[Vivienne]
Without waiting for my response, he grabs my wrist and pulls me with him.
I stumble a little, but somehow manage to keep my balance.
But Caden doesn’t slow down, not even for a second.
He drags me with him until we reach the end of the corridor and enter his office.
When the door shuts close behind us, he throws me into the room and I stumble on my heels, crashing against his desk. For a second, something passes his face, his features soften, but by the time I blink, that expression is gone and he’s back to scowling.
He walks around the desk and takes a seat, his gaze never leaving mine.
“Why are you here?” He asks, his voice calm but I can hear the rage underneath.
“I came to give you this.” I take the envelope from my purse and throw it on the table.
Caden doesn’t even glance at it.
“I told you I’m done with you and here’s the proof.”
He stares at me, his eyes darkening. “You want a divorce? Is that it?”
I nod my head, proud of myself for not cowering under his gaze. I might look tough on the outside, but inside I’m trembling like a leaf.
His eyes fall on the envelope, his jaw ticking. Then he grabs it and tosses into the trash bin under the desk.
I gape at him, completely baffled by his actions.
“Go home. We’ll discuss this later.”
I can’t believe him. I’m here to give him what he had always wanted and this is how he reacts?
I cross my arms and glare at him. “No.”
He narrows his eyes. “Excuse me?”
“I said, no. Are you suddenly deaf?”
He doesn’t like that, not my words, not my tone, and that’s obvious by the way he’s looking at me right now. He gets up from his chair, his mere existence taking up so much space the room suddenly feels small.
“I have another meeting in ten. I truly have no time for these stupid games of yours. So, just do as I say, and leave. I’ll come home tonight and we can talk over dinner.”
Is he even listening to me? I shake my head, stepping away. “Sure, but you’ll have to do that dinner thing alone. I have already moved out. You won’t find me there.”
His brows furrow and swear to God I have never seen someone so angry.
A part of me wants to reach out and appease him, to tell him that everything is okay, but another part of me wants to be selfish and see how far I can push him.
“Home, Vivienne. Now.”
“No.”
“Vivienne—”
“I said, no.”
I turn around to leave when he grabs my arm and whirls me back.
“Let me go.” I try to yank my arm away, but his hold only tightens. Then, he presses the intercom and the voice of the same receptionist comes through the device.
“Sir?”
Caden looks at me, his eyes full of promises.
“Send two guards in to escort Mrs. Lawrence home, and ask them to stay put until I arrive.”
There’s a long pause from the other side before the receptionist finally blurts out. “Yeyes, sir. Ri-right away.”
The call disconnects.
“What’s the meaning of this?” I ask him, but he only takes a step forward, and keeps on moving until my back is pressed against the edge of the desk and I almost gasp.
Caden puts both his arms on either side of me and leans down, suddenly too close for my liking. “Exactly. What’s the meaning of this?”
He’s probably talking about the divorce papers.
I scoff, meeting his gaze, not wanting him to see how much his existence or this proximity affects me. “if I didn’t know any better, I would think you’re upset.”
But he clearly isn’t. He’s probably just trying to make sure I’m not setting him up somehow.
His dark eyes darken some more and I find it hard to breathe. “Oh, so this is just another way you have come up with to get my attention. Is that it?”
“God, you’re so arrogant. You really think that highly of yourself, don’t you?”
He smirks, bringing his hand up and tucking a stray hair behind my ear. I try to jerk my head away, but he puts his palm on my neck and holds me in place.
However, before he could say something more, there’s a knock on the door and just like he asked for, two guards entered the room.
“Take her home and make sure she stays there,” Caden instructs them, without breaking our eye contact.
Then, he leans even closer, so close that his lips almost brush against mine.
I shiver, not liking the way he’s looking at me.
“And if she tries to escape, tie her up and wait for further instructions.”
I freeze at his words, my eyes wide as saucers.
Did he just say what I think he did?
I look at the guards, hoping they would refuse, but they only nod their heads.
Caden steps away and I immediately straighten up, rubbing my arms.
“Leave.”
I look at Caden and then at the guards.
They take a step forward and I take two back. “No. I’m not going back to that place.” I turn to face Caden. “You can’t force me.”
He gives me a bored look and my stomach sinks.
