Drowning Him In Regret

The shattering cup broke into pieces, shards scattering across the floor-one of them slicing right to my shin.

Ellen gasped nearby, her hands flying to her mouth, while Cassian froze mid-

motion. He hadn't meant to take it that far; I could tell.

It was anger, not malice.

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And right then, Jude pushed the door open. Vivian shot me a cold glance, her

fingers deliberately brushing over the diamond necklace at her neck.

Jude strode in, his face taut with displeasure. “I asked you to go over the proposal with Mr. Merritt. Couldn't even manage that?"

Then turning to Ellen, he snapped, "Why are you just standing there? Go get the first aid kit."

155

I caught Ellen's arm before she could move, brushing away the blood with a tissue, and said firmly, "It's fine. Just a scratch. Let's get back to the meeting

-this deal matters."

There was no point in airing dirty laundry.

For me, the sting in my leg was nothing compared to losing the project.

Vivian, decked out in the latest designer dress and jewelry that didn't quite match her usual style, beamed at Cassian.

She cooed sweetly, "Mr. Merritt, Mr. Carson asked me to get this for you. He remembered your pen lost a diamond last time you met, so we picked out a

new one-latest model."

She slid the box across the table. Cassian glanced at the pen, and his expression softened just slightly.

Vivian didn't exactly have a talent for handling clients, but a young, beautiful assistant flashing a polite smile was still hard to turn down-especially when she clearly had Jude's favor.

Even Cassian could tell she wasn't just another employee..

She'd brought a whole spread of fruit and drinks too, playing the part of the lady of the house.

The people Cassian brought with him kept stealing glances at me, trying to figure out where I fit into this picture.

lignored them and went on presenting the project. When the meeting finally wrapped up, everyone seemed satisfied. I let myself exhale.

But no sooner had Cassian left than Jude's voice cut sharply through the air as he demanded, “Ada, is it really that hard to handle your job properly? I thought this project was your area of expertise."

I turned to face him, stating emotionlessly, "I didn't know you'd scheduled a meeting."

The Jude I used to know would never have pinned the blame on someone else for his own oversight.

Then, I noticed the glint of Vivian's necklace again. So that's where they'd been- shopping. She must've wanted that necklace badly enough to risk showing up late.

Jude wouldn't scold her, so I'd become the scapegoat.

I wasn't going to play along.

"Mr. Merritt called you more than ten times," Isaid, calin but firm, "You didn't pick up. That's not on me."

The assistant team must've tried reaching him, too

So why hadn't he answered?

17:01 Thu, 8 May G

look

at Vivian-nervous now, eyes darting away-and the answer was obvious.

A project was never going to outrank a luxury gift in her world.

Jude's glare hardened as he countered, "You couldn't have called me yourself? Explained the situation?"

He knew full well he'd set a custom ringtone for me once.

Now, it was just for Vivian.noveldrama

"You blocked my number," I replied evenly.

I watched in silence as Jude pulled out his phone, casting a quick glance at

Vivian, whose eyes were brimming with tears.

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+15)

The next second, his voice shot up, sharp and furious. "Couldn't you have borrowed someone else's phone to call me? What are you, brain-dead?"

Vivian, eyes glossy, tugged at his arm and whispered pleadingly, "Jude, let it go.

We should really get back. There's still a lot on our plates."

She shot me a smug little look over her shoulder as they walked out, clearly pleased with the performance.

I didn't react.

"Ada..." Ellen tugged gently on my sleeve, nodding toward the hallway.

A few coworkers had gathered outside, pretending not to eavesdrop. They

scattered the moment our eyes met.

Didn't matter. I was used to it by now.

Everyone knew Jude had a revolving door of women-they just hadn't seen him parade one through the office before.

This was a first, but it made no real difference.

My phone buzzed. Casey had already lined up a lawyer.

I gave Ellen a brief rundown of work matters and left the building without looking back.

This divorce had to happen. If I didn't get out now, I'd be the one left picking up every broken piece.

When I met with the lawyer-Ophelia Wren-I laid everything out; the police reports, the online gossip about Jude's love life, photos of his many companions.

I said, "And I've got witnesses. Surveillance footage from the office can be pulled if needed."

They had more than a few overly intimate interactions at the office-more than enough to serve as evidence of his infidelity during our marriage.

Ophelia glanced over the documents with a conflicted look and cautioned, "These could support your case, but they're still circumstantial.

"Proving infidelity in court without direct evidence is difficult. And frankly, catching him in the act is unrealistic."

She paused, then added, "With assets of this size, any division will take time. I don't see a scenario where he walks away with nothing.”

“I'm not asking for that,” I said quickly, my tone insistent. “I just want out. But I'm not walking away with anything, either."

I hadn't earned much over the years, but treatment wasn't cheap.

Once we were divorced, Jude would probably push me out of the company. I needed something to fall back on.

Ophelia gave a slow nod and acknowledged, "Understood. You have a strong enough case to claim at least half, It'll take time, but it's doable,"

17:01 Thu, 8 May GO

"I can't wait that long," I said, shaking my head. "I need a minimum of ten thousand dollars a month just for treatment.

"If I make it another ten years-optimistically-I only need 1.5 million dollars." Ophelia's brow lifted in surprise, and she queried, "You're certain?"

"I am," I said quietly, my resolve unwavering. "I don't want anything else. I just want a divorce."

I'd made up my mind long before I got there. As long as I could get away from Jude, I didn't need anything else. Not even him.