The Heiress's choice

na'

three candles melting into the frosting. I watched the

ee whole years o

. No missed calls, no te

se ther

lence. My mother-in-law stood in the doorway of what was supposed

quietly, even though w

e with Victoria. You know, someone actually important? Someone who und

toria ever could, that I could buy and sell the Blackwell family fortune ten times over, that I was

ed quiet.

r favorite topic, reminding me how worthless I was. "A girl with no family, no backgro

e," I said, my voice b

e? Sign divorce papers and st

t getting

ret. At twenty five, she'd perfected the art of being cruel. "Everyone knows you'

name, my wealth, my entire identity just to marry Damien. Bec

uffin. He smiled at me with that beautiful, charming smile and insisted I take it. We'd tal

e as just Elena. Not Elena Sterling, the hei

y was. I told my brother Adrian I was taking a break from th

wanted to be l

a j

ired from my third job this year,"

e went red. "

heart jumped until I

ow bad is

really knew how I was being t

me as

me. Please. Thi

n't give

doesn't d

y phone before

needed to learn my place, when the front door opened. D

eatures and cold gray eyes that used to look at m

e," I said,

. "I need to change. I have

our anni

ust a second, something crossed his

ajor deal closing.

. Always

s his new business partner. Beautiful, smart, and sophisticated Vi

d. "I made your favori

ate with

n hour. That's

"Why do you always have to be so needy? I have important work, El

s hit li

rough Adrian? Who'd been managing investments that could fund

question came out be

and Jessica went quiet,

, my voice stronger. "D

nt. I waited. Hoped and prayed

don't have time for th

e walked away. And in that silence

" I wh

ng around our bedroom, the bedroom where we sl

ctorious. "See? Even he k

ening anymore. I

rs of being small and three years of pret

asn't lov

h clothes, he didn't say goodbye. He jus

le and blew out the candle

ree of

y phone and typed a

. The best divorce

invisible. It was time to