Chapter 3

None of it belonged to me.

Every time I wore one of those pieces, I was charged a staggering rental fee.

The mansion and luxury cars were no different. Curtis had covered only the down payments.

The loans were in my name.

And I was the one expected to pay them.

That wasn't even the worst of it.

The prenuptial agreement laid out my obligations as Mrs. Delgado in meticulous detail.

I had to protect the Delgado name at all times.

I had to accompany Curtis to family gatherings, charity galas, private dinners, and endless meetings with politicians, businessmen, and other powerful families.

Whenever the Delgados needed a respectable face for one of their legitimate businesses, I was expected to appear without compensation.

The gowns, jewelry, gifts, and appearances required to maintain that image all came out of my own pocket.

Little by little, the Delgado family consumed every hour I had and every dollar I'd managed to save.

The life I'd once built for myself disappeared.

My savings followed.

I'd confronted Curtis more than once.

Every time, he would pull me into his arms and give me the same answer.

"Emma, I don't want this either."

"But the Delgado family isn't mine alone. There are too many people involved, and I can't overrule every decision."

"Give me a little more time."

"Once I have complete control of the family, I'll repay you for everything you've sacrificed."

So I endured it.

For three years.

Three years of giving him everything I had.

And what had I gotten in return?

My family destroyed.

My name dragged through the dirt.

And thanks to Curtis's carefully designed contracts, a mountain of debt and penalties I could never hope to repay.

His love.

His promises.

His devotion.

None of it had ever been real.

From the beginning, Curtis Delgado had been bleeding me dry.

I couldn't take another second.

I rushed into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, letting the sound of running water cover my sobs.

When I finally lifted my head, Margot was standing behind me.

She was still wearing the couture gown from the gala, diamonds glittering at her throat.

There was satisfaction in her eyes.

"Emma."

Her lips curved.

"You heard us, didn't you?"

She stepped closer.

"Heartbreaking, isn't it?"

"Knowing exactly what he did to you and still being completely powerless to stop him."

I said nothing.

Margot smiled wider.

"Here's some friendly advice. Divorce Curtis while you still have the chance."

"You still have the Henson name. There are plenty of men in our world who'd pay well to have a fallen heiress on their arm."

"Maybe you'll even earn enough to pay off your debts someday."

Her gaze swept slowly over me.

"But once your name means nothing and the Delgados throw you out?"

She gave a soft laugh.

"Things won't be nearly as easy."

She knew exactly where to cut.

Every word found the deepest wound and twisted.

When I still didn't answer, Margot leaned closer.

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Oh, there's something else Curtis never told you."

I looked at her.

Her smile turned vicious.

"I drafted your prenup."

My fingers went cold.

"And the Henson family's collapse?"

She paused deliberately.

"That was my plan too."

For a moment, I couldn't breathe.

Margot moved even closer.

"So don't waste your time trying to get rid of me."

"I'm not like you, Emma."

"You're a pretty Henson girl who inherited a famous name and never learned how this world actually works."

She touched one of the diamonds at her throat.

"I'm the woman who helped Curtis build everything he has."

"I'm the one who deserves to stand beside him."

Something in her expression brought back a memory I had spent years trying to bury.

My father's face before he died.

The exhaustion in his eyes.

The hopelessness.

The humiliation.

My hand moved before I could stop it.

The slap cracked across Margot's face.

Her head snapped sideways.

Before I could even lower my hand, someone shoved me hard.

I stumbled into the marble counter.

Curtis.

He stepped between us immediately, shielding Margot with his body.

His hand went to her face, carefully examining the red mark spreading across her cheek.

Then he looked at me.

The tenderness I'd once known was nowhere in his eyes.

Only anger.

"Emma, what the hell is wrong with you?"

I stared at him.

"Apologize to Margot."

His voice hardened.

"Now."

I didn't move.

Curtis's jaw tightened.

"Do you have any idea what happens if someone sees you attacking my people inside a Delgado gathering?"

"Do you know what that does to the family name?"

The Delgado name.

Margot.

His reputation.

Those were the things he cared about.

He hadn't even noticed that I'd nearly fallen.

Or maybe he had.

Maybe he simply didn't care.

Something inside me finally went quiet.

I pushed myself away from the counter and stood straight.

"Curtis."

He frowned.

I looked directly into the eyes of the man I'd loved for three years.

"I want a divorce."

For the first time that night, Curtis went completely still.

"Divorce."