Laura
"It's simple English, Laura. I don't love you anymore. And if by any chance you are pregnant, which I completely doubt, I'll take the child from you and have Victoria raise the child with me. But believe me, it won't change my decision. I want out of this worthless marriage."
The hope shattered as quickly as it had come. My breath hitched as I realized there was no saving this. Not for me. Not for our unborn child.
A sob escaped my throat as I stared back at the divorce papers.
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, my body trembling as I stood. "I'll speak with the family lawyer tomorrow," I murmured, my voice barely audible.
Lorenzo didn't even look up from his phone. "Do whatever you want."
His coldness gutted me. This was the man I'd given up everything for, my job, my friends, my city, to support his dreams, his empire, his life. I was nothing more than an inconvenience to him now.
I turned away from him, clutching the divorce papers. My eyes fell on the framed photos along the hallway, pictures of us smiling at galas, on vacations, our wedding day. Every smile had been mine, every sacrifice mine. I had been his backbone when he was building his business, when no one believed in him. And now, Victoria got to reap the benefits of what I helped him build.
Victoria.
As if on cue, she sauntered into the living room, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She folded her arms across her chest, that ever-present smirk curling her lips. "So, you're finally giving up?" she asked, her voice dripping with false sympathy.
I said nothing, but my silence seemed to fuel her.
"You know, Laura, I always wondered how long you'd last," Victoria continued, circling me like a vulture. "It takes more than love to keep a man like Lorenzo. You gave him what? Loyalty? Cooking? A warm bed?" She chuckled darkly. "But you couldn't give him an heir. Pathetic! Who knows? You may be barren."
Her words sliced through me, but I forced myself not to cry in front of her.
"I'm your sister, Victoria," I whispered, my voice shaking but steady enough. "Why would you even think of doing this to me?"
"Because you're my half sister," she replied sweetly. "I've got the man, the company, the future. All you have left is your little heartbreak. Sign the papers, Laura, and go back to whatever small life you had before him. If you even have one."
She reached out, plucking the ring from my finger with a cruel smile before sauntering off. "Oh and don't forget to clear your things out of the master bedroom. It's mine now."
I stood frozen, my stomach twisting. How could Lorenzo let her speak to me like that? How could he watch his wife be humiliated and say nothing?
Feeling humiliated and broken, I dragged myself upstairs. The room still smelled of them, their perfume, their betrayal. My knees buckled as I began folding my clothes into a suitcase, tears falling freely onto the silk blouses I'd once worn proudly at his side.
I pulled a dress from the closet, and as I laid it gently in the suitcase, a memory clawed its way back.
The night Lorenzo lost his biggest investor. I had just gotten a promotion at the publishing house, a dream position I had worked years for. He came home drunk, broken, terrified that his empire would collapse before it even began.
I remembered sitting beside him on the cold kitchen floor, holding his shaking hands. He looked at me with desperation in his eyes and whispered, "I can't do this without you, Laura. I need you."
The next morning, I walked into my office, handed in my resignation letter, and poured every cent of my savings into his company. I gave up my career so he could rise. I gave him everything.
And now, years later, Victoria would enjoy the empire I helped him build while I was being discarded like an afterthought.
I gasped, jerking back into the present, my tears blurring the suitcase before me. My chest ached with a mix of anger and grief.
I needed someone to talk to. Someone, anyone. My hands shook as I dialed Paula's number.
She picked up on the second ring. "Laura? Hey, did you get back home safely?"
I swallowed hard. "Yes. Paula… can I come over? Please? I just— I need to talk."
There was a pause. "Oh, Laurie, I'm so sorry. Jeff surprised me with a vacation, we're flying out tonight. I'll be gone for a week."
My heart dropped. "Oh," I whispered. "Okay. Have fun."
"Laura, are you sure you're okay? You sound—"
"I'm fine," I cut her off quickly, forcing brightness into my tone. I didn't want to bother her. I didn't want to ruin her precious moment with her new boyfriend, Jeff. "Don't worry about me."
When the call ended, the silence of the mansion pressed down on me like a weight. Alone. Utterly alone.
I pressed my hands to my stomach, feeling the tiniest flicker of life inside me. "I'll protect you," I whispered to my unborn child. "I don't know how, but I will."
I walked to the study where Lorenzo kept our financial records. My name was still on our joint account. If I left now, at least I could take something to start over with.
With shaking fingers, I opened my laptop and logged into the account.
My heart stopped.
Balance: $0.00
I blinked, refreshing the page again and again. The numbers didn't change.
He'd taken it all.
Every cent.
