Chapter 3

Serena's POV The room went deathly silent. Ryan stared at me as if I'd spoken in an alien language. I slipped the wedding band from my finger and tossed it onto the floor at his feet, where it landed with a small, definitive ping. "Your debt of saving my life was repaid years ago," I continued, each word precise and final. "This replacement game ends now. I'm done being Sophie's shadow." Ryan's face transformed with shock before darkening with fury. He leaned forward, his hands gripping the rails of my hospital bed until the metal creaked under his strength. "What did you just say?" he growled, his voice barely above a whisper. I met his gaze unflinchingly, my eyes as cold as winter ice. "I said I want a divorce." Ryan's eyes darkened dangerously, his face transforming into a thunderstorm of barely contained rage. The hospital room's air pressure seemed to drop instantly, the atmosphere becoming suffocating with his dominant presence. He stared at me with cold intensity, his voice cutting like ice. "Serena, you dare bring up divorce as if it's some kind of game?" "This isn't a game," I replied steadily. "Our marriage was never real—it was a business arrangement brokered by your grandmother, but you never wanted me, and I'm done pretending otherwise." His large hand gripped my waist firmly as he pinned me against the bed, his voice low and fierce: "What gives you the right to ask for a divorce? Without me, how would you survive in the outside world?" I responded coldly: "I'm physically healthy and mentally sound. Why couldn't I survive on my own?" Ryan clenched his jaw as he stared at me, his gaze growing increasingly cold. I stared back defiantly, my lips curling into a mocking smile. "Is Mr. Blackwood unwilling to divorce? Don't tell me you'd actually miss having me as Sophie's replacement?" "You constantly talk about how much you loved Sophie, yet you end up with another woman pretending she's her... don't you find that pathetic?" The veins on Ryan's hand bulged as his eyes trembled with rage. "Who do you think you are? You're not even worth missing!" "Good to know," I said, pushing down the ache in my chest as I forced a brittle smile. "So you should have no problem signing the divorce papers. Even if I die out there, it won't be your concern." Ryan's nostrils flared, fury radiating off him in silent waves."And what if I refuse?" "Then I'll go public," I threatened. "I'll tell everyone how the great Ryan Blackwood treats his wife—how he lets her be kidnapped and beaten while he's busy taking another woman to hotel rooms." Ryan's eyes flashed dangerously. "You wouldn't dare bring family business to the public." "Try me," I whispered, surprising myself with the steel in my voice. "I have nothing left to lose." For a moment, I thought he might actually lunge at me—his body was coiled tight with rage, his eyes burning with a fury I'd never witnessed before. But then, remarkably, he stepped back. "Fine," he spat. "You want a divorce? You'll get one. But remember this, Serena—once you walk away from being my wife, you lose everything. My protection, my resources, your position. You'll be nothing but homeless without connections." I smiled then, a small, sad smile. "I was never anything else to you anyway." His jaw clenched so tight I could hear his teeth grinding. Without another word, he turned and stormed from the room, the door slamming behind him with enough force to rattle the medical equipment. "You've made a terrible mistake," she said at last, voice sharp but trembling at the edges. "No one walks away from Ryan Blackwood." I let out a tired breath, meeting her eyes without flinching. "Isn't this what you wanted all along?" She stiffened. "What are you talking about?" "You wanted me gone. You wanted him. You've had both now." Ivy opened her mouth, then closed it again, faltering. "I just—" "I don't care." My voice was flat, final. "Get out, Ivy. And take your damn lilies with you." When the door closed behind her, I finally allowed the tears I'd been holding back to fall. Not tears of regret or sadness—but tears of relief, of release. For the first time in three years, I felt something stirring within me that I'd almost forgotten existed. Hope. Three days later, I was discharged from the hospital. I had my lawyer draft divorce papers and send them to Ryan's office. Then I called Maya, my best friend from before my marriage. "Hey, any chance I could crash at your place for a while?" I asked, trying to sound casual despite the way my hand trembled holding the phone. "What?" Maya's surprise was evident even through the phone. "Doesn't that wealthy husband of yours own like a dozen properties? Why do you need to stay with me? Some kind of rich people roleplay thing?" I bit my lip. "I'm divorcing him. Walking away with nothing but what's mine." There was a shocked silence on the other end before Maya exclaimed, "Are you serious? I thought you said it was love at first sight with him!" "Yeah, well... I married in the heat of the moment only to discover I was just a clown in his circus," I replied, forcing lightness into my voice. "If it's inconvenient, I can always find a hotel." "No, no, no! You're absolutely staying with me!" Maya quickly responded. "But listen, Serena... since you're divorcing him and won't be spending all your time orbiting around a man anymore, would you consider coming back to work? To our business?" "I really need you."She hesitated, then confessed, "Honestly, I'm desperate. Celeste—my most promising designer—is in serious trouble. " "If I don't find someone to take over her pending orders, I'll be designing jewelry from a cardboard box on the street." I frowned, caught off guard. Maya and I had met four years ago, back when we were both junior designers at a small, cutthroat company. I'd made waves early on, my instinct for jewelry design quickly gaining attention after a few standout pieces earned buzz in the industry. Eventually, when the company became too restrictive—bleeding us dry without giving credit—we left together, we founded Dreamland Studio, where our creative spirits could truly flourish. After marrying Ryan, I had transferred all my shares to Maya, and she had been running the business successfully for years. What could have happened so suddenly?