Chapter 2

Willa's POV

"Give me the necklace."

"Why should I? Caspian gave it to me." Ottalie stepped back, clutching her chest, her eyes taunting me. "He said a boring woman like you doesn't deserve something this expensive."

I didn't waste time talking. I lunged forward and grabbed for her neck.

"Ah—!" She screamed, throwing herself backward on purpose and clutching her stomach. "My baby... Help!"

"Willa! Are you insane?!"

The door burst open. Caspian rushed in and scooped Ottalie into his arms, glaring at me like I was a hysterical lunatic.

My right index and middle fingers were swollen, blood seeping from under the nails. A hand injury is an ER doctor's worst nightmare.

He didn't even look at my hand.

He pulled a document from his coat pocket and slammed it onto my desk.

"Sign it. We’re done."

I looked down. Heavy black letters: Divorce Agreement.

"Three hundred thousand dollars," Caspian adjusted his cuffs, sounding as cold as if closing a minor business deal. "Compensation for three years of marriage. Take the money and leave. Don't make this ugly."

"Three hundred thousand?" I threw the papers back in his face. "I gave you three million dollars to start your company! Now you're paying me off like a cheap hooker for three hundred grand?"

His eyes shifted, but he quickly caught himself. His expression darkened, and he pointed a finger in my face.

"Willa, don't be ungrateful. Word of you wearing a bikini and selling smiles at The Sable Room is already floating around our circle. If your Chief hears about it, do you think they’ll let a doctor who ruins the hospital’s reputation keep her job?"

"I'll divorce you," I said steadily. "But I'm taking back exactly what's mine. Otherwise, I don’t mind going public about you two."

He helped Ottalie to the door, stopped, and turned back to me.

"I'm giving you three days to sign. If anything happens to the baby in her stomach because of your psycho act today, I'll make you pay with your life."

He slammed the door.

I slid down against the wall, laughing until tears burned my eyes.

That night, at The Sable Room.

I carried a tray of vodka through the VIP section.

"Well, well, if it isn't our 'model wife.'"

In the hallway, Caspian’s scumbag friends raised their whiskey glasses, their eyes raking me up and down.

"Heard you wouldn't even take the 300k payout. Playing hard to get?"

"Strip for me tonight, and I'll pay you more—"

Laughter erupted. I gripped the tray tight, my vision going dark.

Just as I was about to drop into the liquor-stained carpet, a hand firmly caught my arm. A warm black jacket was thrown over my head, wrapping me up completely.

"Piss off. Take your drunk act somewhere else."

Kieran Shay. Caspian's friend, and the only decent human among them.

He half-carried me into an empty room and pushed a bowl of hot corn chowder and a sandwich toward me.

"Eat." He lit a cigarette, sitting down and avoiding my gaze. "I talked to Marnie. You're off the clock tonight."

I didn't cry. I took a sip of the soup and looked up.

"Kieran. If I told you I have exactly five hundred dollars to my name right now, would you believe me?"

His head snapped up. His eyes flickered nervously, and he swallowed hard.

"Caspian faking bankruptcy. Caspian keeping a mistress," I said, choking down the metallic taste of blood in my throat. My voice was terrifyingly calm. "How much of it did you know?"