After five years of marriage, Billionaire Alexander Burke is convinced that his wife, Olivia Burke, doesn’t love him. Olivia is also convinced her husband is still in love with his ex and their marriage is just for convenience.

Alexander serves her divorce papers but soon regrets his impulsive decision. Desperate to win her back, he puts the divorce on hold. Olivia who has had enough of his encounters with his ex decides to finalize the divorce anyway.

What will Alexander do when he realizes he has made the biggest mistake of his life? Will Olivia make him pay for his betrayal or fall for him all over again?

1

Olivia

~•~

I was used to checking the news because of the kind of man I married, but for the past week, I’d been avoiding every news outlet. My name was trending and so was my husband’s. To outsiders, it was a good thing but they didn’t know exactly what was going on inside.

Ever the perfect wife, I stayed downstairs, waiting for my husband to return as I tried my best to ignore the voices in my head, telling me that my marriage was crumbling.

I wanted to save it but I didn’t know how. We both forgot about our anniversary which was a few days ago.

Alex was trending because of an expensive necklace he bought at an auction. They all thought it was for me and were waiting to see it on my neck, but our anniversary had passed and he still hadn’t given it to me.

It had to be for her.

I hated that this was what we had turned into and most especially, I hated that I couldn’t do anything about it. I’d gone shopping earlier today and gotten some random gifts, hoping to salvage it, but I knew we still had a lot of talking to do, which was why I was still up, waiting for him to return.

I sat on the couch and waited for a few more minutes before I heard the familiar sound of his car pulling up in the driveway. I stood up at once and met him at the door.

He seemed surprised to see me, but that emotion only lasted a second. “You’re still awake.”

I smiled tightly. “I was waiting for you.”

He nodded and handed me his suit jacket when I reached for it, not saying anything else.

“I just microwaved your food. Come eat.”

“It’s fine. I’ve had dinner already.”

“Oh.” I closed my eyes briefly.

Trailing quietly behind him, I followed him up to our room and stood by the side as he took off his tie and unbuttoned his white shirt. He noticed me idling by the corner and paused. “Is something wrong?”

I blinked at the question. He was asking me if something was wrong like our whole marriage wasn’t wrong. The media painted us as a perfect couple; they painted me as a woman who got spoiled by her husband, who got showered with gifts from her husband when he couldn’t even remember something as important as our anniversary.

How could he think nothing was wrong when we couldn’t even have a regular conversation like other married couples did?

“I got you something.”

For the first time since he arrived tonight, he looked interested in what I had to say. “You got me something?”

I nodded. “Wait here.” I dashed into the closet and brought out the perfectly wrapped presents. Maybe he was waiting for me to give him his present before he gave me mine. Alex could be a petty man sometimes.

He seemed surprised when I handed the box to him. “Happy anniversary.” His eyebrows shot up but he said nothing and I watched eagerly as he unwrapped the box. I wanted to see his reaction.

The box revealed an expensive watch and his favorite cologne. His gaze traveled to my face to see me watching him. He cleared his throat and took a step back.

My face fell. “You don’t like the gifts?”

“I don’t like this cologne.” I wasn’t expecting that. I bought it every time for him and he appreciated it. Was he mad that the gifts came late? In my defense, he hadn’t given me anything as well so I also had a right to be mad at him yet I wasn’t.

“I’m sorry they came late, but–“

“That’s not the reason.”

“Then what is it?”

“I prefer silver watches.” He said, staring at the gold watch I’d gotten him. “And this cologne makes me sick.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “You said you like it.”

“That’s because I didn’t have the energy to argue with you and I didn’t want to make you feel bad.”

I let out a bitter laugh. So he didn’t care about making me feel bad now? His actions were confirming my suspicions but I still didn’t want to believe it was because of her. If he had told me from the start that he hated it, I would have found something else for him.

This was exactly the problem between us. We barely communicated and it wasn’t because I didn’t want to. He never had the time to sit down and have a real talk. He was always busy at the office and these days, he was even busier.

“We need to talk, don’t we?” I chuckled humorlessly, wrapping my arms around myself. If we didn’t want to go on like this, we needed to talk about it and fix our marriage.

“Yeah, we do.” He agreed.

Well, at least, I thought he was agreeing with me.

