Chapter 8 For half a month, I didn't see Antonio. Word in our circle was that the Carey Group hit a snag. Someone tricked them on a contract, draining millions in cash flow. Without my help, they were in deep trouble. I saw him again at a friend's wedding. He looked worn out, with visible bruises under his eyes. Clarisse, no longer her glamorous self, trailed behind him like a zombie. They froze when they saw me. Clarisse approached, pleading, "Iva, please come back. I can't stand his torture any longer." I was speechless. She'd schemed to push me out, and now she was begging me to go back. "I never wanted the spot," she said. "I know my place. The Carey family wouldn't accept me. The one he loves has always been you." Looking at her sincerity, I realized those texts might not have been from her. Her tone lacked sharpness, but it didn't matter anymore. I added, "You're barking up the wrong tree. Antonio and I are divorcing. If you don't want to be Mrs. Carey, find him a new bride." I walked into the banquet hall, not sparing Antonio a glance. His lips were a thin line, his body unsteady. At the banquet, he watched me from a corner and followed me at a distance, giving me no reason to snap. After I left, he took my glass and drank alone all night. On the day we filed our divorce, I put on makeup to celebrate my freedom. His eyes lit up, then dimmed with complex emotions. "Dressed up to celebrate our divorce? You look happy." I nodded. "New life, new me. Of course, I'm happy." Before we parted ways with each other, he stopped me. "Can we go back to how it was? I swear I won't..." "No way!" I cut him off. No one tripped in the same ditch twice. He nodded, giving up, and walked away with a heavy heart. He knew there was no fixing this. 1/2 Chapter 8 As I got in my car, I heard him scream, "Iva, I regret it. I lost you!" Later that day, I learned his family arranged a new marriage for him. Since I wouldn't help their sinking business, they set him up with a foreign company's heiress. At his wedding, I saw the bride. It was Holly Rogers, his old college friend from abroad. She taunted me. "See? I'm destined to be Mrs. Carey." That was when it clicked. She was the one behind everything. But I felt no hate, only gratitude. Without her, I might've stayed blind in that sham marriage. "Congrats," I said. "Wish you grow old together." My concession disappointed her. She lost interest in the conversation and left with a broken-looking Antonio in tow. I later learned he'd been involved with her abroad but dumped her when he returned, thinking she was too poor. +25 Bonus She was married, but her husband died, leaving her a fortune. Since then, she had schemed to win Antonio back, causing all this drama. The bakery that sent the wrong cake was hers. She had orchestrated the mix-up. And those weird-angle photos came from a private investigator she had hired. Her tactics were clever. Even the contract that tanked the Carey Group was likely her doing, but her schemes were all for Antonio, not the company. Even with her help, the Carey Group teetered on bankruptcy again. As Antonio scrambled for funds, she grew paranoid, suspecting he was cheating. She followed him everywhere, pissing off a key investor. The Carey Group's funding dried up the next day, but she didn't let up, clinging to him like a warden. Antonio, driven to the edge, hooked up with Clarisse again. When it came out, things got ugly, but none of it was my problem anymore. I sent the Careys a wreath, a nod to our past. Betrayers got their punishment in time. 212 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!