Broken Wings

The moment I stepped into my house, the wave of emotions I had been holding back came crashing down. My knees buckled, and I sank onto the couch, clutching my chest. The betrayal, the humiliation, and the sheer audacity of Lucas and Eleanor replayed in my mind like a bad movie.

I grabbed my phone, scrolling through my contacts with trembling fingers. My thumb hovered over Chloe's name, and I pressed call.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Chloe answered, her voice soft but concerned. She must've heard the crack in mine.

"Can you come over?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I need you."

Fifteen minutes later, Chloe burst through the door like a storm, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. "Ava, talk to me," she said, dropping her bag and rushing over to where I sat.

I looked up at her, tears streaming down my face. "the ring is for Eleanor "

Chloe gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "That son of a…"

I shook my head, cutting her off. "I feel so stupid. You warned me, didn't you? You said something was off."

Chloe sat beside me, pulling me into a hug. "Ava, don't do that to yourself. This isn't your fault. But yes, I did warn you"

I buried my face in her shoulder. "I was too in love to see it. I ignored all the signs because I didn't want to believe it."

Chloe stroked my hair like I was a child, her voice calm and steady. "It's okay, babe. We'll get through this. Together. But first, we need a plan. And you need to talk to Isabelle."

Isabelle. My mentor and the one person who always had my back, no matter what. Chloe was right…I needed her wisdom now more than ever.

"She'll know what to do," Chloe added. "And while we're at it, we need to call Derek Lawson to start the divorce proceedings. You're not staying tied to that snake."

The word "divorce" hit me like a ton of bricks. It felt so final, but I knew it was the only option. Lucas had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed.

The Next Day

By noon, Isabelle was sitting across from me in my living room, her calm demeanor like a balm to my frazzled nerves. Chloe sat beside me, her eyes narrowing every time Lucas's name was mentioned.

"I'm proud of you, Ava," Isabelle said, her voice warm. "It takes strength to walk away from someone who disrespects you like that. Now, let's make sure you walk away with everything you deserve."

She called Derek Lawson, the best lawyer in the city, and within an hour, he was at my house with a briefcase full of documents.

"So, we're filing for divorce?" Derek confirmed, looking up from his paperwork.

"Yes," I said firmly, my voice steadier than I felt.

"Okay, but Lucas will need to sign," Derek explained. "We'll call him in for a meeting, and we'll handle the rest from there."

Lucas arrived at the law office later that afternoon, his smugness filling the room before he even opened his mouth. He strolled in, hands in his pockets, and glanced around like he owned the place.

"Ava," he said, flashing that fake smile I once found charming. "I heard you wanted a divorce."

"Yes," I said coolly, refusing to let him see how much he still affected me.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Do you realize what you're doing? Half of your properties are in my name. If we're divorcing, I'm taking my share."

Chloe, sitting beside me, rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. Derek stayed calm, shuffling papers on the table.

I laughed, but it wasn't out of humor it was the laugh of someone who'd been pushed too far. "You're such a fool, Lucas," I said, reaching into my bag and pulling out a thick stack of documents.

Lucas's smirk faltered as I slid the papers across the table. He picked them up, scanning the contents. His face went pale.

"What is this?" he stammered.

"It's the updated ownership documents," I said, my voice steady. "You'll notice your name isn't on anything anymore. Not the company, not the house, not the assets. Nothing."

He slammed the papers down, his bravado crumbling. "You can't do this!"

"Oh, I already did," I said, leaning back in my chair.

Lucas looked at Derek. "Is this even legal?"

Derek adjusted his glasses and shrugged. "Perfectly legal. Ava had every right to update her assets as she saw fit."

Lucas's shoulders slumped, but I wasn't done. "The only thing in your name, Lucas, is the car. You can have it. But don't you dare take a single thing from my house. Every piece of furniture, every plate, every cushion was bought with my father's money. Touch anything, and I'll have you arrested."