He placed the worthless presents on the bed and opened his bag to retrieve a file. I frowned when he handed it to me. He never told me about anything going on in his office so why was he giving me a file now? Was he trying to be a better husband by letting me in his life?

Still wary of his intention, I took the file and brought out the paper in it. It took me less than a second to know what was going on. After all, the words were written boldly at the heading. “Alex, you can’t be serious.”

Unfortunately, he looked more serious than he’d ever been in his life. “Olivia, let’s get a divorce.”

My mouth parted and I tried to speak but my brain just couldn’t form words after what I just heard.

2

Olivia

~•~

I blinked in confusion. “Why do you want to get divorced?” I asked but he didn’t respond. My eyes scanned through the papers and my pupils dilated in shock as I read the content.

Alex had already signed his part and all that was left to finalize the divorce was my signature. I was confused because I wasn’t expecting to get a divorce anytime soon. Sure, our marriage wasn't every couple’s dream, but we got along pretty well. We tolerated each other. We were able to sleep next to each other at night.

“What is the meaning of this, Alex?” I asked angrily but Alex still remained quiet.“Why are we getting a divorce? When did you get these papers?”

“Today.” Came his short flaccid response.

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. “It is because of her, right?” I sniffed, holding back the tears that were threatening to fall down but Alex scoffed. “You want a divorce because of her, right?” I added, my voice cracking slightly.

He finally confirmed my suspicions. The necklace he got at the auction was for his ex girlfriend, Tricia. All these while, he had been preparing the divorce papers for me.

He didn’t talk about it with me. He didn’t think I deserved to know prior to preparing the papers. Did he even regard me as someone important in his life?

“Don’t you think it’s time we stop wasting each other’s time?” He seemed too calm for the words he just said and I could feel my heart breaking each passing second.

My vision got blurry when I heard him say those words. “Don’t you think it’s time we stop wasting each other’s time?” I repeated his words in a whisper, trying to make sense of it.

I was trying to process everything that was going on because it came as a surprise to me.

When I looked up at him with a puzzled expression on my face, he continued speaking. “Olivia, it is clear you do not love me, you never did.” He cleared his throat and my lips parted in disbelief.

“Wh…what?” I sputtered as I tried to form a coherent sentence. “What do you mean?” I asked. I loved Alex, I had always loved him. But there had always been a rift in our marriage because I’d always felt he didn’t completely move on from his ex.

“I’m just trying to make things easier for us, for you.”

“Of course, why didn’t I see this coming?” I asked rhetorically with a scoff. “You’ve been looking for a way out so you can rekindle your love with her? You’ve been waiting for the opportunity and you think today is just perfect!” I yelled at him while he sat there calmly.

“Olivia, this has nothing to do with my ex.” He said. “I haven’t even seen Tricia in years.”

I laughed but there was no humor in it.“So what’s the reason? Why do you want to do this?” I couldn’t go with the bull shit reason that he was doing this for me. If it was for me, why could I feel my heart breaking with each word that left his lips?

“You forgot our anniversary, you gave me mediocre presents. That’s to show that you do not value this marriage. You never did.” He was calm; too calm for the kind of conversation we were having. It was messing with my head.

I was confused for a second because he also forgot our anniversary but I was the one to blame? I knew the presents weren’t really thoughtful but he could have been a little more appreciative instead of dismissing my efforts just like that. I didn’t know what to get him because he literally had everything he wanted.

“I’m sorry about the anniversary and the presents but that isn’t a good enough reason for you to end the marriage,” I told him, hoping he would change his mind about the divorce papers.

“Olivia, just sign the papers. I’ve thought about it for a while and I’ve already made my decision.”

My throat immediately went dry as I swallowed. Five years of my life were about to go down the drain, and for what? I didn’t know what to say or do anymore.

I couldn’t stand there any longer, I couldn’t look at him anymore. My world was falling apart and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Even if we didn’t have the perfect marriage, I didn’t want a divorce. I never thought about a divorce. It was heartbreaking and I felt really betrayed and hurt.

With the file in my hand, I stormed out of the room. Alex looked like he had his mind made up and nothing I say was going to change anything.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand to prevent the tears that welled up in my eyes from falling down my face as I trudged down the stairs.

