Chapter 252

The rain poured down, drumming against the umbrella. Jared’s lips were cool as they pressed against my forehead. I said, “Yeah, it’s the end.” The whole divorce drama had finally come to an end. Jared’s fingers tightened around mine. He asked, “Can we still be friends?” I almost laughed. Exes playing “let’s stay friends” was just moral grandstanding. I said coldly, “If we can avoid seeing each other, let’s do that.” Jared tensed up.

I walked away from the shelter of his umbrella. The rain instantly drenched my dress and long hair. I wasn’t afraid of the storm anymore. I’d changed–I was stronger now. Jared just stood there in the rain, watching as I climbed into my car. I kicked off my flats, slid behind the wheel, and vanished into the downpour. Jared had given me a decent sum, and I needed to use it wisely. The housing market hadn’t yet gone crazy, so I had to think long-term. Based on what I knew and what I was capable of, I planned to invest in industries that felt stable to me. I had a pretty good grasp of when real estate would dip, when gold would surge, and the general trends of the stock market. All I needed to do was seize the right moments, make the money I could, and then let things settle down. I didn’t have any concrete ideas about starting a business or other investments yet, so for now, real estate was my best bet. It was the hottest industry to cash in on these past few years. I had plenty on my plate, but I still set aside a nest egg for my parents’ retirement. And whatever people might say, I was determined to build a fund for Aiden’s future. I’d already told my parents about the divorce; they never once asked about the settlement–just another reminder of how lucky I am to have parents who respect my choices. Three days after the divorce, I decided to take a short trip to Shariport. So I took a week off work. But there was something that had been weighing on my mind. Ryan had promised two days off, then begged for three more. It was day five, and his phone still went straight to voicemail. The thought of those debt collectors gnawed at me—I was terrified something had happened to Ryan.

I knew Melissa had a cousin at the police station, so I asked her to have the cousin look into it for me and see if Ryan was being threatened or harassed by anyone shady, or if anything bad had happened to him lately. Melissa promised she’d let me know the moment she heard anything. I remembered bumping into Ryan in Shariport last time, so since I was going there to unwind, I figured maybe I could look him up while I was at it. I never expected to find myself worrying about Ryan like this. Maybe it was because there was something so genuine in his eyes when he looked at me. I felt he deserved a better fate than having to shoulder his family’s debts and deal with all that crap at his age. Jared approved my time off pretty quickly. He called me and asked, “Are you going back to see your parents?” “Nah, just taking a little trip,” I replied. Jared asked, “Where are you headed?” He sounded a bit surprised. He probably thought I’d be heading back to my hometown for a while. After Hachester, my hometown was always my favorite place to be. “Sorry, I’d rather not say,” I replied. I didn’t want Jared getting too involved in my personal life anymore. Jared gave a small, disappointed laugh and said, “Hope you have a good trip.” I thanked him and hung up. My flight was that night–I flew straight to Shariport. I’d already gotten the keys to the place Jared had given me.

Alone, I stood quietly by the floor-to-ceiling windows, just gazing out at the gorgeous city lights. In that moment, every breath felt free. I spent the night resting, and the next morning, I slipped into some comfortable clothes and made my way to Radiance, ready to lose myself in a day of shopping. I’d originally wanted Melissa to join me, but she couldn’t get away from work–she had a court session coming up and just couldn’t take the time off. We promised to hang out together next time. As I wandered alone through these unfamiliar streets, I felt my mind finally relax. It was as if the woman who used to be trapped in the endless cycle of daily chores was slowly fading into the background. I treated myself to a few things I liked. Even though the divorce had left me with a hefty sum, I knew that without Jared, I couldn’t just spend money however I pleased anymore. From now on, I’d have to stick to what I could earn–no more reckless splurging. Unless, of course, one day my investments paid off, and then maybe I could indulge a little.

Chapter 253