Zephyr glanced at his phone, a message lighting up the screen. "Divorce papers are filed and en route. Anonymous delivery, of course. Your husband should receive them right now."
I blinked. "That was... fast."
"I keep certain resources on standby. Preparation is everything in our world."
The words had barely left his mouth when my phone buzzed. Ryker's name flashed across the screen. My stomach clenched, but the fear that used to accompany his calls had transformed into something harder, colder.
"Right on schedule." Zephyr's voice carried a hint of satisfaction.
I nodded and answered the call.
"YOU BITCH!" Ryker's voice exploded through the speaker, filling the room with his rage. "What are you planning? Sending me these divorce papers?"
My hands trembled, but I kept my grip steady on the phone. From the corner of my eye, I saw Zephyr's shoulders tense, his eyes darkening at Ryker's tone.
"I was the one who was supposed to send them to you. Not take what you send like some dog." Ryker's voice dripped with venom. "Know your place."
The familiar cold fear tried to creep up my spine, but something else burned hotter - anger. Five years of suppressed rage bubbled to the surface.
"My place?" I spat the words back at him. "You mean under your boot? Or maybe you mean watching our daughter die slowly while you fucked your mistress?"
"Watch your mouth-"
"No, you watch yours." The words poured out of me like acid. "Every second I spend legally bound to you makes my skin crawl. You're nothing but a disease I need to cut out."
"You ungrateful little-"
"Ungrateful?" I barked out a laugh. "For what? The lies? The affairs? Or maybe I should thank you for letting our baby girl suffer while you played house with Calypso?"
Silence crackled through the line. I could practically hear his teeth grinding.
"Each minute you're still legally my husband feels like poison in my veins," I continued, my voice steady despite my racing heart. "So yeah, I sent you those papers. Because I want you gone. I want every trace of you erased from my life."
"Keep your money," I snarled into the phone. "Every single penny of it. I'm not some gold-digging whore like your precious Calypso."
The memory of my earlier call with Calypso flashed through my mind - her smug voice, the casual way she'd confessed to orchestrating that "accident" with her son. My lips curved into a bitter smile.
"You know what? You two deserve each other. A lying bastard and a scheming bitch who was ready to sacrifice her own son." I let out a cold laugh. "Oh, and all the best being with that woman of yours. You'll need it."
Ryker's breath caught on the other end of the line. "What did you just say about my son?"
"Ask your girlfriend. I'm sure she'll spin you another pretty tale." The satisfaction of knowing what was waiting for him almost made up for years of pain. Almost.
I caught Zephyr's gaze across the room, his expression a mix of pride and concern. His presence gave me strength to keep my voice steady, even as my heart hammered against my ribs.
"You think you're so clever," Ryker growled. "You have no idea what-"
"No, you have no idea. But you will." I pressed my lips together, savoring the moment. "Enjoy your life with Calypso. I'm sure it'll be everything you deserve."
"Oh I will," Ryker's laughter crackled through the line. "In fact, she's going down on me as we speak." His words dripped with malice.
"She's savoring me, pleasuring me unlike you, you ungrateful bitch. We'll make more kids, probably a daughter now. Raise her properly with all the care in the world - unlike that dead bastard kid of yours."
The phone almost slipped from my grip. My vision blurred red. The air left my lungs in a sharp gasp. How dare he- how fucking dare he talk about Vesper like that?
A warm hand caught mine before I could smash the phone against the wall. Zephyr's fingers intertwined with mine, steadying, grounding. His other hand came to rest on my shoulder, thumb tracing small circles through my blouse.
I forced myself to breathe. In. Out. The rage still burned, but Zephyr's touch kept me from drowning in it.
"You know what, Ryker?" My voice came out ice-cold. "I don't care anymore. You can fuck whoever you want. You can die for all I care. Just remember - karma's a bigger bitch than I'll ever be."
"Whatever," Ryker scoffed, his tone dripping with the same arrogance. "Where are you now? Probably by some dumpster or prostituting yourself for money."
My knuckles went white around the phone, rage coursing through my veins like liquid fire. Zephyr's grip on my hand tightened protectively, his thumb still tracing those soothing circles that somehow managed to keep me anchored in the moment.
The irony almost made me laugh. Here I was, standing in a penthouse worth more than our first house, while he assumed I was on the streets.
"It's none of your business," I kept my voice level, professional, letting each word fall like ice between us. The trembling anger in my hands didn't reach my voice.
"We'll meet tomorrow at the lawyer's office for divorce. Just sign it and rot in hell."
"Sure," his voice dripped with mock sweetness. "As the bitch wishes. Probably your last wish before you spiral out of your mind."
My jaw clenched. The muscle in Zephyr's forearm twitched, but he remained steady beside me.
"Since I fucked you a bit, I'll listen to you just this once. For one last time." Ryker's smug tone made bile rise in my throat.
"Fuck you."
"You wish," he purred.
The rage surged again, but this time something else rose with it. I looked at Zephyr, at his strong profile and steady presence, and felt a different kind of heat course through me.
"Actually, I don't," I said, letting satisfaction color my voice. "I have a better man now than you could ever be." I paused, savoring the sharp intake of breath on the other end.
"In life and in bed."
The silence that followed was deafening. I heard the exact moment his ego shattered - a small, choked sound that made my lips curve into a cruel smile.
Before he could gather his wits to respond, I pressed the end call button.
The satisfaction of denying him the last word tasted sweeter than any victory I'd ever known. Next, I will make Ryker and his mistress pay a heavy price for the death of my daughter!
