Melissa laughed and teased, “Damn, Victoria, you’re about to live the good life.”
I pressed my lips together, then burst out laughing, too.
Even though I kept cracking jokes, the truth was I’d built an emotional wall when it came to men. Whenever one tried to get close or flirt, I’d tense up—I simply wasn’t ready to start anything new.
Jared had thrown my whole love life into chaos. I trusted him completely, chose him with all my heart, and in the end, it still ended in divorce. If I tried again with someone else, it might just be another mess.
Melissa’s relationship was pretty chill—she and Zachary had agreed to hustle for a couple more years before even thinking about tying the knot.
Melissa was relentlessly practical. While we ate, she laid out every cost in detail—down to the last can of formula, up to a house and a car. In the end, the numbers felt crushing.
She said, “Victoria, I’m so jealous of you. You’re about to be a millionaire. When will it be my turn to win 1.6 million? I’ve even daydreamed about all the ways I’d spend it!”
I laughed and said, “Come on, as far as I know, you’ve never even bought a single lottery ticket in your life.”
Melissa slumped in defeat. She said, “Yeah, I always thought the lottery was just a scam, so I never even thought about buying one. But I still can’t help fantasizing about hitting the jackpot.”
“If you ever need money in a pinch, I’ve got your back,” I said softly, trying to cheer her up.
Melissa waved me off. Her face was set with determination as she said, “Nope. Borrowed money always comes with strings. I feel way better earning it myself. I’m just gonna work hard and snag that promotion.”
To me, Melissa was a total badass. I admired her for walking down the aisle three times and walking out three times, yet still living with confidence and joy. From day one, she knew the only person she could truly count on was herself.
I’d already talked to my parents about the divorce, and they left the decision up to me. With them backing me up, I had nothing to worry about.
The divorce agreement landed on my desk in no time, along with the assets I was getting. I had Melissa’s friend from law school act as my attorney and help me sort out the numbers.
When everything was tallied up—stocks and all kinds of property—it came out to over 460 million dollars. Way more than I ever expected.
Jared already signed the papers. He walked over, and his eyes lingered on the pen in my hand. He said, “Once you sign, we can go get the divorce certificate.”
I had my lawyer double-check everything to make sure there were no issues. Then, I picked up the pen and signed my name.
Jared’s gaze locked onto my signature, and he let out a quiet, almost mocking chuckle.
Once we’d signed, we went to the city hall to exchange our marriage certificate for a divorce certificate. When we stepped outside, as if the weather was mourning us, it started pouring, trapping us both in the downpour.
On the pale walls of the city hall, there were sentimental slogans about the beauty of marriage.
I looked down at the divorce certificate in my hand and couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Jared’s driver rushed over with a big black umbrella and said, “Mr. Holcomb, this is the only one we’ve got.”
Jared took the umbrella and told the driver, “Go wait in the car.”
The driver glanced at me, then turned and hurried off.
Jared opened the umbrella and said, “Come on, let me walk you to your car.”
I nodded and replied, “Thanks.”
As we moved forward, Jared walked right beside me, his tall frame almost brushing mine. Rain pounded the umbrella like a drum; at the entrance, water had pooled into a shallow river.
My heels were instantly soaked, and the slick ground forced me to slow, every step careful and unsteady.
All of a sudden, Jared slipped his arm around my shoulders. I stiffened in surprise, and in the next moment, he pulled me into his arms. He lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Victoria, is this really the end for us?” he murmured, his voice low and full of longing.