Chapter 1

My husband, Silas Larimer, was my childhood sweetheart. He pretended to go bankrupt, hoping I'd be the one to ask for a divorce, just so he could be with his true love, Whitney Cassidy. Eventually, I did. But then, he showed up at my door. He dropped to his knees and begged me to take him back. … I was walking past the door to Private Room No. 1 with a tray of drinks when I heard a voice I recognized from inside. "Silas, when are you going to tell Rhea the truth? Don't tell me you've actually convinced yourself this is real." I stopped and looked through the crack in the door. Silas was sitting in the center of the room, looking sharp in his perfectly tailored suit. Beside him was Whitney—his beloved—and a few old friends he used to hang out with. Three months ago, after Larimer Group went under, Silas told me he was out of their circle and wouldn't be keeping in touch with them anymore. I hadn't seen these people since. But there they were, drinking like nothing had changed. My grip tightened around the tray. A wave of discomfort washed over me, and it felt like my feet were glued to the floor. The truth? What truth? After a short pause, I heard Silas' voice from inside. It was mocking and dripping with contempt. "Just a few more days. I'm done with this charade. Even after I lied about being bankrupt, she still wouldn't divorce me. She's like a piece of gum you can't scrape off. It's disgusting." Laughter echoed through the room, and my heart dropped. So… Larimer Group's bankruptcy was a lie? "I heard Rhea's been juggling three jobs a day for the past few months just to help you pay off your debts. Can you imagine her reaction when she finds out you faked bankruptcy just to get rid of her?" "Do you think she might already know you're faking being broke? I mean, why else would she stick around with you, knowing you're drowning in hundreds of billions of debt?" "Maybe she's still holding onto some pipe dream about Silas making a comeback. She's just pretending to work herself to the bone. Give it three months. I bet she won't last much longer than that." They started taking bets on how long I'd last. I didn't stick around to hear the rest. Feeling numb, I handed out drinks to the customers before quitting on the spot. The manager wasn't thrilled, especially since it was only my third day. This was my fourth part-time job, and I still hadn't told Silas. Back when I was juggling three jobs, he told me not to push myself too hard and promised he'd work hard to pay off his debts, too. I didn't want him worrying, so I kept this extra job to myself. Good thing I did. If I hadn't, I never would've found out the truth tonight, or seen how much he despised me. Silas went so far as to fake his own bankruptcy just to push me into divorcing him. He must've been laughing his ass off at how naïve I was, and at all those nights I carefully saved up my money in a piggy bank. I felt like a total fool for buying into his bankruptcy story and running myself ragged trying to help him pay off debts that weren't even real. I even convinced myself that… we'd be together forever. After leaving the bar, I headed straight back to my rental. Since Silas claimed he was broke, I'd spent my last few thousand on a one-room apartment. Silas and I were childhood sweethearts. Our families, the Larimers and the Seymours were neighbors and close friends. He and I were always in the same class from kindergarten through high school. The older generation used to joke that we were basically promised to each other, especially when they'd get together for meals. I always assumed I'd marry him someday. And Silas always treated me right. Well, at least he did before Whitney came around. Silas got into his first fight, skipped class for the first time, and even stood up to the adults for the first time—all because of me. Back then, his eyes practically lit up whenever he saw me. I once asked him why he was always so nice to me. He told me I was going to be his wife someday, so anyone who messed with me was pretty much messing with him. I was so flustered and annoyed that I told him I'd never marry him. Silas didn't do well on his SATs, so we ended up at different colleges. The day I left for college, he gave me a big hug at the airport and told me not to fall for anyone else. He said we'd get married once we both graduated. I kept my word, turning down every confession in college. But in the end, he fell for Whitney. Over time, we ended up like two parallel paths that never crossed. I thought we'd end up as strangers—maybe just exchanging a polite nod if we ever crossed paths. But then, during my senior year, Mom and Dad died in a car accident. I was left to run their company, Seymour Group, but I wasn't ready for it. To keep my relatives from taking over, Silas' grandfather, Grandpa Duncan, stepped in and insisted we get married. At first, Silas wasn't having it. I knew he was in love with Whitney, so I didn't want to marry him either. But then things went south and they broke up. After that, he drowned his sorrows in booze every night. When Silas came home, Grandpa would beat him with a belt. He'd be in bed for a few days to recover, then go back out drinking again. One night, he got so hammered that the bartender called me to pick him up. After that, the bartender would reach out to me whenever he went overboard. Then, there was the night Silas got so drunk he mistook me for Whitney. That same day, Uncle Mateo had stirred up trouble at home, and I was in a terrible mood. So I'd had a few drinks too and completely lost control of myself. Before long, Grandpa somehow caught wind of everything and made Silas marry me. By that point, Silas had completely checked out, so he just went along with it. I figured that since his thing with Whitney was over, maybe we could try to make the best of living together. After we got married, Silas treated me well, but I could tell by the way he acted around Whitney before that his care for me was more out of obligation. I had no idea when it happened, but he and Whitney got back together. I never thought he'd go as far as faking bankruptcy just to make me divorce him. Honestly, I would've just left him if he'd been honest. I wasn't about to cling to him despite how I loved him. Silas came home after midnight. He was wearing the same T-shirt and jeans he had on when he left. Those were cheap stuff I picked up at a discount store for 40 dollars. He used to wear nothing but custom suits and designer labels. I couldn't imagine how rough the last three months of living on a shoestring must've been for him. Silas seemed surprised when he found me still awake. "Why aren't you in bed? Were you waiting up for me? I just got off work and brought some snacks. Want some?" I kept my face neutral. I was trying to read him for any sign of guilt, but he looked completely at ease. Part of me wanted to ask if he'd enjoyed messing with me these past three months, but I knew it wouldn't change anything even if I did. Silas popped open the takeout box and passed it to me. The rich, savory smell of tacos filled the cramped apartment. I glanced down and watched as he reached for one. I blinked, pushing down the bitterness rising in my chest, then said, "Silas, let's get a divorce."