Maeve’s POV

I started packing the clothes I planned to take with me to Africa.

It wasn’t much—just enough to fill a single small suitcase.

And even with it zipped shut by the door, the wardrobe looked untouched. The dresses Adrian had once bought me still hung where they always had. The jewelry sat in its velvet case, undisturbed.

I wouldn’t be needing any of it.

Ten years in this house, and all I had the right to take with me… was one suitcase.

My phone buzzed. “I left an important envelope in my study. Get dressed and bring it to the Grand Hotel.”

Another message came right after. “Make sure you dress appropriately. I don’t want anyone thinking my wife is some poorly dressed housewife who doesn’t know how to present herself.”

I sighed.

Ignoring Adrian’s texts would only invite another round of condescension when he got home. And the envelope—whatever it was—must’ve mattered. Adrian never asked for help. But tonight, he did.

To avoid more trouble, I chose to go.

I slipped into the dress Viola had given me—the only beautiful thing in my wardrobe that still fit.

I sat at the vanity in the powder room—hesitating.

Did I need makeup? I wasn’t going to be a guest. I would walk in, hand Adrian the envelope, and leave.

Still, I reached for the foundation. Just a light layer and a soft swipe of lipstick. I pinned my hair into a low bun.

I wasn’t a different woman—but I looked beautiful now.

I found the envelope in Adrian’s study, tucked it carefully into my bag, and headed to the Grand Hotel.

…

The hotel was more crowded than I expected.

I had always imagined the annual mafia gathering to be a sleek, exclusive event—maybe fifty people, tops. But the moment I stepped inside, I realized how wrong I was.

There were hundreds. Five hundred, maybe more. All dressed in silk and suits, diamonds glittering like stars under chandeliers the size of cars.

I tried calling Adrian many times, but he didn’t answer.

So, in the end, I decided to slip into the ballroom to find him myself.

Just then, a voice boomed over the speakers, “Let’s welcome the youngest and most successful man of the evening—Adrian Kane—to the stage!”

Next second, someone bumped me hard from behind.

I stumbled forward and hit the dance floor hard, my knees scraping against the polished marble.

Laughter exploded around me.

“Who the fuck is this?”

“Jesus, her dress—”

I looked down.

The fabric had torn completely. Threads unraveled like they’d been stitched with cheap glue. Within seconds, the dress was in pieces around me. All that remained was the thin beige slip I’d worn beneath it.

The laughter grew louder.

“Did her dress just fall apart?”

“God, who wears knock-offs to this party?”

“Someone call security!”

I forced myself to lift my chin.

Adrian stood on stage, staring down at me.

He looked pissed, but he didn’t move. He acted like he didn’t knew me at all.

Someone in the crowd asked, “Whose plus one is this?”

No one answered. The silence that followed was worse than the laughter.

A woman sneered, “Who would admit to bringing a knock-off to the most important party of the year?”

Then— “Maeve?”

Viola.

She rushed over, concern all over her face. But when she turned her head, I caught it. The flicker of a smile she was trying to hide.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, voice pitched high.

I stood slowly, my knees aching, and handed her the envelope.

“Adrian texted. Said something important was left at the house.”

Someone whispered, “Who is she?”

Then louder, “Mrs. Kane?”

And laughter. “Our charming Don Kane has a secret Donna?”

“No—” Adrian stepped off the stage.

“No,” he said again, firmer this time. “She’s the housemaid. What are you doing here?”

“I—”

“She thought something was forgotten,” Viola interrupted smoothly. “So she brought it over. That’s all.”

Viola’s words were just vague enough to give the crowd a story they could twist.

Someone laughed behind a champagne flute. “We almost thought she was your secret Donna, Adrian. Imagine the scandal.”

Adrian stepped forward, his voice strong and practiced. “My secret Donna? Her?”

His gaze dragged over me, slow and deliberate. “Why would my Donna be someone like… that?”

“So who will be?”

“Viola!”

“So, is this the year you finally make Viola your Donna, Adrian?”

“Mrs. Kane!”

Adrian looked at me—just once, silent and unreadable—before turning back to the sea of faces.

“I had hoped to keep this quiet,” he said smoothly, “at least until I received a proper answer from Miss Viola. But since you all insist…”

He turned to her, lowering himself to one knee. “Will you marry me and be my Donna?”