“Don’t fight this, Vivienne. It will only make things harder for you.”
I hate that I don’t have a choice. I hate that I’m being forced to go back to that place that I once called my home, but it’s not.
Tears burn my eyes and I hate it. I can’t believe I went crazy for this man. I can’t believe I thought he was the love of my life.
I feel so stupid right now. So, damn stupid.
I grab my bag and walk towards the door, refusing to look back at Caden.
But before I could reach there, he called my name and I stopped, still unable to look at him.
“We’ll talk about this tonight.”
“No. We won’t. You just proved my point. I don’t want to be with a man who treats me like this. I deserve better, Caden. I deserve someone who will love me, cherish me, and protect me. And you…you’re just a selfish asshole.”
I turn to leave, satisfied with the look on his face.
Maybe now he would know I’m not the same Vivienne he knows. Maybe now he would realize that I can live without him, and that I don’t need him.
The guards follow me and I head towards the elevator, not wanting to be here a second longer.
We walk past the reception and while the receptionist still looks guilty and embarrassed, her head hung low, Sasha doesn’t shy away from giving me her best death glares.
I ignore them though and head straight for the elevator.
While we wait, Sasha comes to stand next to me and whispers into my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he signs those papers and gets rid of a cheap whore like you.”
“Watch your mouth!” I’m so angry after how Caden behaved that I don't have the patience for her crap.
I whirl around and slap her across the face.
Everyone in the lobby gasps.
Sasha’s hands fly to her cheek and I can see her skin turning red. “How…how dare you? You bitch—”
She tries to do the same. Her hand comes flying towards my face. But before it makes contact, someone catches her wrist in mid-air.
[Vivienne]I look to my left and find Caden standing next to me.His jaw is clenched and he looks furious.He turns to face Sasha and I can see her flinching under his gaze.“Caden, I don’t know why she hit me—”“You don’t know?” Caden asks, tipping his head to the side. “I believe you must have said something to my wife, didn’t you?”He lets go of her then and she instantly retreats, looking shocked by his behaviour, holding her hand to her chest.Then, he looks at me and I have to take a step back.I have nothing to fear him, but I still do. There’s something about the way he’s looking at me as if he’s pissed off beyond any explanation.He grabs my arm and drags me towards the elevator.“What are you doing? Let go of me.” I try to yank my arm away from him, but his hold only tightens.He doesn’t say anything.I look at the guards following us. They seem unfazed by the whole scene.When the elevator doors open, Caden pushes me inside and then signals the guards to stay put.I’m confus
[Vivienne]Caden looks as if he has seen a ghost, but then his expression changes, and his gaze hardens.“What the hell does that mean?”“It means that my client wants a divorce, and as her lawyer, I suggest you think twice before you say or do anything from this moment onwards. Otherwise, a divorce won’t be your only problem. We will also file a case against you for physical assault and mental harassment. So, if I were you, I would cooperate and make this easy for everyone involved. Think wisely, Mr. Lawrence. Sign the divorce papers, and no one gets hurt.”I’ve never been more thankful to Elijah than I am at this moment. He stands there, calm and composed, while Caden fumes, his jaw clenched.“Are you trying to threaten me?”I tense at his tone, suddenly scared of Caden’s reaction. But Elijah only straightens up and looks him in the eye.“I’m just doing my job.”Caden stares at him for a few seconds, and I swear I think he will attack Elijah, but then he looks at me, and a look of d
[Vivienne]The dinner at the table turned cold an hour ago but no sign of Caden.I check the time on the wall clock for the hundredth time perhaps, and try to suppress the hurt that once again rises to the surface like an angry volcano beneath my chest.It’s our third anniversary, and it’s almost midnight now, but like every single day in the past three years, he’s late as usual.I don’t know why I even try. My husband has dismissed me, rejected my efforts, and broken my heart so many times in the past, one would think I would have learned my lesson.But unfortunately, I have been cursed to be always hopeful.“Madam, should I reheat the dinner?” The head maid asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.I suck in the hurt and wipe away the tears from my eyes, not wanting to look as devastated as I feel.I smile at her like I always do.“No. That won’t be necessary,” I say and get up from the chair, pretending to yawn, hoping to look tired. “I think Caden got caught up in the meeting again,” b
