CHAPTER 1

Dev's POV

"You wanted the divorce, right? Fine. I’ll give you one," Kate said, her voice sharp yet trembling, as if each word cut through her.

She had never spoken to me like this before.
Never.
And she had never said that word before.

Divorce.

It hangs between us like a blade, gleaming, ready to tear apart the last shreds of whatever we had left.

Kate's POV

I lost it today.
Finally.

Three years of marriage, and not once have we celebrated my birthday together.
The first two years? He forgot.
This year? He remembered—just not for me.

Instead of wishing me, instead of even pretending to care, he came home early. But not for me. No, he came to fight.
Over what? Because I dared to argue with his precious friend? The same woman who whispers poison into his ear, twisting reality until I’m the villain in his eyes?

Today, I snapped.
Today, I lost him.

The man I loved for a decade now stood in front of me, an empty shell of the person I once knew.

He never loved me. I knew that. But some naive, desperate part of me had hoped that over time, things would change. That maybe—just maybe—he’d wake up one day and realize I was worth something.

On our wedding day, I was the happiest woman alive.
Today, I finally accept the truth.

He doesn’t love me.
He never did.
He never will.

Trust? He doesn’t even trust me. Love? That’s a fantasy.

I stare at him, my pulse hammering. Waiting. Searching. Hoping for something—a flicker of regret, a sliver of hesitation, anything that proves I once mattered.

But all I see is silence.
No protest. No remorse. Just... surprise.

That’s it. The final nail in the coffin.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I force my voice to stay steady. "I’ll sign the divorce papers. If you have them now, bring them. If not, I’ll leave today—you can send them later."

I don’t wait for a response. I turn, heading for the door.

The moment I step outside, the cold night air bites at my skin, grounding me. The weight on my chest is unbearable, but I won’t break. Not here. Not now.

Where do I even go?

My parents never needed me.
My husband never wanted me.

A bitter laugh escapes my lips. Pathetic.

I hail a taxi and give the driver an address—the only place that ever truly belonged to me.

As the car moves, memories attack me, relentless and cruel. Three years of heartbreak condensed into flashes of everything I tried to hold onto.

Some foolish part of me whispers, Maybe if I leave, he’ll realize his mistake.
Maybe he’ll stop me.
Maybe, just maybe, we’ll love each other.

So many maybes. But I already know the truth.

He will never love me. Because I am not the one he wanted. I am not the type he likes.

When the taxi pulls up in front of my old apartment—the one I left behind for a love that was never mine—I feel nothing. Just... exhaustion.

I unlock the door and step inside, the silence crashing over me like a tidal wave.

And then—
I let go.

Tears fall. Uncontrolled. Unstoppable.
Sobs rack my body, raw and broken. Until my voice is hoarse. Until my eyes swell shut. Until exhaustion drags me under.

Dev's POV

She left.

The door closes behind her, but the silence it leaves behind is deafening.

I should be relieved. Should be celebrating.

Isn’t this what I wanted?

Then why does it feel like my ribs are caving in, crushing something vital inside me?

I stare at the space she once occupied, expecting the anger to come. The satisfaction.

Nothing.

Just... emptiness.

I had come home for one thing—to find out the truth about what Vin told me. To confirm what I already suspected.

But instead, I walked straight into a storm I didn’t see coming. And somehow, I’m the one left standing in the wreckage.

I should have known. She had been hinting at her birthday all month. Subtly, carefully.
And yet, I still forgot.

Just like before.

I drag a hand through my hair, the weight of my mistake settling like lead in my gut.

She didn’t even fight this time. No yelling. No anger. Just... surrender.

I should be happy. She’s gone.

Then why does it feel like I just lost something I didn’t even know I needed?

Why does everything feel so wrong?

Why do I feel... confused?