When I got to the living room, I picked up my phone from the table. I had left it there while waiting for Alex to return home. I needed to call my best friend to let her know what was going on.

“Hey girl, I haven’t forgotten about the party, I’ll be there in time,” Sandra said as soon as she answered the call. She thought I was calling her to remind her about the party Alexander’s company was hosting the next day.

“That’s not why I called you,” I responded, my lips trembling.

“Why are you sounding like that? Is everything okay?” She sounded concerned but her voice was also laced with curiosity.

I hesitated for a moment and tried to steady my voice before responding. I didn’t want to break down and cry while talking. “This evening.” I cleared my throat and resumed speaking. “This eve…evening..”

Sandra interrupted. “What happened this evening?”

“Alex gave me the divorce papers.” I rushed out, knowing I’d probably cry in a few seconds if I didn’t say it already.

She was quiet for a few seconds as though it was hard for her to process as well. “What divorce papers? Why would he do something like that?”

“I have no idea, Sandra,” I released an exhausted sigh. “He said I didn’t love him and we should stop wasting each other’s time.” A lone tear traveled down my cheek and I wiped it with another sigh.

“I’m so sorry, Olivia,” Sandra said sympathetically. “What are you going to do? Didn’t you give him the anniversary presents? Why is he upset?”

Sandra and I had picked out the presents when we went shopping earlier in the day.

I paused for a few seconds and blinked before responding. “He wasn’t even impressed by the presents.” My heart ached as my conversation with him replayed in my head.

“I had a feeling he wouldn’t like it when you picked it.” Sandra was right. She had asked me to think of something else but I was in a hurry and had to get something fast.

“Five years of my life, Sandra. Five whole years!” I let out a humorless chuckle. “If the divorce is what he wants, then I’ll sign the papers and move on with my life,” I added.

“I’m so sorry you have to go through this, Olivia.” Sandra sympathized with me. “But are you sure you want to sign the papers? Are you sure you want to give up on your marriage?

“Yes, I’m sure.” I lied. “It doesn’t even feel like I’m married anymore, so there is no use fighting for it.” I added, biting my lips.

Sandra and I talked for a few more minutes before the call ended.

The divorce papers were still in my hands. I didn’t want to sign them but there was no use holding on to someone who wanted to get rid of me.

Just as I reached out to the table to get a pen, I heard footsteps from the staircase and Alex appeared. “Have you signed the papers yet?” He asked.

I rolled my eyes at him and showed him the pen I had just gotten from the table. “I’m about to sign it,” I replied and placed the paper on the table to sign.

“Don’t sign it yet.” He stopped me and reached out to take the pen from my hand.

3

Olivia

~•~

I paused for a moment and looked at him. Why was he asking me not to sign the papers anymore? Did he change his mind about moving on with the divorce?

There was an awkward silence for a few moments and I looked at him in anticipation, waiting for an explanation. “Let’s wait until after the party tomorrow.” He said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “We have to appear as a couple at the event.”

I swallowed hard. I expected to hear something else. I expected him to say he had changed his mind about the divorce.

“Okay,” I said without asking further questions. After that, I dropped the papers and the table and walked out of the room. Alex tried calling me back but I ignored him and walked into the kitchen.

I couldn’t believe he wanted me to act like everything was okay. He wanted us to pretend in public. I poured myself a glass of water and took deep breaths to calm myself down.

My mind kept on racing with different thoughts. So I was still a married woman but not for long? I thought about how my life would be after I signed the papers.

I had put my career on hold just to be Alexander’s wife. When we first got married, he asked me to stop working, claiming he was a billionaire and his duty was to provide everything I needed.

He had given me everything I ever wanted and even spoiled me with expensive gifts. I had grown so accustomed to the luxury that I didn’t see the need to work again. But now as our marriage was crumbling, I realized that I had made a mistake.

I knew there was no need to try and make him change his mind about the divorce. It was time for me to move on no matter how hard it would be.

As I sipped from the glass, I heard footsteps walking towards the kitchen. It was Alex and I had no idea why he was coming to meet me.

“Olivia.” He began in a low voice as he walked through the slightly opened door. “I hope you understand why I asked you to wait until after the pa…. ”

But I cut him off before he could complete his sentence. “Yes, Alexander. I understand why you asked to wait until after the party. We don’t have to talk about it anymore, I’ll sign the papers after the party..”