He opened his mouth to plead, but I held up a hand. "Save it. I don't care. Your actions spoke louder than any apology ever could."

He dropped his gaze to the table, his voice barely above a whisper. "Ava, please. Don't do this. I'll change. I'll…"

"No, Lucas," I said, standing up and grabbing my bag. "We're done. You made your choices. Now you live with the consequences."

As I turned to leave, Chloe grinned at Lucas like a cat who'd just caught a mouse. "Better luck next time, buddy."

I was halfway out of the office when Derek, our lawyer, called me back. "Ava, wait! You need to sign the papers before you leave."

I paused, took a deep breath, and turned back. My heart felt like it was being squeezed, but I walked over with my head held high. No one would see me break, not here, not now.

Derek handed me the pen, and with a quick flick of my wrist, I signed my name at the bottom of the divorce papers. The moment my pen left the page, it felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders.

Lucas, who had been sitting there looking smug and unbothered, suddenly leaned forward. "I'm not signing these," he said, his voice calm but defiant.

I stared at him, trying not to lose my cool. "Lucas, don't start."

He smirked. "You think you can just throw me away 

He laughed, leaning back in his chair like he had all the power in the world. "I'm not signing."

I stepped closer, my heels clicking loudly against the floor. "You're joking with fire, Lucas," I said, my voice low and deadly. "Sign the papers or rot in jail. Your choice."

His smirk faltered for a second, but he quickly covered it up. "You're bluffing."

I folded my arms and tilted my head. "Oh, am I? You really think I don't have the evidence to bury you? Do it, Lucas. Make my day. Refuse to sign, and I'll make sure you spend the next ten years behind bars. Let's see how far your charm gets you in prison."

The room went silent. Everyone was watching us now, even Derek, who was trying to look like he wasn't eavesdropping.

Lucas sighed heavily, his bravado cracking. "Fine. Give me the pen."

I handed it to him without a word, watching as he scribbled his name on the papers. The sound of the pen scratching the paper was the most satisfying thing I'd heard all day.

Derek handed us both copies of the signed papers, and I clutched mine like it was a badge of freedom. Lucas stood up, his shoulders slumped, and glanced at me. "You really hate me now, don't you?"

I didn't answer.

As soon as Lucas left the room, I felt the walls closing in on me. I turned to Chloe, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, and whispered, "Let's go home."

 we got back, I locked the door and crumpled onto the couch, tears streaming down my face. Chloe sat beside me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Let it out, babe. Cry it all out."

"I'm such an idiot," I sobbed. "Madam Isabelle warned me. She told me not to marry a man who wasn't on my level, but I was too blind to see it."

Chloe rubbed my back, her voice soft but firm. "Ava, don't do this to yourself. You didn't know he was going to be this way."

"But I should've seen the signs," I said, shaking my head. "The stupid ring, the fake smiles, the little notes that didn't add up. I ignored it all because I thought I was in love."

Chloe pulled back and held my face in her hands. "Listen to me, Ava. You're not breaking down over him, okay? That man doesn't deserve your tears. You're stronger than this."

I nodded, wiping my face. "You're right. He's not worth it."

"Damn right, he's not," Chloe said, standing up and grabbing a tissue for me. "And you know what? This is just the beginning. You're going to come out of this stronger, Ava. And when you do, Lucas is going to regret the day he ever messed with you."

The next day, Derek called to confirm that everything was set. "Lucas signed, so the divorce is official," he said. "He knows he's only leaving with the car and nothing else."

"Good," I said, my voice steady.

Lucas came by the house one last time to pick up his things. He stood in the doorway, looking at me like he was waiting for something. "Ava…"

"Don't," I said, cutting him off. "Don't say anything. Just take your car and leave."

He opened his mouth to argue, but I held up my hand. "And don't even think about taking anything else from this house. Every single thing here was bought with my father's money, not yours."

Lucas sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "I never meant to hurt you, Ava."

"Too late," I said, stepping back and closing the door in his face.