Chapter 1 WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, THROW THEM AT YOUR HUSBAND

Isla's POV

The rain poured heavily outside, tapping against the windows like impatient fingers drumming on glass. The cold air seeped into my skin, but it was nothing compared to the chill settling in my heart.

I sat at the dining table, staring at the untouched dinner before me. A candle burned in the center, casting flickering shadows on the walls. Two plates, two glasses, two sets of silverware-everything was perfectly arranged.

But there was only one person sitting here.

Me.

I clenched my hands into fists, pressing my nails into my palms. I had spent hours preparing this meal, foolishly thinking that tonight would be different. That maybe, just maybe, Adrian would remember what today was.

Our wedding anniversary.

Two years ago, I had vowed to love him in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow. But from the moment we got married, he had kept his distance. No warmth, no affection-only cold indifference. He treated me like a stranger in our own home.

And now, after all the waiting, all the silent prayers for him to look at me, to see me... he finally spoke the words that shattered everything.

"Let's get a divorce."

My breath caught in my throat. My fingers trembled as I looked up at him. He stood across from me, his face unreadable, his expression as calm as ever. As if he wasn't breaking my heart. As if our marriage had meant nothing at all.

I swallowed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Divorce?"

Adrian nodded, sliding a document across the table. "I've already prepared the papers. You just need to sign them."

I stared at the crisp white sheets, my vision blurring. My name was printed neatly next to his, binding us together in ink. And yet, with a single signature, everything would be erased.

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I lifted my gaze to him, searching for something-anything-that showed he cared.

But there was nothing.

His dark eyes were emotionless, his lips set in a firm line. The same distant, indifferent expression he had always worn.

I forced out a shaky breath. "Why now?"

"Isla, my Father made marry you. I never loved you," he said.

The words sliced through me like a dagger.

I had always known. Deep down, I had always known that Adrian never loved me. He never looked at me the way a husband should look at his wife. He never held my hand, never whispered sweet words, never smiled at me the way he smiled at others.

But to hear it from his own mouth...

It hurt.

More than I ever imagined it would.

Adrian had a presence that turned heads- confident, sharp, and effortlessly charming. He made problems seem small, decisions easy, and for a moment, he could make me feel like I was the only person in the world. I admired his fearlessness, his certainty. But now I see it- his confidence was arrogance, his charm a mask, and his strength? Just indifference in disguise.

I forced myself to nod, swallowing back the pain. "I understand."

Something flickered in his eyes. Something almost like guilt. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

"I'll try to make it up to you," he said, his voice lower than before.

Make it up to me? How? By giving me money? By offering me pity? By pretending that breaking my heart wasn't the worst thing he could ever do?

I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw the papers in his face, to demand why he ever married me if he never wanted me in the first place.

But instead, I just smiled. A hollow, empty smile.

"There's no need."

Adrian looked at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. Then his phone rang, breaking the heavy silence between us. He glanced at the screen, then stood up.

"I have to go."

Of course. He always had to go.

I watched as he grabbed his coat and walked toward the door without looking back. The moment it shut behind him, the walls around my heart crumbled.

Tears spilled down my cheeks.

Happy anniversary to me.