“Okay, I’m going to bed.” He informed me and I responded with a nonchalant nod. It was already late but I didn’t think I could get any sleep because it felt like there was a hole in my chest.

I was angry and hurt. I didn’t want to be in the same place as him or even talk to him. He looked so calm and was okay with the fact that we were getting a divorce. It was like all those years we spent together didn’t mean anything to him.

“Aren’t you coming?” He added but I still remained quiet. When he saw I wasn’t speaking to him, he shrugged and went out the door. As the kitchen door swung shut behind Alex, I couldn’t help but think of how we first met.

His perfect black hair, his chiseled jawline, and his piercing blue eyes had drawn me to him. I was swept off my feet by his confidence and charming smile when he walked up to me at the bar that night.

It was my birthday and I went to the bar with a few of my friends to celebrate over drinks. Alex said I had caught his attention and he wasn’t going to leave the table until I gave him my phone number.

I was reluctant at first because I had just broken up with my boyfriend and I needed some time for myself but my friends pushed for me to give it to him.

The times I spent with him were amazing but I always felt insecure most of the time because I was just an average person and he was a famous man with a net worth more than a billion dollars.

~•~

The next day, I woke up a little bit late because it was going to be a long day. I had slept in one of the empty rooms because I couldn’t sleep on the same bed with Alex.

I had planned on getting a new hairdo for the event, so I went back to my room to get ready. I expected to see Alex but I met an empty room.

It was the weekend and he didn’t have to leave for work, so I was confused on why he had already left the house. I was about to assume he had gone out to meet his ex, when I saw a note on the side drawer.

[ I’m going to meet with Arthur.]

I let out a sigh of relief as I read the note. After that, I showered and dressed up before leaving for the salon for my hair appointment.

On my way, I picked up Sandra because she offered to follow after hearing about my divorce. Sandra had always been my emotional support. I had a few other friends but they weren’t as close to me as Sandra was.

“Are you okay?” Sandra asked me with concern in her eyes as we pulled up in the parking lot of the building.

“For the millionth time, I am okay,” I replied, forcing a fake smile. Throughout the ride, Sandra kept on asking me if I was okay. I appreciated her concern but I didn’t want to talk about my problems.

“I get it! You don’t want to talk about it.” She said as we made our way out of the car.

“Finally,” I said with a playful scoff. “So quit asking me if I’m okay and let’s go have a makeover.” I pointed to the entrance of the saloon with a happy face. I didn’t want Sandra to be worried about me, so I had to pretend like I was happy.

We got into the building and confirmed my appointment. After a few hours, we were done and stopped by a restaurant for lunch on our way home.

I was desperate for any distraction to keep my mind off my failing marriage. Lunch wasn’t so great because the food tasted like ash in my mouth, but I was grateful for Sandra’s company. She made me feel a little bit better.

After lunch, I dropped Sandra off at her house so she could prepare for the party. “Thank you, Sandra,” I said in appreciation as she closed the car door behind her.

“Anytime babes.” She said with a wide smile and blew me a kiss before retreating to her apartment. I stayed in the car for some time, lost in my thoughts, before turning the key in the Ignition and driving back to the house.

When I arrived, Alex was already back. We didn’t say anything to each other when we ran into each other on the stairs. I just went upstairs and started getting ready for the party.

4

Olivia

~•~

As I finished getting ready for the party, I stared at my reflection in the mirror and a stunning woman stared back at me. My blonde hair was styled into a messy updo with some loose strands falling down my face.

The long red gown Alex and I had carefully selected a few days ago hugged my curves in all the right places. My bright blue eyes sparkled like gold against the bold of the red gown.

I looked confident and undeniably sexy. Even if everything was falling apart, the least I could do was to look stunning in public. Satisfied with my look, I wore my pair of gold stilettos and matched it with my gold bag.

Alex had already told me we had thirty minutes to leave, so I went downstairs immediately after I was done with my makeup. We were going to the party together.

“You look so beautiful.” He complimented me as I got into the back of the car. I didn’t respond and just managed a half-smile. I was getting divorced so there was no need for me to get flattered by his compliments.

