Too Late, Hubby, I'm The Tycoon's Darling Now!

"Darling, the guest list is set. I'm finally going to be your bride publicly-"

Averie Peters never finished her sentence. Jorge Hardy caught her mouth in a kiss, cutting her off before she could say another word.

Averie's nails traced his back, leaving faint marks on his skin. A soft, breathless sound slipped from her lips, her eyes filled with a haze of affection.

For once, Jorge's cold expression melted. Desire flickered across his face, rare and raw.

He drew her closer, voice rough. "I want you so much."

Their bodies tangled, and they soon surrendered to the desire that pulled them under.

When it was over, Averie rested against Jorge's chest, her fingers drawing lazy patterns on his skin. Her breath came in soft waves, warm against him.

Jorge caught her hand, holding it still. His tone suddenly turned cold, even heavy. "Averie, we need to get a divorce."

Shock locked Averie in place. Tears sprang to her eyes, shimmering in them. "Why, Jorge?"

Three years had passed since they got married. Jorge had insisted her identity as his wife stay in the shadows, asking for a secret union and saying the timing wasn't right for a public one.

When he told her to run the Hardy household, she did it, and not even the staff knew that the strict house manager was actually Jorge's wife.

The only time Averie ever felt truly married to Jorge was at night, when she was in his arms.

After years of waiting, she was finally about to get the wedding that would announce her identity as Jorge's wife to the world, but he suddenly went back on his word and wanted to divorce her.

Jorge's words were final. "Rebecca's stepmother is forcing her to marry a seventy-year-old predator. If I marry Rebecca, I can get her out of that situation. I have to help her."

His eyes held a hard edge, and his tone did not waver. "It'll only be for two years. After that, I'll marry you again, and I swear I'll give you the wedding you deserve."

Averie's tears flowed down her cheeks. Every syllable trembled. "Did you ever stop to think about what this would do to me? Do you even care how I'd feel?"

Her eyes squeezed shut in agony.

She remembered the year everything had collapsed. The Peters family had lost everything, and she had gone from a socialite to someone everyone could trample over.

She'd had to make a living by being a bar girl.

Jorge had been the one to pay off her family's last debt.

He had given her a new beginning, letting her join his company as a fireworks designer.

He was her savior, her beacon of hope.

She had given herself to him willingly, hoping love could warm the unyielding coldness he carried.

Eventually, she got to marry him, convinced her devotion could somehow change him.

Only a week ago, she had stood before him with glowing eyes, showing off the fireworks she had designed for the wedding she thought they would finally hold.

But now, he wanted to divorce her. All because of Rebecca Morley, the woman who had once saved his life.

As Averie's tears spilled, Jorge assumed she was just throwing a small tantrum. His voice was indifferent. "You've always said you'd do anything for me, even die for me. Can't you swallow a little discomfort for once? Rebecca saved my life before, and I should help her. You've always been sensible, Averie. Don't disappoint me now."

Averie's vision blurred with tears.

A sharp, needling ache spread through her chest until she could hardly breathe.

"So because I've been sensible, I'm disposable? What does Rebecca's stepmother's plan for her have to do with me? If you're so determined to help her, find some wealthy bachelor and let him marry her instead!" Averie exclaimed, her voice cracking.

Jorge's next words hurt her completely. "I can't trust anyone else with her. She could get hurt."

A cold numbness crept through Averie's heart, and a strained laugh tore from her throat. "You're not just grateful to her for saving your life. You clearly have feelings for her. Don't pretend otherwise. You want a divorce, right? Fine, let's get one and end everything once and for all."

She dragged the back of her hand across her face, brushing away the tears.

Jorge only furrowed his brows. "After the divorce, don't tell anyone about our marriage. I won't have people calling Rebecca a homewrecker. She isn't that kind of woman."

He cared nothing about her pain.

He only cared about that woman's reputation.

Averie, who had endured silently and put her pride aside for Jorge for years, couldn't hold back any longer. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

"Jorge, I've spent years loving you and believing in you. I see now how wrong I was!"

Jorge's hand flew to his cheek, shock twisting his usually steady features.

His voice broke with anger and disbelief. "Averie, are you completely out of your mind?"

Averie didn't answer. All he saw was her back as she walked away, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Averie slipped out of the master bedroom, tears streaking down her face, and made her way to the very end of the long hallway.

There was the room Jorge had given her-not as Jorge's wife, but as nothing more than a house manager.

The tiny space was cold and dim, a mirror of the emptiness she felt inside.

Wordlessly, she slid her suitcase from beneath the bed and began packing her things with trembling hands.

