I Found A New Wife On The Day Of My Divorce

Chapter 6: First Contact

"I’m hanging up now, Sarah, I have actual work to do."

I didn't even give her a chance to breathe before I cut through her sudden, sugary tone. The silence on the other end of the line was heavy, the kind of silence that happens when a predator realizes the prey isn't running anymore. For three years, I had jumped every time she snapped her fingers. Now, the power dynamic had shifted so violently she didn't know which version of me she was talking to.

"Xavier, wait! Don't be like that," Sarah stammered, her voice pitching into that manipulative damsel-in-distress frequency she used whenever she maxed out a credit card. "I know things were... tense yesterday. But Bradley’s father just pulled his funding for my boutique. I heard through the grapevine that the Knight Group is hiring a new creative consultant. You’re a driver, right? You must know the hiring manager’s assistant."

My grip tightened on the gold-plated receiver of my desk phone. I was sitting in a chair that cost more than her entire boutique, overlooking a skyline I practically owned, and she was still trying to use me as a footstool. 

"My position has changed, Sarah," I said, leaning back as Marcus entered the office with a stack of acquisition papers. 

"Oh, did they give you a better van?" she scoffed, the sweetness vanishing as her natural arrogance bubbled up. "Look, just get me the name. I'm Miller. I shouldn't be begging a delivery boy for favors, but I’m willing to give you a small cut of my signing bonus if you help me get in the door."

"Chairman Knight," Marcus interrupted, his voice booming clearly so the phone's microphone would catch every syllable. He placed the documents on my desk and bowed slightly. "The private jet is fueled and the board is waiting for your final signature on the Vance merger. We leave in ten minutes."

I saw the call timer on my screen ticking away. I could almost hear Sarah’s brain short-circuiting through the speaker. 

"Xavier?" Her voice was a tiny, fragile thread. "Who was that? What did he just call you? Are you... are you playing a prank? Are you pretending to be the driver for the Chairman now? That’s pathetic, even for you. Stealing a rich man’s identity for a phone call?"

"I don't need to steal what belongs to me," I replied, my voice as cold as the marble floors beneath my feet. "My patience for your delusions has run out, Sarah. You wanted a man with a future. You wanted a man who could provide the 'Real Life' you kept screaming about. Well, I’m living it. It just doesn't include you."

"You’re lying!" she shrieked, the desperation finally breaking through. "You’re a loser! You’re nothing without the allowance my father gave you! If you were really the Chairman, you wouldn't have let me treat you like a servant for three years!"

"I did it because I loved you," I said, the words feeling like ash in my mouth. "But my father always told me that even the most expensive investment becomes a loss if the asset is rotten. I’ve liquidated my feelings for you, Sarah. Consider yourself a closed account."

"Xavier, stop it! I’m going to the City Gala tonight with Bradley! He’s a VIP! When I see you there waiting at the valet stand, I’m going to make sure they fire you for this!"

I looked at the silver invitation on my desk, the one with Seraphina’s personal wax seal.

"I’ll see you at the Gala, Sarah," I said, a dangerous smile spreading across my face. "Try not to get kicked out. I hear the security is very strict about who they let into the inner circle tonight."

I pressed the end-call button before she could scream again. I didn't feel anger; I felt a calculated, chilling sense of anticipation. 

"Marcus," I said, tossing the phone aside. "Call the Gala’s event coordinator. Tell them that Sarah Miller and Bradley Thorne are no longer on the VIP list. In fact, revoke their general admission as well. If they want to get in, they’ll have to beg the Head of Security—and we both know who he reports to."

I stood up, adjusting the cuffs of my bespoke suit. The transformation from husband to Chairman was complete. Tonight, the "Face-Slapping" wouldn't just be a moment; it would be a massacre. I was going to show the world—and Sarah—exactly what happens when you throw away a diamond because you were too blind to see it wasn't a rock.