Chapter 2 The clause

Amy sat at the kitchen table, staring at the letter in front of her.

The neat, professional handwriting on the envelope was unmistakable. Law Offices of Martin & Doyle.. the firm her father had used for years.

But this time, the letter was addressed to her.

And despite her mind's frantic attempts to ignore it, the truth of its contents was already eating away at her.

She exhaled sharply, her fingers curling into the paper as she tore it open.

Her mind screamed for distraction, for anything other than facing the looming reality of her father's affairs.

But no matter how much she willed herself to look away, the words on the page pulled her in, unrelenting, like a magnet to metal.

Amy,

As the sole heir to your father's estate, we must inform you of an important stipulation regarding your inheritance. Attached is a copy of your late father's will. You may already be aware of his various business ventures, particularly his ownership of Hawkes Industries. However, it is critical that you understand the conditions upon which you may retain control over his assets.

In the event of your marriage ending in divorce, or should you choose to remarry, you must do so with the full understanding that, in accordance with the terms of the will, you forfeit all rights to your inheritance unless you remain married to Liam Hawkes, or remarry him under the terms outlined herein.

This document has been prepared in accordance with his final wishes. Please contact us to discuss further details at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Edward Doyle

Attorney at Law

Her heart stopped.

The blood drained from her face as the words blurred before her eyes.

The letter wavered in her hand. What does this mean?

The question echoed in her mind, but the answer was already there, buried deep in the harsh, legal language of her father's will.

Her father.. who had always been so adamant about her being independent, strong, capable.. had crafted a will that tied her fate to Liam in ways she could never have imagined.

All these years, she had believed that her marriage to Liam was real.. but in the real sense, had been a product of their families' expectations, a union forged for business and convenience.

But this... this was beyond anything she'd ever thought possible.

Liam hadn't just been her husband. He was the key to her father's empire. And her father had made it crystal.. if she didn't stay with Liam, she was nothing.

All she had worked for, all the years of sacrifice, all of it could slip through her fingers with a single divorce.

She let the letter fall onto the table, her pulse racing in her ears.

"How.. how cold he do this to me??" She cried.

The weight of it was crushing.. her father, a man she had always admired, had orchestrated her life to fit his business needs.

It was one thing to have been married off as part of a deal. But this? This was something darker.

Her own father had used her as a pawn, just as much as she had been a pawn in the game of her marriage.

A distant part of her wanted to scream. But she didn't. She couldn't afford the luxury of feeling sorry for herself.

Amy closed her eyes, willing the tears to stay at bay. She had to think. She couldn't let this break her.

Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen.

Amy froze, the world suddenly spinning around her. It was Attorney Edward and she couldn't bring herself to pick it.

Her mind was reeling, trying to make sense of what was happening.

Liam...? The name echoed in her brain, taunting her, pulling her toward the door of their home.

She didn't stop to think.. she couldn't. She just had to see him, just had to confront him. She needed answers, and she needed them now.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the door to their bedroom.

The sound of laughter drifted through the thin walls, light and carefree.

A high-pitched giggle that made Amy's stomach turn. The laughter.. sounded like.. like Celine. Her best friend.

Her breath caught in her throat as she reached for the doorknob, but her hand trembled so violently that she couldn't grip it at first.

She stepped back, her knees almost buckling beneath her. What if she was imagining things? What if it wasn't what she thought it was?

But no, the laughter grew louder, unmistakable. And then, the sound of a man's voice, low and intimate, followed by a sound that made her blood run cold.. a soft moan.

Amy's heart stopped. She wasn't imagining it. She wasn't dreaming. This was real.

Without thinking, she pushed the door open just enough to peer inside, her pulse racing, the blood pounding in her ears.

What she saw made her stomach drop into her feet.

There, in their bed.. their bed.. was Liam. And beside him, her best friend, Celine, the one person she had trusted more than anyone else.

Celine's hair was messy, her body tangled in the sheets as she laughed at something Liam had just whispered in her ear. Her lips were smeared with lipstick, her dress barely covering her. And Liam.. husband.. was sitting next to her, his shirt half-unbuttoned, his hand resting casually on her thigh.

For a moment, everything was still. The world stopped spinning.

Amy couldn't breathe.