packed everything I need to take to move," I replied to her, who was holding my hands.

"Okay, Lau, are you sure you want to do this?" She was worried about me.

Ava was the only one who knew I was expecting Jason's child. She advised me to tell Jason, and maybe then he would leave his new wife to come back to me if he found out that a baby was on the way, but things shouldn't be done like that, Jason shouldn't get back with me just because I was expecting his child. He didn't love me and never loved me, so I would never be happy with him, and that would only harm this baby in my belly. Besides, the way he had treated me at the restaurant, I didn't believe he would want to take on this child.

"I admit I'm scared, but this is the best decision I can make," I told her with weakened firmness.

"But Jason can help you, Laura," she asked, and I shook my head.

"No, he can't. I can't go back; I don't want this child to suffer like I suffered; I don't want this child to be rejected by his father like I was." There was so much grief in my heart.

Ava was already crying with sadness. "I'm so sorry, Laura," she said, sobbing.

"You just have to promise me you'll never tell anyone I'm pregnant, least of all Jason," I reminded her. We had already talked about it, I was going to move to Staten Island to a quiet, little-known neighborhood where no one could find me, and then I was going to start my life over there.

"You can trust me, your secret will be well-kept," my friend replied as she was nodding sadly, and we hugged once again. I cried in her arms once again, and then we grabbed my things and went to the taxi rank, where I would leave for my new life.