Cheers erupted around them.

I bent down, gathering the torn remnants of my dress, and stepped back into the shadows. I wasn’t sure why I looked back—but I did.

“Yes,” Viola said, breathless and smiling. “Yes, I do, Adrian.”

She threw her arms around him. Adrian held her close—and for the briefest moment, his eyes found mine again.

There was no apology in them. Just indifference. And maybe, buried beneath it, the faintest trace of pity.

I thought my heart had already burned to ash. Turns out, it could still feel pain.

To Adrian, I was nothing but a loose thread—something unsightly to keep hidden from the polished world he wanted to impress.

And for ten years, I’d been foolish enough to believe he’d bring me into that world, call me his Donna and stand beside me in front of them all.

Maeve’s POV

I got home and stepped straight into the shower, hoping the water could wash away everything I didn’t want to feel.

I’d just stepped out when I heard footsteps in the hallway.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Adrian’s voice slammed into the room before I even had a chance to breathe. “Were you deliberately trying to sabotage my image tonight? My reputation?”

“I got a text,” I said calmly. “You said you left something important.”

“Well, I didn’t!” His face was flushed, his hands gesturing wildly. “And even if I had—why would you enter the party like that? Didn’t you think to use the service entrance?”

I stared at him. “So after more than a decade of marriage, I’m not even allowed to walk through the front door of your party? I have to sneak in like the help? That’s what you’re saying?”

Adrian faltered. “It’s not what I meant…” he said, softer now. “I just wish you hadn’t done it. You put me in an impossible position. I’ve got two major deals in negotiation. Everyone was asking about me and Viola and I…”

“I was there,” I said, turning away. “I heard you propose to her. While we’re still married.”

Adrian moved quickly, stepping in front of me and turning me back to face him.

“I had to,” he said. “They need to see me as stable. As someone with a Donna who fits the role.”

He hesitated, finally glancing my way. “We have to get a divorce for now,” he said. “But it’ll just be for show.”

The day after our tenth anniversary, the man I’d loved for half my life stood in front of me and told me he needed a divorce—for appearances. For his status and his business.

“Don’t worry, Maeve,” he rushed on, like he was afraid I might refuse. “Think of it as a vacation. You won’t have to worry about the house anymore. I’ll give you money—enough to travel, to relax. Once those two deals close, we’ll remarry. I’ll make sure you’re comfortable. I…”

He trailed off, watching my face too closely.

Almost funny—how careful he suddenly was. As if he knew, on some level, that what he was asking for wasn’t reasonable, that he’d already taken far too much from me.

“I’ll give you both houses,” he added quickly. “This one. And the beach house.” He reached for my hand. “Maeve, try to understand. This is a difficult decision for me. I really need your support.”

I didn’t answer right away.

Adrian continued, listing every promise, every compensation, every excuse.

“Maeve, I’m doing this for us—for the family. I want you and Cam to have a better life than anyone else. I know this might sound unreasonable… but it’s only temporary.”

When he finally ran out of words, I looked at him and said quietly, “Alright. I’ll sign.”

Relief washed over his face instantly. “You’re incredible, Maeve. It’s only for show. I knew you’d understand.”

He kept talking—about waiting for him again, about trusting him, about how nothing had happened with Viola, how I was still the only one.

I stopped listening.

For show or not, it no longer mattered.

Because by the time Adrian realized we were truly over—

I would already be gone.

…

The next day, I went to the office to finalize the last of my paperwork for Doctors Without Borders. The resume was complete. The decision made.

“Mrs. Kane?” The staff called out.

I smiled gently. “It’s actually Maeve Calder.”

“Oh—sorry, Miss Calder.” She returned the smile. “We have everything on file now. If there’s nothing else to add, please sign here to confirm your acknowledgment of departure. You’ll be leaving New York for Scevut, Africa, tonight at 8 p.m.”

I picked up the pen and signed in one smooth motion. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, Miss Calder. Welcome to the program. We hope you have a meaningful experience working with our African office.”

Just as I walked out of the office, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Adrian.

“Where are you?” he asked impatiently.

“Just out. Getting groceries.”

“Come back to the house. I... got the papers ready.”

Right, the papers.

He’d only brought it up last night, but he already had them prepared. Which meant, of course, he’d been ready for this long before he ever said the words out loud.

