Page 81 of Atlas Uncharted

“Don’t,” I warned.

She struggled, breath ragged, her chest rising and falling fast.

“You made me feel like I was the problem,” she spat, her body vibrating with anger. “Like I was never good enough.”

I let go of her, stepping back. “You weren’t. I married you for all the wrong reasons, and you knew it. You stuck around—that definitely makes you not good enough. You’ll never be good enough for anybody if all you want to do is use them. And don’t get me wrong, I am in no way innocent in this clusterfuck we created, but you’re also not a victim.”

“I am a victim. I went through hell for you,” she hissed, her voice breaking. “I carried babies you wanted, bled for you, suffered for you—”

I wanted to laugh. I was not the one scheduling sex appointments during ovulation or begging her best friend to be a surrogate. She was playing the downtrodden, jilted wife.

She stepped forward, her nails biting into her own skin. “Every time I lost a baby, I knew,” she whispered. “I knew it was because of you. Because you didn’t want it.”

“Make up your mind, Ashlen. Did I want the babies or not?” I swallowed down the mean things I really wanted to say.

“You never loved me,” she changed the subject. “Not once. Not for a second. And every time I miscarried, I felt it. I knew my body was rejecting you, rejecting this, rejecting a fucking lie.”

I didn’t blink. “We weren’t supposed to be together, Ashlen.”

“Why her?!” she screamed. “Why does she get the fucking fairy tale? Why does she get to have your love, your baby, your fucking everything?!”

I stared at her. Unmoved. Done.

“She doesn’t get my love, Ashlen,” I said, my voice low, steady, lethal. “She already had it. And you knew it. You’re just mad,” I continued, “because you can’t stop me from loving someone else.”

Her breathing hitched. Her anger rippled through the air, but I wouldn’t give her the space to speak.

I took one last step toward her, towering over her.

“Ashlen,”

A man’s voice called from somewhere inside.

Ashlen froze.

I shook my head, letting out a laugh.

“You’re fighting me,” I said, grinning, “when you could be getting fucked.”

Her nose flared, her mouth opened—but nothing came out.

“What? No smart-ass remark? No righteous indignation? You got another poor bastard tangled up in your bullshit, and you still want to fight over our long-dead-ass relationship.” I shook my head. “This is over. It all ends here. The harassment, the TikTok posts. Don’t make me do something we’ll both regret,” I said, voice flat.

Then I turned and walked away.

For good.

Chapter 59

Atlas

Three months had pass since Ashlen sign the divorce papers. After the talk I had with her, I expected her to go away and stop causing trouble. I was wrong. She was still on TikTok, still trying to ruin Kairi.

But Kairi was resilient—and I had money. We’d stopped worrying about traditional publishing and were going the indie route.

The judge rubbed his temples, visibly exhausted, while Ashlen’s attorney sat stiffly, probably regretting ever taking her case.

Ashlen was sitting next to him, had her arms crossed tightly.

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