He didn’t look bad himself. He looked good in his impeccable white tuxedo, his eyes gleaming with a charm that once captivated me.

He shut the door and walked to the other side of the car and after he got in, the driver started the car and drove out of the compound.

The ride was silent for most parts until Alex spoke. “Where did you go earlier today?” He asked, his eyes fixed on me.

“I went to do my hair and had lunch with Sandra after we left the salon.” My eyes were glued to my phone.

“Okay.” He replied in a calm voice. “Why didn’t you protest against signing the divorce papers?”

My eyebrows furrowed at the question. I tried to stop him but he was set in his decision. There was nothing I could do about that. I wasn’t going to stay around a man that didn’t want me. “Are you confused?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “You gave me the papers to sign, right? You also said you had made your decision.”

Alex replied with a nod. “Yes, but you gave in so easily. Seems like it was what you wanted all along.” He said and I cast him a dirty look.

Was he out of his mind?

“Alex, you practically said we should pretend like everything is okay, so I don’t see any reason why you should be starting shit on our way to the party.”

Alex shrugged. Despite what he was saying, he seemed so unbothered. “I just want to understand, you seemed so willing to end our marriage without a fight.” I wanted to talk about it. I wanted us to talk about everything but it wasn’t the right moment because if we did, the party was going to be ruined for me.

“Can we talk about this after the party?”

“If you say so,” Alex replied and the car fell silent again.

After a few more minutes, we arrived at our destination. A few cars were already parked outside, so it meant the party had already started without us.

Alex got out of the car and extended his hands to me, so I would go out after him. We were about to put on a show, pretending to be a perfect couple for the sake of our reputation.

As we entered the hall, all eyes were on us. Alex smiled and waved at the people who greeted him. I also managed a fake smile, acting like everything was alright when I was aching inside.

I saw some familiar faces. Most of the people in attendance were Alex’s business partners and family. Everybody looked elegant and stunning.

Alex and I walked hand in hand as we made our way to our designated seats. I looked around the hall to see if I could find Sandra.

I couldn’t see her so I brought out my phone from my bag and sent her a text, telling her to hurry up. I needed her by my side to be able to get through the night.

The party had started and Alex left me to mingle with some other guests. When he left, I poured myself some wine from the bottle.

As I sipped the wine, I let myself enjoy the soft music, forgetting about all my problems. Suddenly, I felt someone tap me on my back.

I turned back and realized it was Sandra. “Hey, baby,” I said with a wide smile and gave her a side hug. “I’m so glad you’re here, what took you so long?” I asked loud enough so she could hear over the music.

“You should be used to it by now.” She said with a chuckle as she settled down on the empty chair beside me. I had asked the event planner to add Sandra to our table when we were going over the seating chart.

“Anyways, I’m glad you’re here.”

Sandra and I were alone for a while, drinking, eating, and chatting about random things. A few moments later, the MC at the event announced that Alex and I should get ready for the couple's dance in a few minutes.

It was something Alex and I always did whenever his company was having an event but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when he announced it.

When Sandra saw the look on my face, she reached out to my hands and gave me a comforting squeeze.

While waiting for the dance, I realized my sister had arrived at the party. I watched her as she walked into the entrance, I could tell she was looking for me with the way her eyes darted across the crowd.

I could see the relief in her face when she saw me waving at her, gesturing for her to come over to our table. Amanda looked so pretty in her shiny gold dress.

“Hey, I’ve been trying to reach you.” She said as she approached the table. Amanda and Sandra exchanged pleasantries before she turned back to me again.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t call you back. A lot happened so it slipped my mind.” I apologized. I had seen several calls from Amanda the previous day, but I had forgotten to return them.

I gestured for her to sit on the empty chair beside us and as she settled down, she brought out her phone and showed me a photo. I felt a ripple in my chest as I looked at the photo. I couldn’t believe my eyes and I didn’t want it to be true.

5

Olivia

~•~

“What the fuck?” I seethed angrily through gritted teeth. Amanda looked at me with a puzzled expression while Sandra had a sympathetic expression on her face.

“Why are you so upset?” Amanda asked but I ignored her question. She had no clue what was going on.

“When was this taken?” I asked curiously, my voice filled with urgency.