“I’ll head back now,” I said.

Maeve’s POV

I hadn’t even opened the door when I heard laughter spilling through it.

“Is Miss Viola going to be my new mother?” Cam’s voice, bright and eager.

My hand stilled on the handle.

“You can call me ‘Mom’ if you want,” Viola laughed. “Though I doubt your friends will believe it. I look far too young.”

“I don’t care. I want you to be my mom. Mom, mom, mom!”

Cam had never called me like that, and now he was calling someone else that way.

I took a slow breath and pushed the door open.

All three of them were sitting on the sofa. Viola looked up with a smile—polished, polite, but it never reached her eyes. Adrian barely glanced my way, like I’d interrupted something more important. Cam looked disappointed, like I’d ruined his moment.

“I came straight back, like you asked,” I said, walking in.

I sat down across from them.

Adrian held out the paperwork. “Sign the last page. You don’t need to read it—my lawyer handled everything.”

Still, I flipped through the pages.

Adrian sighed, irritated. “You really don’t have to read. It’s not like you’d understand any of the legal terms.”

Cam laughed. “True. Mom never reads stuff. Just sign it already! Dad and Miss Viola promised we’d go to the amusement park after this.”

I looked at my son. He looked just like Adrian. Sounded just like him too.

If there was one person I hesitated to leave behind, it was Cam. He was still a child. I could forgive the words and the attitude.

But I couldn’t ignore the truth— my own son didn’t love me.

“Cam,” I said gently, “Before I married your Dad, I was actually the top student in my class. I even published two articles in one of the most respected science journals. So tell me—how could I not know how to read?”

“So what?” he huffed, lips pouting. “Even if you can read a few words, you still just someone who lived off someone else entirely. Unlike Mommy Viola, I’ve seen her help Daddy with business stuff. Can you do that? She talks to Daddy’s friends about international exchange rates and business deals. Can you even understand that?”

He turned toward Viola, his eyes bright with pride. “The best thing about Mommy Viola is how independent she is. I want to grow up and be like Daddy and her.”

Then he looked back at me. Something unpleasant flickered behind his eyes. Disgust, maybe. Or disappointment.

“I don’t want to be like you, Mommy,” he said bluntly. “Daddy says you’re like a worm—living off him. Why would anyone want to be a worm?”

The words were casual but very hurtful.

“Maybe you should try to be more like Mommy Viola,” he added. “Not living off someone and focusing on yourself more, okay?”

“Alright,” I said quietly. “I will focus on myself more.”

Just as Cam and Adrian wanted. After signing the divorce agreement, I will priority myself and the dream I had once set aside.

I rested my hand over the paper and asked one last time. “Cam, do you understand what it means… when Mommy signs this?”

He grinned, bright and certain. “Yeah! It means I can finally introduce Mommy Viola as my Mommy to everyone. She’ll move in with Daddy and me, and she’ll walk me to school every day. I get to show her to all my friends. They’re going to be so jealous that I have such a beautiful and smart new mommy!”

I looked down at the papers and signed.

Just like that, it was done. Every remaining tie I had in New York—cut clean.

Adrian, Viola, and Cam would be a family now.

“Yeah! Time for the amusement park!” Cam leapt off the sofa and ran for the door. He paused at the threshold, beaming. “Mommy! Daddy! Come on!”

Viola stood first. She walked over and gently took his hand.

Adrian didn’t move right away. He looked at me—just for a second. Something unreadable passed through his eyes.

“Thank you, Maeve,” he said quietly. “When the deals close, I’ll come back for you. I mean it. Just wait for me.”

I didn’t say a word.

Soon, the three of them were gone. Not once did my ex-husband—or my son—look back.

I looked down at my phone. The screensaver was still the photo of me cradling Cam outside the hospital on the day he was born. Adrian’s arms wrapped around us. Cam’s tiny face tucked against mine, smiling.

I had thought that day was the beginning of a life filled with love. Turns out, it was the beginning of ten long, quiet years of torture and mockery.

I changed the screen, stood up, grabbed my small suitcase and left for the airport.

Goodbye, Adrian. Goodbye, Cam.

You all saw me as a burden. An embarrassment. A woman who didn’t know her place.

But I know better.

I was capable of so much more.

And thanks to all of you— I finally had the time, the chance, and the courage to choose myself.