He threw money on the bed after our one-night stand.
I threw it back in his face at his own inauguration.
By sundown, we were engaged. By the week's end — married.
Franklin Flemington needed a wife to secure his empire. I needed a miracle to save my family. For two years, we played our parts flawlessly — the golden couple the whole city envied.
Behind closed doors, I was invisible to him.
When the two years were up, I handed him divorce papers without blinking.
He stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "I've given you everything a husband should. What more do you want from me, Octavia?"
I smiled, signed my name, and walked out.
I thought that was the end. I thought I'd finally won.
I forgot one thing — Franklin Flemington has never lost anything in his life. And he has no intention of starting with me.
Game on.

The moment I stepped into my parents' apartment using my spare key, the quiet domestic scene before me only deepened the guilt twisting in my chest. My father sat on the couch, eyes fixed on the late-night news flickering across the television screen. My mother was curled beside him, fast asleep, her head resting trustingly on his shoulder, a soft blanket draped over her body like a protective shield.


I slipped off my coat, the fabric whispering against my skin, and forced a small smile. "Hey, Dad."


He turned, lowering the volume with the remote. The sudden quiet stirred my mother awake. She blinked sleepily, then offered me a warm, drowsy smile. "You're back, honey."


"Yeah," I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady.


Dad leaned back, studying me. "So he actually listened to me and drove you back before midnight. Good man."


I only shrugged, unwilling to lie any more than I already had tonight.


Chapter 171 - ~ 171