— Eleanor! Wait.
She turned. It was Leo, David’s son. He was holding her phone. His eyes were serious, his voice gentle.
— You dropped this.
She thanked him, and for a moment, he held her gaze.
— I’m sorry you’re leaving. It’s the right thing to do, but it’s still a shame. I would have asked you to dance. You look amazing.
Eleanor offered a small smile.
— I did what I came to do. Nothing else matters now. Thank you, Leo, for the phone and the compliment.
She got into the car, and it pulled away smoothly. As she rode away, Eleanor felt the past receding behind her. Mark was left in a room full of judging eyes, next to the woman he had chosen—the woman who had just destroyed his reputation in a single moment. Eleanor, however, was leaving with her dignity and her freedom intact. She thought about Leo. His words had given her a welcome boost of confidence, a reminder that she was still a desirable woman.
Eleanor approached the divorce with the same cool, collected manner she had applied to everything else in the past weeks. Every document, every statement, every signature was prepared in advance. She didn’t let emotion derail her. When the judge announced the dissolution of the marriage, Eleanor gave a slight nod, as if confirming a decision she had made long ago.
The court proceedings were relatively quick. Mark tried to fight, arguing that the majority of their assets belonged to him, that his contributions to their houses and cars were far greater. But the dry, hard evidence Eleanor had gathered invalidated his claims. The notarized papers, the powers of attorney, the proof of fund transfers—it all worked in her favor. The court upheld her right to the assets she had transferred to her mother, Susan, and awarded her a significant portion of their marital property. For the first time, Mark felt the sting of defeat. Not in a boardroom or a business deal, but in real life, where his usual tactics no longer worked. He was used to winning with persistence and a commanding voice, but here, what mattered most were the skills Eleanor possessed: composure and foresight.
Eleanor left the courthouse with a light step. She didn’t feel joy, but liberation. She knew the hardest part was over. She could now live her life without looking over her shoulder at the man who had betrayed her trust.
For Mark, things were just beginning. The divorce set off a chain reaction. Partners who had recently been eager to invest in his projects began to quietly distance themselves. News of Amber’s behavior at David’s party spread quickly through the business community. Whispers that Mark had lost control of his personal life soon morphed into rumors that he was losing control of his business as well. The people who had once valued his reliability and strength now saw doubt, weakness, and instability. Several major contracts fell through almost simultaneously.
Amber, instead of supporting him, amplified the chaos. Her moods were unpredictable. One day she demanded a new apartment, the next a trip abroad, and the day after that a nanny with experience in elite households. Mark tried to explain that their finances were tightening, that the business was going through a difficult period. But Amber wouldn’t listen; to her, his words were just excuses.
— You promised I would live better than your wife, — she would remind him, her voice rising. — You said I was your future, and now we don’t even have half of what she has.
The baby, born prematurely, required constant care and expense. Mark would look at the tiny face and feel no joy or pride, only a heavy weight. The son he had never planned for became a symbol of his own weakness and carelessness. Every morning began with crying, every night was interrupted by sleepless hours, and instead of the joys of fatherhood, he felt only irritation and exhaustion.
During this time, Eleanor was calmly building her new life. She returned to her design studio. Her work brought her satisfaction, and she found harmony in every project. Mark, meanwhile, spent his nights in his office, surrounded by unpaid bills and voided contracts. His phone was silent; many of his former associates no longer wanted anything to do with him. David had limited their contact, understanding that an association with Mark could damage his own reputation. The few who remained did so more out of old habit than trust…
Comments are closed.