CHAPTER 13
Celeste’s POV
The world around me froze.
It was like falling into an ice cave–cold, suffocating, inescapable.
Through the narrow gap in the curtains, I stared, unblinking, as my husband kissed my former best friend.
The divorce papers trembled in my hands, my fingers curling around the edges so tightly that the sharp paper dug into my skin. I
didn’t feel it. I felt nothing. Or maybe, I felt too much so much that my body had numbed itself in defense.
I had suspected something between them.
The stolen glances. The way Genevieve always inserted herself between us. The way Damien listened to her, believed her, even when it meant turning against me.
Did they plan to frame me so they could send me away? But if that’s the case, why is Damien refusing to sign our divorce papers?
My eyes watered as I remained frozen on the spot, my eyes never leaving them. It was like a slow, merciless dagger carving
through my chest, deeper and deeper, until I couldn’t tell if I was still breathing.
I bit my lip hard, willing myself not to break. Not for him. Not for a man who had thrown me into hell and left me to rot,
Do not be sad for him, Celeste.
I repeated the words in my mind like a mantra, like a desperate prayer. But my heart–the stupid, shattered thing that still loved
him–refused to listen.
“Mrs. Vaughn?”
A voice too close pulled me from the freezing abyss.
I tore my gaze away from the sight beyond the glass, my pulse still hammering in my ears. The divorce papers in my grip crumpled as I turned, coming face–to–face with Eloise
She’d followed me here, with great satisfaction in her eyes.
I stiffened, but took a deep breath and squared my shoulders, standing straight.
“You really should stop torturing yourself,” she sighed dramatically, clasping her hands in front of her. “They make such a perfect match, don’t they?”
1 scoffed and tilted my head, giving her a slow, deliberate once–over. “Perfect match?” I mused. “You mean two snakes slithering around in the same pit? Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. They do belong with one another.”
Irritation crossed her face. She glanced at the closed office door, her lips curling into something close to amusement. “Before you
CHAPTAI
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married Mr. Vaughn, we all thought she would be the one by his side. Our superior then, Miss Genevieve Hale–his right hand, his
most trusted person. It was only natural.”
I should have known that was what this woman believed. I simply laughed. A sharp, cold sound.
“You were just… an unexpected guest,” she continued casually. “Someone to pass the time.”
years.
Her words struck me hard. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears.
The knowledge that Damien and Genevieve had a deep relationship long before I came into the picture made my stomach twist
violently.
But nonetheless, I folded my arms and faced the secretary head on. “Hah! You say that like it’s supposed to matter to me.”
Her smirk faltered, just a little.
I let my gaze drift past her, as if she wasn’t even worth my full attention. “If that’s the fairy tale you all believed in, good for
you,” I said, voice laced with nonchalance. “Must’ve been disappointing when reality didn’t care about your expectations.”
Her jaw tensed.
I offered a small, careless shrug. “But if it makes you feel better to rewrite the past, go ahead. Doesn’t change the fact that I was
the one he married.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. She opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to it. “But I want him out of my life now.
A.S.A.P.! So tell your beloved boss to sign these papers at once because I cannot wait to be rid of him!”
I threw the divorce papers into her direction. “Do your job and give that to him.”
Then I turned sharply, ready to leave and walk out of this cursed building and never look back anymore.
But after just a few steps, my phone rang
I glanced down. Isadora Vaughn. What perfect timing!
I pressed accept. The voice that came through was sharp, cold, and laced with triumph.
“You’ve seen it all now, haven’t you?” Isadora’s tone was dripping with satisfaction.
“Are you spying on me?” I asked, enunciating each word with deliberate sharpness.
Eloise let out a dry, mocking laugh. “Spying? Don’t flatter yourself.” She laughed sarcastically. “Did you really think I wouldn’t know the moment you stepped foot inside Vaughn Enterprises?”
Then in a cold voice, she added, “Listen, I don’t care how you got out of the mental hospital. But I just want you out of our lives.”
She continued. “Genevieve is the ideal daughter–in–law. Honest, kind, the daughter of a chaebol family–far more suited for my
son than a notorious lunatic like you.”
My heart sank and my eyes narrowed. Her words hurt, but I wasn’t about to let her step on me again.
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“Oh, don’t you worry, Isadora,” I said with barely contained anger. “I couldn’t agree more–that’s exactly why I’m speeding up the divorce process. But it seems your dear son is having second thoughts? He’s the one who hasn’t signed the papers.”
“No way! You were never worthy of Damien,” she lashed out, her voice like a blade slicing through me. “Your place in his life was nothing but a mistake. A disgrace. Now, do yourself a favor–get out. Leave Damien. Leave this family!.”
I inhaled sharply. How dare she.
For years, I had endured her condescension, her disdain, her cold stares that never once regarded me as her son’s wife. But enough was enough.
I was done.
A quiet chuckle left my lips, low and humorless.
“Tell me, Mrs. Vaughn,” I said, my voice unwavering. “If Genevieve is so perfect, then why did your son marry me instead?”
Silence.
I imagined the way her face must have twisted in rage on the other end.
Before she could spit out another insult, I ended the call without saying goodbye. I could just picture her fuming, and it gave me
even more satisfaction.
The secretary beside me gasped. But I didn’t give a damn. Damien Vaughn or anything related to him was no longer worth my
energy.
I squared my shoulders, turned on my heel, and strode out of Vaughn Enterprises–without looking back. O
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