Only two small boxes from the cabinet were left by her on the bed, Jorge's only gifts to her over three years of marriage.

One box held a necklace, dropped in her lap after he had vanished on her birthday to comfort Rebecca over a stomachache.

The other contained a pair of earrings, an apology for skipping her sickbed to attend Rebecca's graduation ceremony.

Neither was given to her from the heart. Each one was a clumsy attempt to cover up how often she had been overlooked, always abandoned for Rebecca's sake.

She should have seen it sooner. Jorge's loyalty had never truly belonged to her.

Blinking away the sting of old memories, Averie zipped up her suitcase. She hesitated for a heartbeat, casting a final glance at the two boxes, then straightened her spine and walked away, never once looking back.

All the color had drained from her cheeks, her shoulders slumped beneath the weight of sorrow, her eyes swollen and raw.

Before she could leave the house, a cutting female voice echoed, thick with contempt. "Rebecca, why does Jorge's maid behave like this? She can't even be bothered to greet you. You are about to become Jorge's wife; how can she be so rude to you?"

Averie lifted her head and was met with the last person she wanted to see-Rebecca, trailed by her younger sister, Mia Morley.

Both wore expensive clothes, wrists and necks sparkling with jewelry.

Jorge had always claimed that their stepmother treated them terribly, but Averie didn't believe that for a second.

Rebecca's gaze met Averie's, her expression all innocence. "Mia, you're mistaken. This isn't just any maid. She's the house manager here."

Rebecca knew perfectly well that Averie was Jorge's wife, but she chose not to reveal it.

This was blatant provocation.

Mia gave a sharp laugh. "House manager, maid, whatever. They're both just servants at the end of the day."

Averie's fingers clenched around the suitcase handle until her nails dug painfully into her palm.

"Hey, you. Move our luggage already. If you keep standing there, I'll tell Jorge you're slacking off and have him fire you," Mia called out.

Averie drew in a steadying breath, the ache in her chest growing with every inhale.

Still, she refused to show her vulnerability in front of Rebecca.

She forced her voice to stay even. "I don't work for the Hardy family anymore."

At that, Rebecca's sweet expression sharpened with cruelty.

She took a step closer, her smile smug. "Ms. Peters, you don't have to worry. When I become Jorge's wife, I'll let you keep your job. After all, you've served the Hardy family so well these past years. It would be a waste for them to lose such a great servant like you."

Averie's heart twisted, each word striking her like a blade.

For three years, Rebecca had come to the estate flaunting her status as Jorge's savior. She had known all along that Averie was Jorge's wife, yet still treated her like the lowest servant, even forcing her onto her knees to scrub the floor once.

Averie refused to let Rebecca walk all over her, yet whenever she turned to Jorge for help, he would simply respond, "Averie, Rebecca is just a girl who's two years younger than you. Can't you cut her some slack? She means well and isn't trying to hurt anyone."

Averie's eyes turned red as she locked her gaze on Rebecca. Just as she drew in a breath to speak, Rebecca leaned close and whispered, "Averie, does it tear you apart? The man you love so much tossed you aside without hesitation just because of me."

She let out a cruel laugh. "Jorge and I belong together. You're a fool if you think he'll come back for you after two years. By then, we might even have a child already."

Averie knew Rebecca was trying to provoke her into a breakdown, and she fought to stay calm, her tear-filled eyes cold with resolve.

"Rebecca, you should worry less about me and more about how you'll keep Jorge fooled. Lies about your stepmother mistreating you won't hold up forever. You think a marriage built on lies will last?" she said.

Rebecca's mask slipped, anger flashing in her eyes. "You..."

Averie clutched the handle of her suitcase and headed straight for the door, determined to leave the Hardy Estate behind for good.

She failed to notice a tall figure descending the stairs.

Rebecca did.

In a flash, she latched onto Averie's wrist and flung herself backward.

The next moment, she crashed to the floor.

Mia's scream shattered the air. "You monster! How dare you shove my sister?"

Doubling over in feigned pain, Rebecca pressed a trembling hand to her stomach as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Ms. Peters, I only asked you to stay so you wouldn't end up jobless. Why would you do this to me?"

Averie, caught off guard by the sudden scene, pressed her lips together for a moment before she tried to explain, "I didn't-"

Just then, a cold voice rang out, cutting her off.

"Averie, what did you just do to Rebecca?"

Jorge crouched down, his stern face softening as he looked at Rebecca.

"Rebecca, are you hurt?" he asked.

