A week had passed with us arguing every time we had the chance. And it was all because of Katie.

After texting my lawyer about initiating the separation, I crawled into bed early. I wrapped the duvet tightly around myself. For the first time in months, my heart felt lighter. It was as if a weight I’d carried for too long had finally begun to lift.

Around midnight, a chime from my phone jolted me awake. I squinted at the screen. It was a message from Jairus.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Vanessa. Let’s talk this through.”

His arrogance made my blood boil. The fact that he didn’t see the damage he’d caused, that he thought this could be fixed with a few words, was laughable.

I tossed the phone aside and turned my back to it. Sleep didn’t come easily, though. Every time I closed my eyes, memories of Katie’s smug smile and Jairus’s dismissive tone replayed in my mind like a haunting loop.

The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed. I was determined to reclaim my life, even if I had no idea where to start. As I scrolled through my emails over coffee, a notification from Katie’s social media popped up.

Against my better judgment, I clicked on it.

I couldn’t be wrong.

In the picture was Jairus and Katie, arm in arm, standing in front of a sleek black car.

Her caption read: “When life gives you the right partner, everything else falls into place.”

A sharp laugh escaped me. The audacity was impressive, I’d give her that. They weren’t even subtle anymore.

At work, Jairus was already in the conference room when I arrived. He looked as composed as ever. None of our colleagues knew about our relationship. Jairus had insisted we keep it a secret, citing company policies, though I suspected it was more about maintaining his image as the untouchable CEO.

“Vanessa,” he called out as I passed the glass doors.

I paused, forcing a neutral expression. “Yes?”

“Step inside for a moment,” he said, motioning to the chair opposite his.

Reluctantly, I entered. My stomach knotted with unease. Katie wasn’t in sight, but her perfume lingered in the air.

Once the door closed, Jairus leaned back in his chair. He scanned me like I was an uncooperative employee. “About last night,” he began. He softened his tone, maybe thinking kindness would make me forget everything.

“I’m not interested in discussing it,” I interrupted.

He frowned, clearly unused to being shut down. “Vanessa, I know you’re upset, but we’ve been through worse. Let’s not make rash decisions.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Rash decisions? You’ve been erasing me from our life for months, Jairus. I’m just catching up.”

His jaw tightened. And for a moment, his mask slipped, revealing his frustration. “You’re being unfair. You know how demanding my job is. I’ve been trying to provide for us, for the future we’ve talked about.”

“Our future?” I couldn’t help myself from raising my voice. “You mean the one where you play house with Katie while I sit in the background, waiting for scraps of your attention?”

Jairus’s phone buzzed on the table between us. He glanced at the screen.

I followed his gaze. Katie’s name flashed brightly.

He hesitated, but the pull was too strong. Picking up the phone, he stepped toward the window. He lowered his voice but I could still hear the words he said clearly. “Katie, I’m in the middle of something. I’ll call you back.”

The blatant dismissal stung more than I wanted to admit. As he ended the call, I grabbed the folder I’d brought into the room and stood.

“This is pointless,” I muttered, heading for the door.

“Vanessa, wait.”

I turned with my hand on the doorknob. “For what? Another excuse? Another lie?”

Jairus stared at me. His usually confident expression began to falter. He opened his mouth, but no words came.

Without another word, I walked out.

Back at my desk, I tried to focus on my tasks. But my thoughts kept drifting. Memories of our early days together filled my mind. How he used to surprise me with little notes tucked into my bag. How he’d hold my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. That version of Jairus felt like a stranger now.

By lunch, I couldn’t bear the suffocating atmosphere of the office anymore. I told my assistant I was stepping out and wandered into the nearby park.

As I sat on a bench, staring at the golden leaves falling around me, my phone buzzed again.

This time, it was a message from my lawyer.

“We’ve drafted the separation agreement. Let me know when you’re ready to proceed.”

I stared at the message. My fingers kept trembling. It felt like crossing a bridge and burning it behind me, but maybe that’s what I needed.

With a deep breath, I typed back.

“Let’s move forward.”

The day passed in tense silence.

At work, Jairus hovered at the edge of my desk several times, trying to speak to me. But each time, I kept my eyes fixed on my screen. Eventually, he stopped trying. He retreated to his office and closed the door.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to him. I did. The words burned in my throat, threatening to spill out. But I held them back. Because I was already tired of talking and arguing about Katie with him.

What was the point of another argument when he’d already decided whose side he was on?

By the time dinner rolled around, I was too emotionally drained to care about pleasantries. I ate alone, not waiting for him like I used to.

When Jairus walked in, shrugging off his jacket and setting his briefcase by the door, I barely acknowledged him.

“You didn’t wait for me,” he commented, glancing at the half-eaten plate of pasta on the table.

I didn’t look up. “I wasn’t sure you’d make it back before midnight.”

His lips tightened, but he said nothing as he pulled out a chair and sat down across from me.

For a while, the only sounds were the scrape of his utensils and the faint hum of the refrigerator.

Finally, he sighed as he set down his fork. “Vanessa, how long are you going to give me the silent treatment?”

I shrugged while swirling the remnants of my wine. “As long as it takes for you to figure out why I’m upset.”

“That’s the problem,” he muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t understand why you’re blowing this out of proportion. Katie didn’t mean to upset you.”

I set my glass down a little harder than necessary. “You always have an excuse for her, don’t you?”

His gaze sharpened. “That’s not fair.”

“No, Jairus, what’s not fair is having to compete with your business partner for your attention. What’s not fair is you constantly siding with her. No matter how blatantly she disrespects me.”

He groaned. Then he leaned back in his chair. “This is exactly why I want us to clear the air. Let’s have lunch tomorrow. The three of us. You, me, and Katie. I want you to see there’s nothing going on.”

I let out a dry laugh. Then I shook my head.

I would rather die than dine at a table with Katie.

“That’s a hard no. I have a client meeting during lunch.”

“Then dinner,” he insisted as he leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “There’s a new seafood restaurant I’ve been wanting to try. We’ll sit down, have a nice meal, and talk like adults.”

“No thanks.”

He frowned. He looked clearly frustrated. “Why not? What’s wrong with dinner?”

I pushed my chair back. I stood as I wiped the corner of my lips with a napkin. “Because I’m allergic to seafood.”

Jairus froze. His eyes narrowed. “You’re allergic to seafood?”

“Yes,” I lied smoothly while folding the napkin and placing it on the table. “But don’t let me stop you. I’m sure Katie would love the company.”

His mouth opened as if to argue, but I didn’t give him the chance.

I turned to leave, but not before glancing back at him. A bitter smile tugged at my lips when I realized something.

He didn’t even know I was lying.

The man I had built my life around didn’t know one of the most basic things about me. Or maybe he did. But he just didn’t care enough to remember.

“Vanessa,” Jairus’s voice stopped me mid-step.

I glanced over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “What now?”

His gaze was sharp. And his knuckles were already white as he gripped the edge of the table. “You’re being ridiculous. You know that, don’t you?”

I didn’t answer. I waited for him to continue, to say something that might salvage the shards of what little remained between us.

Instead, he stood abruptly, shoving his chair back. “Fine. Keep acting like this. But don’t say I didn’t try.”

He stormed out of the dining room without another word.

For a moment, I stood frozen, staring at the spot where he’d been. I should’ve felt relieved that he was gone, but all I felt was the bitter sting of his words.

It wasn’t until I reached the stairs that I noticed something. A faint buzzing sound reached my ears. His phone lay forgotten on the counter. The screen lit up with a name that made my blood run cold.

Katie.

The message preview read: Can’t wait for tomorrow. I’ve got a surprise for you ;)