Lynch’s POV
I looked at the gift box and tore it open.
Inside was a tie—plain, thin, barely there.
Just then, my phone lit up with an ad from the same brand advertising the same tie.
Apparently, this cheap thing was a freebie from a Valentine’s Day gift set.
I nearly laughed—the kind of laugh that scrapes your throat when you realize just how little you matter.
Heddy’s expression stiffened. She tried to cover it up, her voice suddenly careful.
“You’ve always liked low-key stuff. I went through a dozen stores to find one like this. Don’t make a fuss over this, Lynch.”
I didn’t respond.
Just then, the alarm on my phone went off. I started swallowing my pills—methodical, one after the other.
Heddy’s face changed immediately. She rushed over and snatched the bottle from me.
“What are you doing? You know you can’t take meds like this before the surgery!”
Maybe it was the quiet and unreadable look on my face, and for once, her voice dropped.
She tossed the box aside.
“Fine, fine, if you don’t like the gift, throw it away. I’ll get you another one, okay?” She sighed. “Lynch, we agreed to start preparing for a baby. You can’t throw your health away.”
I laid the divorce papers flat on the table between us.
“They’re done. Sign when you’ve got time,” I said. Before I forgot, I added, “And stop dragging me into your assistant’s life. If he means that much to you, hire a maid or a cook to take care of him.”
Heddy had more on her plate than most. I no longer expected her to draft legal papers herself, so I handled them myself.
As soon as she read the top page, her face fell, and she bolted up.
“Divorce?! Are you out of your mind? Just because I looked at Robbie during the press conference?
“Damn it, Lynch! He’s just my assistant! You were the one who brought him into the company, remember? If something were going on between us, it would’ve happened long ago. Why now? Stop being so damn ridiculous!”
Her eyes fell on my face. Then she sighed, like she was giving up.
“I get it. You’re sick, and it’s messing with your mood. I’ve been doing my best to take care of you, but there’s a line, Lynch. There’s a line.”
Her heels sank into the edge of the carpet, kicking up dust.
She’s always leaving a mark, never watching where she stepped.
Old instinct made me want to say something—remind her.
But I caught myself, swallowed the words, and laughed under my breath.
She’s always been like this, never caring about my effort. She never acknowledged what I gave up for her.
But now, we’re done. Whatever she does—none of it matters anymore.
I looked up, meeting her eyes. My voice was steady.
“Yeah. I’m divorcing you because of that look. Isn’t that reason enough?” I replied. “Heddy, before we got married, I told you—I don’t tolerate even the smallest betrayal.
“And the woman I married? She’s not standing in front of me now. So, yeah. We’re done.”
She drew in a sharp breath. Her temper started to rise.
But I cut her off.
“And the surgery? Canceled. Don’t worry—I know better. I’m not going to put you in the position of having to choose between me and him.
“I’m not fighting him for your scraps or your shares either.
“The return address is on the envelope. Sign it when you’ve got the time. Send it back.”
With that, I turned and walked out, not even glancing at her frozen figure.
Behind me, her voice cracked and tore through the room.
“Lynch! If you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back!”
A cold smirk tugged at my lips.
That line had shackled me for ten years.
Ten years of biting my tongue. Ten years of apologies I never owed.
In return, there was no understanding, only her getting more and more demanding.
She thought I’d turn around and say sorry like always.
But this time, my steps only quickened.
Don’t come back? That’s the first thing she’s said that makes sense.
Divorcing over a look she gave her assistant might sound crazy.
But I know what was behind that look. It wasn’t just a glance. It was intimacy—something we hadn’t shared in years.
And once, not so long ago, that look belonged to me.
Back when I first met Heddy, I was just a student, still clawing my way up from nothing.