Across the room, Mia threw a sharp look at Averie, not missing a chance to stir up trouble. "Jorge, your house manager is out of control. She actually shoved your future wife. I bet she's jealous of my sister. There's no doubt she did it on purpose. She's downright malicious!"

Rebecca lifted her gaze, her expression gentle. "Jorge, please don't blame Ms. Peters for this. I think she's just upset today. I understand how she feels, truly."

A worried look crossed Jorge's face. "You're too kind for your own good, Rebecca."

He gently scooped her up and gave Averie a cold glare. "Averie, I never expected you to do something like this. I'm really disappointed in you."

Without saying another word, he carried Rebecca upstairs, never once glancing back.

Averie longed to defend herself, to explain everything, but the sting of Jorge's icy reaction lodged in her chest, leaving her unable to speak.

Not far off, Mia's eyes narrowed into a hateful glare toward Averie.

"Shameless bitch!"

Averie caught the insult, her eyes reflecting shock.

After steadying herself, she fixed Mia with a sardonic smile. "Maybe you should ask your sister who's really the shameless one here."

Without waiting for a reply, she picked up her suitcase and walked out of the Hardy Estate. No matter how many insults Mia hurled after her, she never once looked back.

Rain battered the city that night, turning the streets into rivers beneath a stormy sky.

Averie wandered aimlessly, allowing the rain to hide her tears as it soaked every inch of her skin.

Eventually, her feet led her to a run-down apartment complex-the same place her parents had once called home, long before they'd struck it rich.

After all these years, she had ended up right back here.

Sleep proved impossible for her. By dawn, she lay wide awake until her phone broke the silence.

The call was from her best friend, Lainey Holt.

"Averie, check the news right now! You have to see it. That jerk and his mistress have no shame at all!"

Averie's fingers shook at that, nerves sending a chill through her.

She quickly found the news about Jorge and Rebecca.

"The Hardy Group's CEO Jorge Hardy Proposes to Star Designer Rebecca Morley-A Sky Full of Fireworks to Celebrate."

The words hit Averie like a punch.

She and Jorge hadn't gotten a divorce yet, but he had already proposed to Rebecca?

Averie clicked on the photos in the news.

They captured the dazzling celebration, but Averie's attention snapped to the bursts of fireworks that lit up the sky behind them.

A dull ache gnawed at her chest.

Those dazzling fireworks were the ones she had designed for her wedding with Jorge.

But now, Jorge had used them to propose to another woman.

He had never truly cared about her.

On the other end of the line, Lainey's outrage boiled over. "Averie, you're Jorge's wife! The wedding next month is supposed to reveal your identity to everyone. How did that bitch Rebecca suddenly take your place?"

Hearing that shattered Averie, and tears poured down her cheeks. "Lainey, I can't do this anymore. I'm divorcing Jorge."

Lainey's anger sharpened. "What? Are you serious? Is Jorge forcing you out just to give Rebecca your spot? Has he been having an affair with her all along?"

Averie pressed her lips together for a moment, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know, Lainey."

Truthfully, she didn't know how far Jorge and Rebecca's relationship had gone.

She continued, "But I don't want to know anymore. Once I divorce Jorge, I'll finally be able to live for myself. I'm done compromising and chasing after someone who doesn't even care about me."

"Averie, the biggest fireworks designing competition in Crurville is coming up. You have to participate in it! I'll put your name down myself. You are meant for greatness, not for playing housekeeper for Jorge. It's time you chase your own dreams."

Lainey spoke earnestly, not wanting to watch her best friend give up on her dreams for a man.

"Alright," Averie replied without hesitation.

Lainey was caught completely off guard by the quick agreement. "Wait, did you just agree? Are you serious?"

Averie said, "Yes."

With a wide grin, Lainey exclaimed, "That's amazing! Just wait, Averie. When you show everyone what you can do, Jorge will wish he had never let you go."

They talked for hours, Lainey venting nonstop about what a jerk Jorge had been.

"He'll get what's coming to him, trust me..."

After the call ended, Averie found herself drawn to the news again.

Scrolling through the comments, she felt each word like a needle piercing her heart.

"Mr. Hardy and Rebecca look like they belong together; what a gorgeous couple!"

"Jorge is wealthy, charming, and clearly adores her. Rebecca must be the luckiest woman alive!"

"Wish I could trade places with her. He treats her like royalty!"

One tear after another slid from Averie's cheeks to her phone screen.

Just then, a text message from Jorge popped up.

"Averie, stop being unreasonable. Meet me at the courthouse tomorrow for the divorce. I'll transfer five hundred million dollars to your account as compensation."

Averie brushed her tears away, read his message, and typed her answer.

"Okay."