I stumbled backward, my hands flying to my mouth as nausea rose in my throat. He'd left me with nothing, no money, no dignity.
A hollow laugh escaped me, almost a sob. "Oh, God…"
—
The next morning, I forced myself into a navy dress and got driven to the law firm Lorenzo's family had used for decades.
Inside, the conference room was cold, clinical, lined with shelves of thick leather-bound books. At the far end of the table sat Mr. Gray, the family lawyer who had handled everything for the Smiths since before I married Lorenzo. His face was expressionless, but the look in his eyes told me he already knew how this meeting would end.
Lorenzo sat casually beside him, scrolling through his phone. And, of course, Victoria was there too, perched smugly in a chair as if she were already his wife.
"Laura," Mr. Gray began, adjusting his glasses. "We are here to finalize the terms of dissolution of marriage between yourself and Mr. Lorenzo Smith. Please review the agreement in front of you."
My eyes dropped to the thick stack of papers. Words blurred together, but I forced myself to read.
One suburban house in my name.
One luxury car.
A lump-sum payment of one hundred thousand dollars.
That was all.
I looked up, stunned. "This is all I get? After everything I gave up? My career, my savings, my—" My voice cracked.
Lorenzo didn't even look at me. "It's more than fair. You'll be comfortable."
"Comfortable?" I repeated, choking back a laugh. "I gave up my career. I invested my savings into your company when you had nothing. I built a life with you, Lorenzo. And this is what you think I'm worth?"
Victoria leaned forward, smirking. "Be grateful, Laura. At least you got something. Personally, I told Lorenzo he shouldn't bother giving you a cent. After all, he built this empire himself. You just tagged along."
I flinched, her words cutting deep. My gaze shot to Lorenzo, silently begging him to defend me. To remind her that I had stood by him when no one else did. But he stayed silent.
Mr. Gray cleared his throat. "Mrs. Smith, I understand this is difficult, but please keep in mind that Mr. Smith's assets are protected under prenuptial agreements you signed before the marriage. This settlement is already generous."
I swallowed hard. "Generous?" My voice rose despite my tears. "This is insulting. I stood by him when he had nothing. I supported him when investors pulled out. I walked away from my own future for his. And now you hand me a check that wouldn't even buy a single car in his garage?"
Victoria leaned forward, smirking. "Be grateful. Some women leave with nothing. At least you'll have a roof over your head and a car to drive."
"I sold my mother's heirloom jewelry for his startup when the bank wouldn't give him a loan. That necklace was all I had left of her…"
Victoria chuckled cruelly. "So sentimental. Shame you wasted it on a man who doesn't even want you anymore."
I turned desperately to Lorenzo. "Please… Lorenzo, say something. Tell me this isn't really what you want. We can still work this out."
Finally, he looked up, his gaze cold and detached. "I've made my decision, Laura. Sign the papers. Don't drag this out."
"Just sign and leave. You are wasting everyone's time," Victoria scoffed.
I slammed my hands against the table, startling even Mr. Gray. "You think this is a game? You think destroying my marriage, stealing my husband, reducing me to nothing is amusing?"
Victoria only smiled wider, tilting her head. "Yes. I do."
My chest ached so hard I thought I might collapse. I turned back to Lorenzo, my voice breaking. "Please… Lorenzo. I don't want your money. I want you. I want our marriage. Don't do this. We can still fix it."
Lorenzo's eyes were cold, detached. "It's over, Laura. Take the alimony and start a new life for yourself."
Mr. Gray slid the pen across the table. "Mrs. Smith, this agreement is binding once signed."
I picked up the pen, my hand shaking so violently I almost dropped it. I stared at the neat lines waiting for my signature.
"I… I don't care about the money," I whispered, my voice small and broken. "I married you because I love you, not because of your wealth." My tears smeared the page as I bent over. "If letting go of all this proves that… then fine. I don't need the alimony."
Victoria's eyes gleamed with triumph. "Smart choice."
"Laura," Mr. Gray said cautiously, "are you certain? By striking out the alimony clause, you're forfeiting your right to any financial support."
I nodded weakly, unable to lift my head. "I don't want his money. I just… I just want him. I just want the man I married back."
Lorenzo said nothing. He didn't even flinch.
I pressed the pen to the paper, crossing out the alimony clause.
My hand shook as I stared at the line waiting for my signature, the weight of five years pressing down on me. I wanted to scream, to rip the papers in half, to fight for what was mine. But when I glanced at Lorenzo, and saw Victoria's hand slip into his under the table, I realized the truth.
I had already lost him.