“Yesterday,” Amanda responded in a confused voice.

I looked at the picture again and my face twisted in disgust. Alexander’s ex-girlfriend, Tricia, was in town. Everything started making sense. It became clear why he asked for a divorce.

“I ran into her at the mall and I took photos just so you would believe me when I tell you,” Amanda added when I didn’t say anything else.

When I first met Alexander, I looked into his life and discovered he had just left a serious relationship months before he met me.

Their photos were everywhere on the internet. They looked like the power couple everyone would dream to be. I could recognize Tricia anywhere and at any time.

Even if their relationship had ended, I always felt insecure when it came to Tricia. I felt Alexander never stopped loving her because of the way he spoke about her initially.

They ended their relationship on good terms because Tricia had to move away to Paris to focus on her modeling career. They couldn’t do long distances so they had to move on from each other.

“Olivia, calm down,” Sandra said when she saw that my legs had started shaking. “You just have to get through this event. We’ll deal with it later.”

I was more than ready to confront Alexander in front of everyone. “What’s the problem?” Amanda asked. She was still confused because she had no idea I was getting a divorce.

Sandra explained everything to Amanda.

“Olivia, you have to calm down.” My sister advised when Sandra was done with the whole explanation.

“He fucking lied to me,” I said, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall down my face and ruin the makeup I spent hours on. “He said it wasn’t because of his ex. Shit, he said he hadn’t seen her in years. So the expensive necklace was also for her, he got it for her.”

I ran my hands through my hair in annoyance as I realized my marriage was crumbling because of his ex-girlfriend. All these years, I wasn’t wrong about him still being in love with her. If he wanted her so much, why did he marry me then?

“I’m not saying I’m on his side, but can you just ask for an explanation from him before doing anything?” Sandra suggested in a calm voice.

I took a deep breath, then another one, and another one. I needed to stay calm or I was going to do something drastic.

“I need to leave here right now,” I said as I picked up my bag and stood up from the chair. Sandra held me back before I could move.

“You have to stay for the couple's dance.” She said and I rolled my eyes at her.

“If I don’t leave here now, I’m going to cause a scene and it is going to be bad.” I tried to beat back the anger in my voice.

Sandra understood, so she just asked Amanda to stay back while she walked out with me. On our way out, we bumped into Alex and he tried to stop us but I ignored him and walked straight to the entrance.

I knew my absence during the couple's dance was going to raise questions but I didn’t care at that point. We were getting divorced after all, so it was better they knew something was wrong already.

Sandra and I walked to the parking lot where her car was parked. We got into the car and I asked her to drive off quickly before Alex would send somebody to try and stop us.

One thing about Alex was that he didn’t like embarrassment and he was certainly going to be embarrassed when the time for the couple's dance came and I wasn’t present.

On our way back home, Alex started blowing up my phone with multiple calls and texts but I didn’t care to respond. I just switched it off and placed it back in my bag.

When we were getting closer to the house, I asked Sandra to stop for a moment. “Can we go back to your place instead? I don’t want to have to deal with him tonight.” I pleaded with Sandra.

Sandra nodded and started the car again. “Sure, we can go back to my place.” She reversed the car and we drove back to her house instead.

“I can’t believe he would lie to me about it,” I said as we got inside the house. “The least he could have done was to be honest with me about the whole situation.”

“Olivia, you have to calm down,” Sandra said, giving me a pat on the back. “Just change your clothes and sleep, we’ll deal with this in the morning.”

I doubted I was going to be able to get any sleep with the news I had just heard. I certainly was going to be up all night thinking of how I just got hurt and betrayed by Alex.

I nodded my head and Sandra escorted me to the guest room where I always slept whenever I spent the night at her place.

“Alex is calling me,” Sandra said as we walked into the room.

Of course, he was going to call her too.

“Ignore him,” I instructed and she nodded in agreement.

After Sandra helped me settle into the room, she left me alone and went back to her room. When I was alone, I turned on my phone and the first thing I saw was a text from Alex.

[We agreed to wait until after the party but you embarrassed me in front of my guests.]

I felt a little bit guilty about what I did, but my anger overshadowed the guilt, so I didn’t care about it. I turned off my phone again, then I changed out of my dress before going to sleep.