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Chapter 1

My stomach churns. This will be the first time I’ll see Oliver since the fallout. I clutch the leather strap of my bag like a lifeline as I walk down the hall.

Just keep breathing. You can do this. But the truth is, I’m not so sure. Facing Oliver again feels like reopening an infected wound that has never fully healed. What a naive fool I was.

Rounding the corner, my foot catches on the polished tile—

The impact is sudden and jarring. Papers fly.

“I’m sorry,” a female voice says.

Her white-blonde hair falls over her face as she scrambles to gather the scattered pages. “Sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.”

It’s the first time I hear her speak.

“It’s okay.” I crouch down, helping her collect the chaos. “Really.”

“I’m such a klutz.”

“No harm done. You’re Amanda’s assistant, right?”

“Yes.” Her hands shake as she takes the papers from me. “I-I should’ve watched where I was going.”

I stand up and brush off my jeans. “Or I should have. Important stuff?”

She nods, clutching the papers to her chest now as if they’re precious cargo. “Always. It’s for Amanda.”

“That sounds intense.”

“Could say that.”

“I’m here to see her, actually,” I say.

“Of course, I’m sorry. Gemma Barron. Appointment with Amanda. I’ll bring you to her.”

“Thank you. What’s your name? I think we never officially met.”

“Milane.” Her eyes dart up to mine before she turns around as if direct contact might burn and gestures for me to follow her.

“Hey Gemma, you ready for this?” My lawyer, Amanda, is already waiting for me in front of her office.

She’s an imposing figure, with her tall height and confident posture. Her no-nonsense demeanor is clear in every inch of her sharp suit. The direct opposite of me.

After months of trying to get through this divorce, I’m a mess.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Amanda leads me into her office so we can prepare for the deposition. I sit across from her organized desk as she grabs a folder with all the details about my case.

“To recap, this deposition is our opportunity to have Oliver go on record regarding the specifics of your marriage and his infidelity. We’ll be asking him questions about his affairs and other facts that will help prove he was an unfaithful spouse.”

My hands clench into fists. Even now, after all this time, it hurts.

“This won’t be easy but try to keep your emotions in check. We don’t want to give his lawyer any reason to say you are irrational or unstable.”

I take a deep breath and nod again. She’s right. I can’t let Oliver get to me today.

“We’ll address any allegations made by Oliver’s side. We must be prepared for them to bring up anything they think might discredit you.”

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