After Divorce, I Ruled Their World

Sign the Divorce Paper

Chapter 2

Sign the Divorce Paper

As he went out, he shut the door to the garage behind him. The words “you useless man” seemed to bounce off the concrete walls because of how loud it was in his ears. He leaned against a shelf, the fight draining out of him. For a moment, he just breathed, waiting for the tightness in his chest to ease.

He pulled out his phone again, but this time, he wasn't receiving news but he was giving orders. He dialed Nathan Knight.

“Sir?” Nathan answered on the first ring.

“The Crestwave listing is done,” Julian said, his voice low and steady. “Make sure the officials who helped are taken care of. Send them the usual gifts. Discreetly.”

“Consider it done.”

Julian paused, his eyes scanning the dusty, expensive cars his wife and mother-in-law never drove. “And Nathan? Begin the process of transferring ownership of Apex Dynamics to Vivian.”

There was a slight hesitation on the other end. “Sir? The entire company?”

“Yes,” Julian confirmed. Apex Dynamics was his first and most successful venture, the foundation of everything he had. It was the ultimate gift, the final proof of his love and support to his wife. He knew why he was doing this, was to prove himself. “Make the transfer seamless. I want it to be a surprise for her.”

He ended the call. The action felt right. This was all for her, for their future. He could endure the insults if it meant building a world for Vivian where she could shine. The cold anger from earlier reduced in his chest and hope grew right there.

He pushed off the shelf and got to work. He wouldn't just clean the garage; he would prepare a feast. While Helena and her friends were still laughing upstairs, Julian slipped into the kitchen. He dismissed the staff for the evening, telling them he had everything under control. He moved through the spacious kitchen with a quiet focus, pulling out pots and pans, selecting ingredients that he would use to cook. He was preparing all of Vivian’s favorite dishes because he wanted today to be their fay..

Upstairs, he heard lots of hurried footsteps, the clatter of heels, and Helena’s voice, suddenly sharp and annoyed. “What do you mean, now? This is terribly inconvenient!” A moment later, the front door slammed. It seemed her and her friends’ “urgent matters” had called them away. The house was suddenly so quietly. It was perfect for the evening.

He set the grand dining table with their best china. He found the crystal candlesticks, polished them until they sparkled, and placed them in the center. He lit the candles as the sun began to set, their warm glow lighting the room, giving it a warm romantic atmosphere. The aroma of roasted garlic and herbs filled the air. Everything was ready.

Then, he waited.

He sat at the head of the table, watching the candles burn lower and lower. The food, once steaming hot, cold on the plates. The silence of the house that he was once happy of, was now worrying to him. Eight o’clock became nine. Nine became ten.

Where was she?

A knot of worry tightened in his stomach. He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. It rang, once, twice, and then went to voiceline. “You’ve reached Vivian Holt. Leave a message.”

He tried again. And again. On the fourth try, just as he was about to give up, the line connected.

But it wasn’t Vivian’s voice.

“Hello?” a man’s voice answered. It was smooth, confident, and slightly amused.

Julian froze, the phone pressed hard against his ear. “Who is this?” he asked, his own voice strained. “This is Vivian’s number. What are you doing with her phone?”

The man on the other end chuckled, a low, intimate sound. “Vivian, darling,” he called out, his voice muffled as if he’d turned away from the receiver. “It’s for you. It’s… him.”

There was a rustling sound, and then Vivian’s voice came on the line, sharp with irritation. “Julian? What is it? I’m in the middle of something very important.”

The sound of her annoyance, after hours of waiting, felt like a physical slap to his face, but hs smiled weakly, his legs tapping on the floor impatiently. “Vivian,” he started, trying to keep his voice calm. “I… I made dinner. It's a celebration. Your mother is out. I thought we could have the evening to ourselves.” He looked at the sad, cold feast on the table. “When will you be home?”

Her sigh was one of impatience down the line. “Vivian, you know the company just went public. There’s a banquet. It’s mandatory. I have to be here.”

“But… I wanted to celebrate with you,” he said, the words sounding weak and foolish even to him.

“Well, I’m celebrating here, with the people who actually helped make this happen,” she retorted, her voice cold. “I’ll be home tomorrow morning. Don’t wait up.”

The line went dead.

Vivian sat there, the dial tone buzzing in his ear. The hope in his chest shattered, leaving behind a hollow, aching space. The candles flickered, their light now seeming to mock him. He had given her a company, a legacy, and she couldn’t even give him a moment of her time.

His phone buzzed again with a vibration. It was a text from an unknown number. No message, just a video file.

With a sense of dread, his thumb trembling slightly, he tapped it.

The video was dark and shaky, clearly filmed at a loud party. And then he saw her. Vivian. She was laughing, her head thrown back, a glass of champagne in her hand. And there was the man from the phone. He was handsome, charismatic, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. He was whispering something in her ear, and she was smiling, a real, unguarded smile Julian hadn’t seen in years because anytime she smiled at him, it sounded and looked forced. This one was real and it made something inside him churn.

Then, the man got down on one knee.

The world stopped.

The man pulled out a small, black velvet box. He opened it. A massive diamond glittered under the party lights. The people around them gasped and cheered.

Julian watched, his blood turning cold as he froze and he watched as the shock on Julian’s face melted away. It didn’t melt into surprise or confusion. It melted into a radiant, tearful joy. She looked down at the man, her eyes full of a love she had never shown Julian.

He watched her nod. He watched her hold out her hand. He watched as the man, her first love Lucas Reed, slid the ring onto her finger. The crowd erupted in applause.

The video ended.

Julian sat in the silent, candlelit dining room, the phone clutched in his numb hand. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. It felt like the floor had fallen away from under him.

Panic seized him. He fumbled with his phone, his fingers slipping on the screen, and dialed Vivian’s number again. He had to hear her deny it. He had to hear her say it was a joke, a misunderstanding.

But the phone didn't even ring. A cold, automated voice informed him, “The number you have dialed is currently switched off.”

The phone slipped from his hand and clattered onto the table, scattering the silverware. He took a shaky unbelievable breath.

Across the city, in a penthouse suite filled with the aftermath of celebration, Vivian was not alone. She was tangled in the silk sheets of a large bed, Lucas’s arm draped heavily over her.

“So,” Lucas murmured, nuzzling her neck. “You accepted my ring. Why aren’t you wearing it?”

Vivian shifted, a flicker of guilt in her eyes that she quickly hid. “It’s not appropriate yet, Lucas. The papers… I haven’t even presented him with the divorce agreement.”

Lucas propped himself up on an elbow, his expression turning serious. “And when will you? How long do I have to wait, Vivian?”

She hesitated, looking away at their discarded clothes. The signed divorce papers were in her briefcase, ready. She had been waiting for the right moment, a moment when Julian wouldn’t make a scene.

“Soon,” she promised, turning back to him with a convincing smile. “The agreement is ready. I just need to find the right time to give it to him