After Divorce, I Ruled Their World

A Grave and a Glimmer

Chapter 4: A Grave and a Glimmer

As he walked out, the air felt different, like, it wasn't that heavy, suffocating atmosphere he usually felt in the house he had shared with Vivian and her mother. Now, he just felt…empty inside, but he thought, ‘that wasn't much of a problem since he was a little free now.’

He walked without any destination in mind, but he still heard Vivian’s scream in his ears. “You will regret this!” No matter how hard he tried to convince himself he wasn't affected, he was already regretting it, but it was not for the reason she thought. He regretted the tears he wasted trying to love someone who didn't give a single fuck about him, he regretted ever building an empire for a queen who only saw him as a jester.

His phone vibrated, momentarily jolting him out of his thoughts. He looked at the screen. Nathan Knight.

“Sir,” Nathan’s voice was crisp and efficient. “The transfer of the Apex Dynamics shares to Mrs. Holt is nearly complete. In two days, after she rings the opening bell, the final documents will be ready. You can present it to her as a gift.”

A gift. The word was like someone was twisting a broken sharp part of a glass into his gut. He had planned it all: the grand romantic gesture, the ultimate proof that he, the “useless” husband, had been the architect of her entire world. Now, the idea made him sick with bitterness.

“Cancel it,” Julian said, his voice rough. The words felt foreign, but right.

There was a stunned silence on the other end. “Sir? The entire transfer?”

“It’s no longer necessary,” Julian clarified, the finality in his tone leaving no room for argument. “I served her the divorce papers today. In three days, I’ll be back to collect her signature. Handle the legal disentanglement. Right now… I just want peace.”

He ended the call before Nathan could respond. He knew his subordinate would be relieved. Nathan had never understood his devotion to Vivian. Now, he was free of her. The problem was, he felt more like a ghost now than a living man. 

As he walked aimlessly, it seemed the heavens decided to frown upon him. A loud thunder struck in the sky, followed by a heavy downpour. 

“Great. Just fucking great,” he cursed. He didn’t bother to run.

His feet carried him on autopilot to the only place he had ever felt truly seen: the city cemetery. The iron gates were cold and wet under his touch. He walked the familiar path until he stood before a simple, well-kept headstone.

Lena Reyes Beloved Mother 

         “Your strength is in your silence.”

He sank to his knees, the wet grass soaking through his trousers. The calm mask he had worn for Vivian finally shattered. A single, hot tear traced a path down his cheek, followed by another. After a while, the tears broke to full blown sobs, his shoulders trembling, his nails digging into the wet soil as he cried under the rain. 

“I…I'm s…sorry, Mom,” he whispered, his voice cracking with every word. “I failed. You always told me to find someone who loved the man, not the money. I thought I had. I hid everything, and I… I became nothing in her eyes.” He pressed his forehead against the cold stone, the weight of his grief crushing him. “I gave her everything, and it meant nothing. I was a fool.”

Just then, the rain stopped dropping and he could suddenly hear what he had just said. The words hung in the air, empty, as the leaves rustled from the wind. His heart felt heavy and he felt a strong emotion hit him: loneliness. He thought about the future he had built and the love, the one woman that he had cherished…it all felt like a lie to him. He was just left with his huge empire and a broken heart. 

He stayed crouched and drenched on the wet grass silently for a while before the silence was broken. A woman’s scream filled the cemetery’s calm atmosphere. She sounded terrified and in panic. 

On instinct, he jumped to his feet in an instant, burying his grief , his body moving before he would even think. He rounded the corner of a large mausoleum and saw the scene.

Three large aggressive and predatory men cornered a trembling woman against a tall oak tree. Their blades of knife were raised up, making the steel glint in their hands. The woman was pressed against the bark, her face pale with terror.

“Please, just take my purse!” she pleaded, her voice trembling.

The lead thug, a brute with a scar down his cheek, leered. “The money’s a start, sweetheart. But we want more. We want everything you have, but first, I and my men haven't had a good lunch in days. We'd love to have a taste, so scream all you want. No one’s coming to save you out here. Just be a good girl and you won’t get hurt, hm?”

The words they had just spoken aggravated Julian adding to his already existing anger. All the pains, the humiliation, the betrayal he had swallowed for years just suddenly erupted. As he saw the situation, he could see himself in her…the same things he had endured…being powerless, preyed upon because they see you as weak and being taken advantage of.

“Get away from her.” Julian's voice was low, but it carried a chilling authority that made all three men turn.

The leader smirked, seeing only one man, well-dressed and seemingly soft. “Well, well. A hero. Get lost, pretty boy. This doesn’t concern you. Just run alomg, pretty boy or we'll put a few…or a lot of fucking holes in you.” He raised a gun, tilting his head with a smirk.