Chapter 10
+25 BONUS.
FLORENCE’S POV
The hospital air was crisp and sterile, the scent of disinfectant lingering in my nose as I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for discharge papers.
My body ached, my mind even more so. Last night’s revelations still clung to me like the smell of cheap alcohol. after a long night of drinking.
The door to my suite swung open, and Annalise stormed in like a hurricane.
“Are you kidding me?” she demanded, throwing her purse onto the chair. “Your husband left you alone at the hospital after he swung at you during a childish fight? What kind of garbage human does that?”
Raiden followed behind, his expression unreadable, holding an ice pack to his jaw.
“Where the hell is he?” Annalise demanded.
“Jade.” was all I could say.
She grit her teeth in annoyance. If Mason were here, she would have charged at him herself.
“You need to ditch him and be with someone who actually cares about you,” she said.
My eyes widened. Who did she mean?
“Annalise.” I stood up, steadying myself. “I don’t want anybody, I really just want some peace and quiet after everything that’s happened.”
A flicker of something crossed Raiden’s face–disappointment? But he said nothing.
“He hit Raiden as well, I mean he should sue him for every single billion he’s got.”
“Okay, Anna, you’re clearly fired up and I just… I’m too tired, I just want to sleep” I pleaded.
“Fine… fine, I’m sorry.” She turned to Raiden, “I’ll handle the discharge papers, you take her home.”
When dropping me off at the mansion, Raiden insisted on coming in with me to help me pack the rest of my belongings. But I wasn’t exactly looking forward to another encounter.
As I stepped into the Whitehill mansion, I looked around at the opulence, Crystal and glass chandeliers, gold pillars, marble floors… this was the height of old money wealth. And it suited Mason. Suddenly, the place I had lived in for years felt unfamiliar.
Strange.
Lonely.
I went to the bedroom to sleep when my phone buzzed in my hand. I was so startled by the vibration, I dropped my phone to the floor. Annoyed, I bent down to pick it up when I saw something under the bed… a tiny silver box.
It was a listening device.
My blood ran cold.
Mason really was spying on me. He really believed I killed jade. It all became real as I stared at the bug and tears stung my eyes. The futility of our marriage hit me like a truck and I broke down into tears on the bedroom floor.
Chapter 10
+25 BONUS
I remember once–how foolish I had been.
It was about a year into our marriage. I had been home alone all day, pacing the halls, muttering to myself; a stupid habit since I was a kid. With nobody to talk to, I had warted venting my frustrations to the walls. There was a family event coming up–Mason’s aunt’s 50th wedding anniversary–and I was nervous to be around his whole family for the first time.
That night, at dinner, Mason had set down his fork and casually said, “You should relax. The party isn’t that big of a deal, you’ll be fine.”
I hadn’t told him I was worried about the party. I hadn’t told anyone.
At the time, I had smiled, thinking, he knows me so well. Maybe, despite everything, he understood me.
But he hadn’t known. He had heard.
Every time I whispered my fears into the empty walls. Every private thought I believed was mine alone. I had mistaken it for tiny displays of love.
My world felt vast and lonely. I was done.
That rental outside the city came in handy after all… and the recording device was the final straw. Wiping tears, I packed up the last of my clothes and ordered a taxi. I was leaving the mansion for good.
away my
By the time I reached my studio apartment, exhaustion had settled into my bones. I locked the door behind me, breathing for what felt like the first time all day.
I sank onto the couch, reaching for my phone to check the message I had ignored earlier.
It was from Mason.
“Won’t be home tonight.”
Wow, I’m shocked. Love of his life magically drops in after eight years of being dead. Why would he waste even a second with his wife?
Out of morbid curiosity, I opened social media to see if Jade had posted anything. Sure enough, she recently updated her stories.
A picture. Two glasses. Candlelight. The caption: “Meeting an old friend.”
My fingers curled around the phone.
I had known this day would come the second I saw Jade at the gala. So why did it still hurt?
I tossed my phone onto the coffee table.
That’s it. No more crying. No more waiting for someone who didn’t want me.
I needed to move on. I moved out and got a job because I had chosen to place my father’s safety above Mason’s mood swings.
And I finally had good people around me who would help me do it.
Later that night, Annalise set up a group chat with Raiden and me.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 10:
Annalise: Florence moved out. Finally, Can we celebrate?
Raiden: Obviously. You get the wine, I’ll get the snacks.
Me: Guys, I literally just moved in. No need for a housewarming
Annalise: Oh, shut up. We’re coming over. See you in an hour.
Sure enough, an hour later, they showed up at my doorstep with bags of food and a ridiculous amount of champagne. I laughed, letting them in.
For the first time in years, I felt… human.
As we sat on my small couch, drinking and talking about everything except Mason, I started to feel like my old self again. The woman with a career, a plan, and friends who come to liang out over weekends.
As I settled into this new normal, Annalise nudged me. “No more lowering your standards for that man,” she said firmly.
I nodded. “No more.”
“And only being with hunky men who are ready to fight for you,” she winked.
“Annalise, you are way too obvious, stop,” Raiden said, but his tone indicated he was not entirely mad about what she was suggesting. I blushed.
As the night wound down, Raiden volunteered to clean up while Annalise and I sat with a glass of wine.
“This new campaign is exciting, but I am going crazy over the details. I am already managing so much, I just wish I had someone to handle the models.”
“Let Florence handle it.” Raiden said, “She was the best at client outreach back in the day.”
I smiled at Annalise. “I’d love to.”
The next morning, as I browsed through agencies, looking for potential models, a profile caught my eye- Carmen, no last name. A stunning portfolio with a balance of both high fashion couture and streetwear. She was
tall, had gorgeous blonde hair similar to mine, and had worked with some pretty iconic brands.
Impressed with what I found, I sent the profile to Annalise
Seconds later, I got a call from her.
“Hi!” I said. “Is she perfect, or is she perfect!?”
“Flo… what did you just send me?”
“What? It’s the model, she’s great for your campaign.”
“Flo… it’s crazy, she looks so much like you from certain angles!”
I went back to the photo and zoomed in. And… I saw it.
The eyes… the eyebrows… the jawline…
The resemblance was uncanny.
Who was this woman?
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
