Chapter 5 DIVORCE PAPERS

RACHAEL

I hate going to Jack's parents' house. They live in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city, an exclusive estate filled with sprawling mansions, manicured lawns, and gates that seem more like barriers to the outside world. Every time I cross those gates, I am reminded of just how much of an outsider I am.

Jack's father, William Crawford, had built a fortune in the oil business, a legacy passed down from generation to generation. The Crawford's weren't just wealthy; they were part of the one percent, dripping in old money and family prestige. And Karen, Jack's mother, made it clear from the very beginning that I didn't belong in their world.

To her, I was a gold digger, someone who had latched onto her son for his wealth. It didn't matter that Jack and I had met when we were both broke college students or that I had loved him long before I knew the extent of his family's wealth. In Karen's eyes, I am an opportunist, someone who has no business being part of their perfect, privileged family. And when Jack told her that I can't have children, her disdain for me only grew stronger. She blames me for everything; her son's unhappiness, her inability to become a grandmother. She practically pushed Jack to disown his family at one point, but I had stopped him. I couldn't bear the thought of him losing his family, even if they were toxic.

As I drive through the estate's gates, my heart pounds in my chest. It isn't just the mansion that looms ahead that fills me with dread. It is the knowledge that Karen is probably celebrating the fact that Jack has left me. She must've seen this coming from miles away, and no doubt she will take great pleasure in reminding me of that.

I pull up in front of the massive mansion and park my car, staring at the grand stone steps leading up to the entrance. Every fiber of my being wants to turn around and leave, but I can't. Not until I know what is going on. I have an intense feeling that Jack is here, and I am not going anywhere until I speak to him. Bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation, I climb the stairs and approach the door. Before I can even knock, the door swings open.

"Well, this is an unpleasant surprise," Karen sneers, her sharp blue eyes glinting with barely concealed satisfaction. "To what do we owe this visit? Have you come for money?"

I clench my fists at my sides, taking a deep breath to steady my voice.

"Good morning to you too, Karen," I reply, forcing politeness into my tone. "And when have I ever come for money?"

"There's always a first time for everything, especially now that Jack's left you." Her voice is dripping with venom, each word like a dagger aimed straight at my heart.

I swallow the rising anger. Of course, she already knows.

"I can see the news have reached you," I add, my voice tight. "Is Jack here? Can I talk to him?"

Karen crosses her arms, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

"He's here, but he doesn't want to talk to you. You can leave now."

I take a step forward, refusing to let her block my way. "Karen, this isn't about you. Let me in. I need to know what's going on."

Without waiting for her permission, I storm past her into the grand foyer, my voice echoing through the massive house.

"Jack! Jack!" I shout, desperation rising in my chest.

"I need to talk to you! I'm not leaving until you come down and face me!"

I hear footsteps descending the stairs, and I rush toward them, hoping, praying, it is Jack. But instead, I am met by William Crawford's cold, stern face. He stops halfway down the staircase, his arms crossed as he glares down at me.

"Why are you in our house, screaming like a madwoman?" he asks, his voice icy.

"I'm looking for my husband," I bark, my voice trembling with frustration. "Karen told me he's here."

William raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Ex-husband, you mean."

I blink, stunned by the casual cruelty in his words. "He's still my husband," I snap. "And he needs to speak to me. I need an explanation."

William sighs, clearly bored by the entire conversation.

"Rachael, Jack is not coming down to talk to you. Leave now, or we'll call security."

I open my mouth to protest, but Karen is already moving towards the door. She pulls open a drawer from the antique console table and retrieve a brown envelope, handing it to me with a satisfied smirk.

"Sign these as soon as you can and send them back," she says.

Confused, I rip open the envelope, my hands shaking as I pull out the papers inside. My vision blurs as I stare at the words on the page. Divorce papers. Jack's name already signed at the bottom.

I feel the blood drain from my face.

"You've got to be kidding me," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "Jack is divorcing me, and you're delivering the news? He doesn't even have the guts to face me himself?"

Karen folds her arms, tilting her head in mock sympathy. "We didn't want to make this any harder on you than it already is, dear."

My legs feels weak beneath me. I grip the envelope tighter, my vision swimming as my head pounded with disbelief. This isn't happening. It can't be real. Jack has sent his parents to hand me divorce papers without even the decency of telling me to my face.

"Jack!" I scream one last time, my voice breaking, but the house remains eerily silent. He isn't coming.

Karen's voice cut through the silence.

"Don't worry, Rachael. We're not monsters. You can keep the penthouse we bought for you. We wouldn't want you to be homeless, after all."

I stare at her in disbelief, my body trembling with rage and humiliation. I can't take it anymore. I can't breathe. The walls of the grand foyer seem to close in on me. My legs buckle, and I stumble backward, tripping over the stairs as I blindly make my way out the door.

The world outside is spinning as I fall to my knees on the steps. For a moment, I can't see anything just a blur of tears, pain, and shock. I force myself to stand, my body trembling with exhaustion and disbelief. I get into my car, my hands shaking as I grip the steering wheel.

I don't know where I am going, but I have to get away from that house from the Crawford's, from the life I thought I knew. As I drive off, the weight of what has just happened settles in.

And I realize I am completely alone.