Chapter 5

Gracelyn POV:

The dim light filtered through the hospital room blinds, casting long, muted shadows across the floor. My body was a roadmap of pain, each bruise and cut a testament to the brutal efficiency of Chace's security team. My head throbbed with a persistent ache, a dull echo of the emotional agony that still consumed me.

Kristian sat by my bedside, his presence a quiet comfort in my swirling chaos. He wasn't just a friend anymore; he was my anchor, my protector. He had found me barely conscious in Chace' s penthouse, rushed me back to the hospital, and once again, handled every detail with a calm efficiency that both amazed and humbled me. He had even retrieved the crumpled marriage certificate from the study floor before the police, called by Chace, arrived.

"Gracelyn," he said softly, his voice gentle, "the doctors say you're going to be okay. But you need to rest." He squeezed my hand, his touch firm and reassuring.

I blinked slowly, my gaze fixed on the ceiling. "He doesn't care, Kristian," I whispered, my voice raw and hoarse. "He saw me. He saw what they did. And he blamed me. He told me I brought it on myself."

Kristian' s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching in his cheek. "He's a fool, Gracelyn. A cruel, arrogant fool."

A hollow laugh escaped my lips. "He's worse than that. He's a monster. He built this cage around me, told me it was for my protection, and then left me to rot in it." The words were laced with a bitterness I hadn't known I possessed. "I want a divorce, Kristian. I want out."

He nodded, his eyes meeting mine. "I know. And we're going to get it. This time, on your terms."

The following weeks were a blur of physical and emotional recovery. Kristian moved me into a small, discreet apartment he owned, far from the prying eyes of the media and the shadow of the Bentley empire. He encouraged me to rediscover my passion for interior design, setting up a small studio space for me in the apartment. Slowly, tentatively, I began to pick up the pieces of my shattered life.

I spent hours sketching, designing, pouring all my pain and anger and newfound resolve into my work. Each stroke of the pencil, each color palette I chose, was a step towards reclaiming my identity, an act of defiance against the man who had tried to erase me. Kristian saw my talent, nurtured it, and arranged for small, freelance design projects through his vast network. He treated me with a respect and kindness that was a stark contrast to Chace' s cold indifference. He saw me, truly saw me, not as an extension of someone else, but as Gracelyn Weeks, a talented, resilient woman.

As I healed, both physically and emotionally, something began to shift within me. The constant fear, the gnawing anxiety, the need for Chace' s approval – it all began to fade. I started to glow. My eyes, once perpetually haunted, now held a spark of determination. My posture straightened. I found my voice, no longer hesitant or apologetic.

Meanwhile, Chace, unaware of my quiet resurgence, was spiraling. He kept calling, his messages alternating between frustrated demands for me to "come home" and thinly veiled threats about the consequences of defying him. He still believed he held all the cards, that I was nothing without him.

One day, I saw a news report. Kristian' s new tech venture, a groundbreaking AI platform, was facing a series of inexplicable technical glitches and security breaches. The timing was too perfect. I knew it was Chace. He was trying to sabotage Kristian, to cut off my lifeline, to force me back to him. His control wasn' t just about me; it was about everyone around me.

"He's trying to ruin you, Kristian," I said, my voice steady, devoid of fear.

Kristian simply smiled, a glint of steel in his eyes. "He can try. But he underestimates us, Gracelyn. He underestimates what we can build together."

His unwavering support, his quiet strength, became a shield against Chace's relentless assaults. With Kristian' s help, I began to understand the true nature of Chace's "love" – it was never love at all, but a toxic, suffocating control masquerading as protection.

The day finally came. Chace had successfully secured the majority shares of Bentley Industries. The news was plastered everywhere, his face beaming from magazine covers, hailed as a visionary, a new titan of industry. He scheduled a grand press conference, a triumphant celebration of his ascent. I knew what he was going to do. He was going to announce his engagement to Celina, solidifying his position, rubbing my face in his victory.

But I had a plan of my own. Kristian had quietly arranged for a team of lawyers to finalize my divorce papers, citing irreconcilable differences and emotional abuse. We had the marriage certificate, legally authenticated. We had proof.

On the day of the press conference, the grand ballroom of the Bentley Tower was packed with reporters, cameras flashing, eager to witness the coronation of the new heir and the announcement of his society wedding. Chace stood on the podium, Celina by his side, looking every inch the victorious power couple. He began to speak, his voice resonating with a practiced confidence. He talked about his vision for the company, about the future, about his "personal happiness."

I walked in then, Kristian a quiet, supportive presence by my side. I was no longer the shivering, broken woman from that cold night. I wore a tailored cream suit that Kristian had insisted on, simple yet elegant, a symbol of my newfound independence. My hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, my gaze steady and unflinching.

Chace' s eyes, as they found me in the crowd, widened imperceptibly. A flicker of surprise, then irritation, crossed his face. He faltered for a second, but quickly regained his composure, dismissing me with a curt nod, a silent warning to leave. He clearly thought I was there to cause another "scene," to play the part of the delusional stalker one last time.

He raised his hand, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "And now," he announced, his voice booming, "I have a very special announcement to make. My beautiful fiancée, Celina McNeil, and I-"

"Actually, Mr. Bentley," I interrupted, my voice clear and strong, cutting through the anticipatory hush, "I believe you have a different announcement to make."

All eyes turned to me. The cameras flashed, a sudden blinding flurry. Celina' s face contorted in a sneer. Chace' s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in their depths.

I walked toward the podium, every step deliberate, Kristian a silent shadow behind me. I pulled out the crisp white envelope from my bag, the divorce papers, a symbol of my freedom. "I'm Gracelyn Weeks. And I'm Chace Bentley's wife."

A collective gasp swept through the room. Chace lunged forward, his face a mask of fury. "Gracelyn, stop this! You're making a mistake!"

"The only mistake was believing you, Chace," I retorted, my voice unwavering. I held up the marriage certificate for all the cameras to see. "We were secretly married five years ago. He told me it was for my protection. He told me he loved me. He told me to wait."

Then, I pulled out my phone. Kristian had meticulously compiled recordings of Chace' s gaslighting, his dismissals, his threats, even his cruel "charity" remark from that night. I pressed play, and Chace' s voice, cold and arrogant, filled the room.

"Everything you own, the clothes on your back, the roof over your head, it's all because of me. My charity."

A wave of murmurs, then outright outrage, rippled through the crowd. Chace' s face drained of color. Celina, looking utterly stunned, took a step back from him.

"This man," I continued, my voice breaking slightly but quickly regaining its strength, "gaslit me for five years. He branded me a stalker, had me arrested, had me beaten, all to protect his family's image and his own ambition. But I am no longer his victim. I am Gracelyn Weeks. And I am here to serve you with these."

I slammed the divorce papers onto the podium, right in front of him, the sound echoing like a gunshot. "Consider this your official notice, Chace. It's over. And from now on, you and I are nothing but strangers."

The cameras went wild. Reporters shouted questions, their voices a cacophony of shock and disbelief. Chace stood frozen, his eyes wide, his carefully constructed world crumbling around him. The public opinion, once firmly on his side, had flipped with a visceral, vengeful force. His reputation, his meticulously crafted image, was in ruins. And all he could do was watch, helpless, as I turned and walked away, Kristian' s hand gently on my back, guiding me towards a future that was finally, truly, mine.