Chapter 1 Divorce

Three years had passed since Cathy Fowler said her wedding vows, only to find herself betrayed by the man she married.

She stepped into the club's private lounge, letting the heavy door swing open behind her. The sight inside made her stomach drop. Her husband, Jayden Thorpe, had his arms around Marissa Briggs, who wore a crisp white dress, their lips locked as laughter and shouts rose from the table.

Someone exclaimed, "Looks like Mr. Thorpe and Miss Briggs make the perfect pair!"

Cathy's arrival stopped every conversation cold.

Jayden barely missed a beat, glancing her way with a practiced smile. "What brings you here, Cathy? We're just having a little fun." He waved off her shock, then nodded at Marissa. "She can't handle her liquor, so why don't you grab her a coffee or something?"

A dull roar echoed in Cathy's ears, blotting out the noise in the room.

There was a time, three years ago, when Jayden had nearly died for her. The crash that followed wiped his memory clean - of everything except her.

Since then, Cathy had kept her true self hidden, discarding everything she loved. She'd put away her surgical mask, left her racing dreams in the dust, and buried her passion for design, concentrating on treating his memory loss.

All of that hope now felt meaningless, shattered in an instant.

"Do you even recall what you promised me last night, Jayden?"

A message from an unknown number had reached Cathy just minutes before, sending her straight to the club in a rush. Grease stains streaked her shirt, and her hair hung in brittle, uneven clumps, making her look dull.

Jayden had given his word just last night - he would be home for dinner. Cathy spent the day fussing over every detail, hoping for a quiet evening together.

Instead, she found herself watching her husband flaunt his affair for everyone to see.

With a flicker of annoyance, Jayden dismissed her. "I've got work tonight. Don't start something here."

His eyes glanced over Cathy. On the surface, she looked fresh-faced, with a natural kind of beauty. Still, in his mind, she never measured up.

To him, she was just someone who kept the house running. Nothing else about her stood out.

"It's Marissa's birthday," he added, "so let's not ruin the celebration."

If you compared the two, Marissa seemed to have it all - prestige, family money, a future in medicine. According to what his grandfather said, before losing his memory, he had loved Cathy so deeply that he was willing to risk everything - even his life included - for her. But now, Jayden only found it so absurd.

Marissa rose from her seat, all wide-eyed and apologetic. "Please don't take it the wrong way, Cathy. Tonight's my birthday, and things got a little out of hand. We really were just having some fun..."

Her tone was sweet, and her face said she was just another innocent caught in the middle.

To anyone else, it might look like Cathy was picking on her.

Cathy pressed her lips into a smile, masking how much this stung. "I didn't know party games meant treating someone's husband like party favors."

Any more of this, and she would forget what it meant to value herself.

She looked up and said, "Jayden, I want a divorce."

That single sentence seemed to drain all sound from the room.

A strange tightness settled in Jayden's chest as he stared into her eyes, colder than he'd ever seen.

Everyone there understood just how fiercely Cathy had once loved him.

"Divorce?" Jayden almost laughed, brushing her off like she was being dramatic. "Fine, Cathy. Just don't come crawling back later."

Marissa, still smarting from Cathy's earlier words, edged closer with a brittle smile. "Don't blame Jayden for this, Cathy. Honestly, I should be the one-"

A splash interrupted her.

Cathy hurled her coffee, the liquid catching Marissa right across her dress and face. "Since you're so eager to take responsibility, Miss Briggs, consider it done."

Marissa gasped, too stunned to move.

Her perfectly styled hair was now plastered to her cheeks, and streaks of ruined makeup ran down her face.

Not a single person dared to speak as silence fell like a heavy curtain.

Everyone present knew Marissa had always been sheltered by her family's wealth. No one had ever dared to humiliate her so openly.

The sweet, harmless look she wore had vanished completely.

"Have you lost your mind, Cathy?"

A shock rippled through Jayden - this was nothing like the quiet woman he remembered.

Was this really the same person who always let things slide?

Cathy's tone stayed cool as ice. "Isn't this exactly what you were hoping for, Miss Briggs?" She didn't flinch, lifting her phone for everyone to see. "You went out of your way to send me that room number. I figured I'd show up and make the most of your little surprise."

She tapped the screen, pulling up the anonymous message.

A second swipe revealed the tracking code, displaying the IP address and contact info behind it all.

People crowded closer, jaws dropping as the truth came out.

All the evidence landed squarely on Marissa's shoulders.

"So you went out of your way to invite me here to catch you two in the act? Does Jayden know about this?"

Every gaze in the room snapped to Marissa, who faltered, her confidence draining away.

Tears welled up, but she shook her head desperately. "I didn't do anything - this is a mistake!"

For someone who thought she'd covered her tracks, seeing her own details on Cathy's screen left her reeling. The codes traced right back to her address, exposing everything.

Silent tears streamed down Marissa's face, but not once did she confess.

She turned to Jayden and said, "I swear, Jayden, I have no idea how this happened."

Coffee stains meant nothing to Marissa in that moment. Her entire focus was on salvaging her spotless image.

Nothing could be more important than protecting her reputation.

"Someone's obviously trying to set me up. This is just a cruel joke."

Her original plan had been simple - to humiliate Cathy quietly and force her to retreat. Now everything had backfired spectacularly, and she was the one in the hot seat.

Jayden's brow creased in confusion.

Instinct told him to step up for Marissa, but seeing Cathy standing there, shoulders drooped and so obviously hurt, unsettled him in a way he couldn't explain.

All of it struck Cathy as almost absurd. If Jayden hadn't lost his memory, would he just stand there and keep silent?

She looked at him without a trace of warmth. "From here on out, Mr. Thorpe, we're done!"

Jayden's jaw tightened at her words. Whatever mistakes he had made before, Cathy had always taken them in silence.

Now, she was acting like a single round of party games was unforgivable, and he couldn't understand why she was so determined to end it all.