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My brain must be broken. With one signature, I could have everything I want—money and freedom. But for some reason, I can’t bring myself to sign the documents he’s already signed. What’s wrong with me?
I keep reading and rereading the handwritten note that was in the manila envelope. “Because I love you and I would never want to hold you hostage. You’re the one holding all the power.”
I read the annulment form and the termination of contract again. Not that I really need to—I already know it by heart. The annulment form has been completely filled, and I just have to sign. It states that I entered the marriage as a result of fraud. Which is true, but I also knew about it. What would even happen if I signed, and he never disclosed the contract we had to the court? Would Colton go to jail?
The contract termination is more straightforward. It says that both parties agree to end the contract prematurely, and it quantifies the massive penalties attached to it, all on Colton’s end. It’s a lot of money. Way more than I was supposed to get had we fulfilled the original contract.
My head falls into my palms. I should sign this, have a fresh start. Try to get my career on track. I could even ask Amelia Brown if she still had an available part in her play.
But I can’t even picture myself on stage. I no longer feel the same tingles of excitement when I think about Broadway. Colton broke me beyond repair.
And the audacity to ask for an annulment! To pretend this entire thing never happened. Well, it did happen. And maybe it isn’t a big deal for him—he got what he wanted out of it, after all—but it is for me. I can’t just hit cancel on such a huge part of my life. I can’t just delete Colton. But I know I have no choice. He’s moving on, and I have to do the same.
Colton
Once Wade’s words finally sank in, and I turned them over in my head, an idea came to me. I’m not sure if it’s going to work, but it’s the only move I have. My last shot.
Which is why I’m currently in one of the last places I ever thought I’d be. In the offices of LA Business News with Maggie Kirk, their head reporter, with two massive cameras pointed at us.
“I’m so glad you reached out,” Maggie says as the camera crew prepares to start rolling. “I’ve been trying to get you in here for a while now.”
Don’t I know it. She’s been calling my PR team every month, hoping to interview me. It’s not that I don’t do interviews. I just steer clear of those where most of the questions are geared toward my personal life. I don’t do sensational journalism. Or at least, I didn’t until now. “What can I say? People change their minds.”
“Great,” she says with a clap. “Have you read the questions I prepared? Are you comfortable with all of them?”
“I am. As long as the interview is posted online right away, I will answer all of your questions.”
She flashes a sparkling LA smile. “It will. The editors will work on it right after we’re done, and it’ll be online tonight.”
“Let’s get going, then.”
She signals to the camera crew that we’re ready, and the lead videographer cues her to start the interview. First, we talk about my company and the Love Connected app. I explain how the algorithm works and highlight the success we’ve seen with it. Stuff I could talk about in my sleep.
“And you’re living proof that it works,” she says, flashing her bleached-white teeth. “You met your wife through the app.”
“I did,” I say, adjusting my tie. “She’s the best person I know, and meeting her has changed my life.”
“I’m sure she’s a lucky woman. Oh, and I heard through the grapevine that you’re about to take the Middle East market by storm. Congratulations!”
I clear my throat. “Actually, that’s not correct. We’ve toyed with the idea of expanding, but we put an end to those talks. Falling in love and getting married put things in perspective for me. Actually, I’m planning to develop a deeper and more personalized service.”
Her brown eyes widen, showcasing their curious sparkle. “Oh, consider me intrigued.”
“I can’t say much now. We’re still in the very early stages. But it will be a lot more focused, with a higher accuracy rate. It’s no easy task to find that one person who makes your heart soar. Who makes you forget about everything and anything else. Who you’d be willing to give it all up for. I found that person, and I want to make sure everyone gets a shot at the same thing, because it’s so worth it.”
33
Power
Jane
“It’ll do you some good. You’ll see,” Marcie says, offering me a red cup filled with a cocktail.
I nod wordlessly. I’m pretty sure this is my first college party. We’re hanging out at the house of Marcie’s friend. It’s the last place I want to be, but they insisted, and after lying in bed all day for several days straight, I finally agreed it was time for a change of scenery.
Music is blaring, and people are crammed into every square inch of the place. They’re in the hallway, sitting on the steps, dancing on the couches in the living room. Beer cans and various food items are lying around haphazardly, and the whole house smells like pizza, beer, and sweat. Not the best combo. Suddenly, I just feel really old and want to go home. The problem is, when I think about home, I keep envisioning Colton’s house. I really need to sign those damn papers.
Marcie lets out an uncharacteristic growling sound, and I snap my head back toward her. Following her gaze, I notice Lewis Morgan, the guy we saw when we were shopping with Jules. How do I remember his name? Because Marcie has mentioned him once or twice. Or a thousand.
