Page 45 of The Sexy Billionaire

Paige: Night

13

PAIGE

“I’m surprised this is what you want to do,” my lawyer exclaims.

“He deserves a fire poker to the balls, but he is right, my inheritance has set me up. I don’t need that crappy apartment or the restaurant, which are nothing like I envisioned, it was all him.”

“Just because you got a good inheritance doesn’t mean you don’t deserve your half of what you built together.”

“If only it was what I had wanted to build. Michael was very adamant that it had to be a French restaurant because he hated Italian food. I thought it might be fun to fuse French and Italian together. That caused a huge fight, and, in the end, I gave in to his demands because it was easier to, rather than fight. I know if I hadn’t got this inheritance, I would have ended up being miserable, resented the hell out of him and probably would have stayed because there was no other option.”

Abigail nods in understanding. “What are your plans, then?”

I shrug my shoulders. “For the first time in my life, I have nothing planned. I don’t know. I’ve been given freedom, and that is scary when you have had everything controlled for so long.”

Abigail smiles. “As cliché as it sounds, the world is your oyster.”

Her comment makes me chuckle. It’s the truth though; the world is my oyster, and I have to work out what I want it to be.

“What I wouldn’t give to spend the summer in Italy,” she says, giving me a wink.

Giorgio’s face filters through my mind. I didn’t remember half of our chat the other night. My head was sore the next morning and when I woke up, I thought I’d dreamed it, so I opened my phone to check and reread all the messages. There was a lot. I really let it all out, which is kind of embarrassing, but he was super honest with me, too. I was surprised by his comments saying he was relieved that his ex cheated on him so that he wouldn’t have to go through with the wedding. That’s sad that he would have married her, knowing he wasn’t in love with her just to make his family happy. Sacrificing your happiness for others, while it sounds noble, isn’t. The only person who loses in that situation is you. I’m sure his parents wouldn’t want him to sacrifice his happiness for them.

It’s kind of weird that I’m even talking to Giorgio again after all this time, but if I’m being honest, it’s hardly like fifteen years has passed, the ease in which we have been able to slip back into our friendship is astonishing. But that’s all it will ever be, friendship. It’s nice having someone to talk to about all this that isn’t Smith or my parents or even the girls. I love them all, but they are too close to it.No.If I go to Italy in the summer, I will not be going to see him. There will be no trips down memory lane physically between us. It’s best when there’s an ocean between us, where he is kept far, far away. I’m not emotionally equipped to deal with Giorgio in the flesh, my walls are too cracked for that.

“It does sound nice, but the reason for me going is no longer there,” I tell her, emotion making my voice crack.

She gives me a small, understanding smile. “Well, this is it. He's already signed his side, now you need to sign your side of the paperwork, and it’s all done.”

I take her pen and sign goodbye to my old life, and with a couple of quick strokes, it’s done.

“Hopefully, this will simmer his anger toward you, and you don’t have to worry about Michael bothering you ever again.”

I don’t like the person Michael has turned into, or maybe he has always been like that, and I’ve been too blinded by love to notice.

“Fingers crossed we can move on and put this all behind us.”

“Good, now go out and celebrate, you deserve it,” she says as we stand up, shake hands, and she wishes me luck on my new journey.

A sense of calm floats over me as I step out of the office, my back straightens, and I feel my confidence start to come back. I always thought if Michael and I ever broke up that I would be a heartbroken mess, and don’t get me wrong, I have been, but somehow, I’ve found an inner strength I didn’t know I possessed. Maybe it’s the financial freedom that’s helped, maybe it’s that Michael doesn’t have any control over me anymore, or maybe I’m back on the path I should have been on before getting married.

I suck in a deep breath before pushing the glass doors open and stepping out onto the busy street as a newly single woman. It’s lunchtime and the crowds have swollen as they all busily try to get to where they are going. I head into the crowd and walk straight into someone, bouncing off their hard chest.

“I’m so sorry,” I say to the stranger; I was obviously in my own little world and didn’t see them. As I look up, familiar blue eyes stare back at me. Ice runs through my veins when I see my ex-husband standing before me, not looking very happy. What the hell is he doing here? “Leave me alone, Michael,” I say as Itry to sidestep him, not in the mood for his theatrics. He reaches out and grabs my arm, gripping me tightly. My brows pull together as pain shoots up my arm. “Ouch, you’re hurting me,” I moan.

“Look at you,” he says, disgust dripping from his words, “walking out with a smug smile on your face, thinking you’ve won.”

Won what?

“I gave you everything you wanted,” I spit back.

“Because you think I’m a charity. I don’t need your pity, Paige,” he sneers.

This man is unbelievable. His ego is hurt because I gave him everything.

“I can’t fucking win with you. You have a house, so you won’t be on the streets and a business. Why can’t you be happy with that?” I scream at him.

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