[Vivienne]“Shh,” he hushes me, sucking my nipple harshly in his mouth. “Let’s just get over with it.”I gasp loudly as he bites down hard, making my whole body jerk with the sharp ache. I try to push him away, but it proves nothing in front of the force he is. He’s far stronger than me, far more persistent.“Stop resisting!” He snaps, yanking my hand away from his shoulder and pins it down above my head. “Isn’t this why you kept calling and texting me all day, wanting me to give you my attention? Isn’t this why you wore that sexy red gown tonight?”He grinds down his erection on my thigh, making me aware of the fact how hard he is right now.Is it because of the time he spent with Sasha or because of me? I can’t even tell anymore.“You never came!” I bite down a moan and glare up at him. “You promised to come home early today, Caden. It’s our anniversary!”He looks at me as if I had grown another head, tipping his face to the side, his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight pouring thro
[Vivienne]It takes me a minute to process what just happened. I don’t know why I said those words. I don’t want a divorce. I love Caden. I want to be with him forever. I want to have kids with him. I want to build a family with him.But he’s so done with me, that he didn’t even hesitate to agree to my demand.Tears spring to my eyes, and for the first time in a long time, I feel broken.I slump to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest.I cry until I feel numb.I cry until I feel empty.I cry until I feel nothing.And then when I can’t cry anymore, I pick myself up and head back to my room.There’s no point in staying back anymore. Caden doesn’t want me.It’s more obvious than ever.I pack my stuff and get ready to leave.When I’m done packing, I call someone I haven’t contacted in a while.He picks up in the second ring, and even though I try to keep the hurt at bay, it still shines through my voice.“Hey, Viv. What’s up?”I take a deep breath, not knowing how to say what I need to
[Vivienne]During the entire drive to Elijah’s place, I keep my gaze out and thought to myself.Elijah tries to break the silence a few times, but I only have a word or two for him in response. I’m just not in the mood for a conversation. All I want is some space and quiet, so I can finally come to terms with what I’m about to do.Once we reach his place, he comes around to open the door, and it’s only then I realize that we have reached.“I’m sorry, I kind of faded away,” I mumble apologetically, but he only rolls his eyes.“Don’t be,” he says and I like the way he’s not making a big deal of anything. He behaves like he always does, always cool in the head. “You know I’m glad to be of help. You wouldn’t have called if you didn’t already know.”He’s right. I do know. When I left my home for Caden, Elijah was the only one who came to tell me that he had always had my back. That no matter the circumstances, he would never disappoint me.I nod and that’s where we leave the conversation.
[Vivienne]“It’s good to know you finally came to your senses.”To say I know the voice of the woman on the line would be an understatement.“What’s the point of calling me right now, Sasha?” I say and suppress a yawn. This is the worst thing to wake up to. To hear the sound of the woman behind my failed marriage. Well, one of the reasons.She laughs, sounding more excited than I want to know.“Just making sure it’s not one of your stunts to get Caden’s attention. We both know you’ll do anything for that man, even fake a divorce request to get him running to you.”I grit my teeth, my hands turning white around the phone. I can feel my temper rising, but I control it somehow.“Trust me, Sasha, you haven’t seen half of what I can do to get Caden’s attention.”She laughs, mocking me. I try not to lose my temper.“I don’t doubt it, Vivienne. But you should know by now that Caden wants nothing to do with you. You were just a replacement, remember? Your marriage has been a farce since day o
[Vivienne]“Stop watching that!” Elijah yanks the remote from my hand and turns off the TV.“Hey,” I try to stop him, but the screen is already black.“This is not moving on, Viv. You should know that better than anyone.”He’s right. I shouldn’t care about what happens in Caden’s life anymore. If the world thinks he’s a cheater and a manwhore, then maybe they are right. And that maybe is a good thing because now I have one more reason to divorce him.A few hours ago, when he texted me and I told him what the media was calling him, he didn’t even care to deny their claim. He just stopped texting altogether, leaving me like he always did whenever he was done with me.I was so mad at him that I instantly blocked him and his assistant.I know it’s childish, but that’s all I could think of at that moment. I just wanted to do something to release this pain in my heart. And it helped. Somewhat.“You’re right,” I say and get up. “I should stop wasting my time. Are the papers ready?”He nods,