She Turned Her Grief Into Wings novel Chapter 9

"Let me go."

Shera was practically dragged into the underground parking garage, her brow furrowed from the pain in her wrist.

The massive, empty structure echoed with the woman's sharp protests.

The hot, red friction mark left beneath his thumb made Caden's jaw clench tight. His eyes darkened. His mind was flooded with the image of Rhys holding her hand in the hallway, and his grip unconsciously tightened.

Shera was flushed red with anger. Finally reaching her breaking point, she violently yanked her arm free. "Caden Hayes, are you done?"

Her tone dripped with blatant disgust.

The sheer force of her pull made Caden stagger slightly. Shock rippled through his eyes—this was the very first time he had ever heard her call him by his full name. Before they were married, she called him Mr. Hayes. After they were married, she called him honey.

He turned his head, his gaze landing on Shera. "What did you just call me?"

That irritated tone acted like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the fire in his chest. She was the one who got caught, so why on earth was she acting so impatient with him?

Shera ignored his question, rubbing her sore wrist as her chest heaved slightly from walking too fast. She caught her breath and said, "You've received the papers. Tell me when you're available, and we'll go to City Hall to finalize the divorce."

Her tone was flat, treating the subject as casually as discussing dinner plans, utterly void of any emotion.

He suddenly remembered the brown envelope. He remembered Aiken saying "from your wife," and he remembered not even bothering to open it, just tossing it aside. Later, he was swept up in meetings and project fires, completely forgetting it existed.

So that was the divorce agreement.

She had made up her mind to divorce him a long time ago.

Because of who?

Rhys Jewell?

"That is your home. Not mine." Shera looked up, her nose suddenly burning, her voice choking up slightly. "I don't have a home anymore."

She was right. She had no home. Her dad was gone, and she was completely alone in this world without a single family member left. In this sprawling, brightly lit city of Aurelia, everyone had a place to belong—except her.

She used to naively believe she could thaw Caden's cold heart. She attended to every detail, made sure everything was perfect, exhausted herself learning the art of coffee-making, high society etiquette, and everything she was terrible at, just to mold herself into the woman he liked.

She wanted to protect her father, protect her marriage, but this was what it all amounted to.

She had protected absolutely nothing. She felt like a total failure.

Desperately suppressing the agony, she forced the tears back down. She refused to let Caden see her looking so pathetic.

She looked up at him, a fierce stubbornness in her eyes. "I'm not going back. I've already moved out, and I didn't take a single thing that belongs to you."

She paused. "The terms in the divorce papers are completely fair. I'm only taking what belongs to me."