Chapter 3
I had to return to Nathan's apartment to pack my belongings.
Dominic insisted on driving me. "I'll wait in the car. If you need me, just text one word. I'll be there in thirty seconds."
When I walked in, I found Serena had already redecorated the living room. My photos were gone. My books were boxed up and shoved in a corner. She'd replaced my curtains with gaudy pink ones.
In three years, I'd never changed a single thing about Nathan's décor because he said he liked it the way it was.
Serena had transformed the entire apartment in one night. And he'd let her.
Nathan appeared from the hallway, dark circles under his eyes.
"You came back." Relief flooded his face. "I knew you'd calm down. Look, about last night—"
"I'm here for my things." I walked past him toward the bedroom. "Move."
"Aria!" He grabbed my wrist. "Stop this! You signed those papers in anger. We both know that. I'll tear them up. We'll pretend it never—"
"I filed them this morning," I said flatly. "The court will process it within thirty days."
His grip tightened painfully. "You actually FILED them?"
"Let go." My voice was ice. "You're hurting me."
He released me like I'd burned him, staring at his own hand in shock.
Serena floated in, wearing a new designer dress — one of the brands Nathan always said was "too extravagant" when I wanted to buy it.
"Nathan, darling, who's at the—" She stopped, eyes widening with rehearsed surprise. "Oh! Aria! Nathan said you wouldn't be coming back. Have you changed your mind about moving out?"
Moving out. Of MY apartment that I'd paid half the mortgage on.
I breathed. Counted to three.
"Serena." I smiled. "Enjoy the apartment while you can. Once the divorce is finalized and we split assets, this place will be sold. I suggest you start looking for somewhere else to live."
Her innocent mask slipped for half a second — pure venom flashing in her eyes — before the sweetness returned.
"Oh Aria, you don't mean that! Nathan and I were hoping you'd stay close. For the baby's sake. Nathan says you'd make a wonderful... aunt figure."
Aunt figure.
This woman was absolutely remarkable at her craft.
Nathan stepped forward, his expression shifting to the stern, disappointed face I knew too well:
"Aria, Serena is being gracious. She doesn't have to accommodate your emotions, but she's trying. Why can't you be mature about this? This is exactly what I've been talking about — you're always so cold, so difficult."
I turned to stare at him.
Three years. Three years of cooking, cleaning, caretaking. Three years of biting my tongue, swallowing my pride, making myself smaller and smaller until I nearly disappeared.
And I was the cold one. The difficult one.
"Nathan." My voice was terrifyingly calm. "In three years of marriage, what exactly did I do that was cold?"
He opened his mouth, then hesitated.
"Give me one example," I pressed. "One single time I was difficult."
Serena jumped in: "Nathan told me you refused to attend his company gala last month! He was so embarrassed going alone—"
"I had emergency surgery that night." I kept my eyes on Nathan. "I'm a cardiovascular surgeon. My patient was dying."
Nathan's jaw worked silently.
"What else?" I asked. "What other crimes have I committed?"
The silence was damning.
I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.
"Aria, WAIT—"
I slammed the door in his face. In the elevator, my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
My phone buzzed. Dominic: **[Everything okay?]**
**[Coming down now.]**
When I reached the car, Dominic took one look at my face, set aside his laptop, and pulled me into a silent embrace.
He didn't ask what happened. He didn't demand explanations.
He just held me while I trembled, his hand warm and steady on my back.
"You're safe now," he said quietly. "You're safe."
Dominic insisted on driving me. "I'll wait in the car. If you need me, just text one word. I'll be there in thirty seconds."
When I walked in, I found Serena had already redecorated the living room. My photos were gone. My books were boxed up and shoved in a corner. She'd replaced my curtains with gaudy pink ones.
In three years, I'd never changed a single thing about Nathan's décor because he said he liked it the way it was.
Serena had transformed the entire apartment in one night. And he'd let her.
Nathan appeared from the hallway, dark circles under his eyes.
"You came back." Relief flooded his face. "I knew you'd calm down. Look, about last night—"
"I'm here for my things." I walked past him toward the bedroom. "Move."
"Aria!" He grabbed my wrist. "Stop this! You signed those papers in anger. We both know that. I'll tear them up. We'll pretend it never—"
"I filed them this morning," I said flatly. "The court will process it within thirty days."
His grip tightened painfully. "You actually FILED them?"
"Let go." My voice was ice. "You're hurting me."
He released me like I'd burned him, staring at his own hand in shock.
Serena floated in, wearing a new designer dress — one of the brands Nathan always said was "too extravagant" when I wanted to buy it.
"Nathan, darling, who's at the—" She stopped, eyes widening with rehearsed surprise. "Oh! Aria! Nathan said you wouldn't be coming back. Have you changed your mind about moving out?"
Moving out. Of MY apartment that I'd paid half the mortgage on.
I breathed. Counted to three.
"Serena." I smiled. "Enjoy the apartment while you can. Once the divorce is finalized and we split assets, this place will be sold. I suggest you start looking for somewhere else to live."
Her innocent mask slipped for half a second — pure venom flashing in her eyes — before the sweetness returned.
"Oh Aria, you don't mean that! Nathan and I were hoping you'd stay close. For the baby's sake. Nathan says you'd make a wonderful... aunt figure."
Aunt figure.
This woman was absolutely remarkable at her craft.
Nathan stepped forward, his expression shifting to the stern, disappointed face I knew too well:
"Aria, Serena is being gracious. She doesn't have to accommodate your emotions, but she's trying. Why can't you be mature about this? This is exactly what I've been talking about — you're always so cold, so difficult."
I turned to stare at him.
Three years. Three years of cooking, cleaning, caretaking. Three years of biting my tongue, swallowing my pride, making myself smaller and smaller until I nearly disappeared.
And I was the cold one. The difficult one.
"Nathan." My voice was terrifyingly calm. "In three years of marriage, what exactly did I do that was cold?"
He opened his mouth, then hesitated.
"Give me one example," I pressed. "One single time I was difficult."
Serena jumped in: "Nathan told me you refused to attend his company gala last month! He was so embarrassed going alone—"
"I had emergency surgery that night." I kept my eyes on Nathan. "I'm a cardiovascular surgeon. My patient was dying."
Nathan's jaw worked silently.
"What else?" I asked. "What other crimes have I committed?"
The silence was damning.
I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.
"Aria, WAIT—"
I slammed the door in his face. In the elevator, my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
My phone buzzed. Dominic: **[Everything okay?]**
**[Coming down now.]**
When I reached the car, Dominic took one look at my face, set aside his laptop, and pulled me into a silent embrace.
He didn't ask what happened. He didn't demand explanations.
He just held me while I trembled, his hand warm and steady on my back.
"You're safe now," he said quietly. "You're safe."