TORREN’S POVE
After the Anniversary Gala…
The hall was still buzzing long after she left. Like a hive someone kicked open.
Ruby’s limp in my arms, her damn white dress flowing like she’s some porcelain angel. But I wasn’t looking at her. My eyes kept darting to the gate where Therese disappeared. That stupid woman. Walking out like she had pride.!!
My mother was furious beside me, muttering curses in Italian under her breath. My father just shook his head and whispered something about disgrace and lost control. Useless commentary, as always. They never liked Therese, but they wanted her quiet. Tamed. Now look at what she did. Made a goddamn scene. Spat in the face of our name.
Someone near the champagne fountain leaned in and said too loud, “Your ex–wife has more spine than I expected.”
I clenched my jaw. Snapped at the nearest waiter to get me a drink. Not champagne. Wine. Red. Something that bites.
My hand was trembling when I took the glass. I cursed under my breath and pretended I needed to fix my cufflink. But it was her. She always knew how to hit back when I least expected.
Onstage, Jude climbed up like it was a circus. He lifted his glass and smiled at the guests, that same smug little smile he got from Ruby.
“A toast,” he said proudly, “for Mommy Ruby and the new baby!”
Everyone clapped. Ruby stirred softly in my arms, the perfect actress. I held her tighter, pressing a kiss to her temple. “You okay, babe?” I whispered.
She just nodded weakly, kept her eyes closed like she was made of glass.
But I was done with the show.
1 camed her to the car, the flash of cameras still following us. I made sure her dre
didn’t touch the floor. Made sure her hair stayed in place. She liked feeling precious. And I gave her that. Unlike Therese, who never knew how to be grateful!⠀ The driver closed the door. Ruby slumped against the window, breathing slow. I knew she was awake. She always pretended to sleep when she wanted silence. Or when she wanted me to stew.
I unlocked my phone. Ten missed calls. All to her. No answer.
I sent her another text.
“You ungrateful witch. Apologize now or I’ll make your life hell.”
The reply came seconds later.
One emoji. Middle finger.
I stared at its
My jaw tightened. My nostrils flared. That bitch
Next to me, Ruby shifted ever so slightly. I glanced at her. Her lips twitched. A smile. Small. Satisfied.
At the hospital. I couldn’t sit still.}
I paced the corridor like a beast with no cage. Nurses kept glancing over, but no one had the balls to tell me to calm down. I was fuming. Boiling inside. Not just from the press. Not just from the slap. From her.
From that look
“You can have your son back.” That’s what she said before she turned and walked out.
No fight. No screaming. No crying. Just a quiet, dead stare. Like she didn’t give a damn anymore.”
I’ve seen her cry. Beg. Shake with rage. But that face she gave me?!!
It was worse. Cold. Unfeeling. Like I was a stranger in her past. Like she’d scrubbed me off her skin.X
I pulled out my phone and dialed the lawyer.
He answered on the second ring.
“Is the divorce just a bluff?” I asked.
There was a pause. Then he sighed. “It’s done, sir. Finalized. Papers have been signed, processed, and recorded. She didn’t bluff.T
My throat went dry. I didn’t speak. I just hung up.
The next second, my phone buzzed again. Dozens of notifications. My name was trending. I opened
A leaked photo.
app.
Therese. Blood on her lip. Her hair was messy. Her eyes were blank. A spotlight catching her in that torn black dress like she
8:32 PM P
Therese. Blood on her lip. Her hair was messy. Her eyes were blank. A spotlight catching her in that torn black dress like she
crawled out of a grave.
“CEO strikes wife during anniversary gala?“8
There were already comments. Thousands. Hashtags calling me a monster. A criminal. A disgrace. Speculations. Analysis. Replays of videos. One even caught the slap at an angle I hadn’t seen.
I cursed and threw my phone across the chair.
Ruby flinched beside me, still hooked to her IV. She started sobbing softly, burying her face in her hands.
“This is ruining everything,” she said between hiccups. This baby… this time… it was supposed to be different. I can’t lose my child because of stress, Torren. I can’t. Not because of her.”
I sat beside her. Pulled her close. “You won’t lose anything,” I said. I stood again. Dialed another number. This one didn’t ring twice.
It was Damon. My fixer.
“Those photos,” I said. “The videos. I don’t care who has them. I want them gone by midnight.”
“Already on it, boss. Some footage came from the hotel staff, others from guests. Some idiots uploaded to private accounts.” “I don’t give a damn where they came from. Find them. Buy them off. Threaten them. Leak their sex tapes if you have to.” Understood.”
“Anyone who doesn’t cooperate,” I said, voice turning to ice, “I want them blacklisted. I want them bleeding. You get rewarded if it’s done quiet. If I see my name trending tomorrow? Someone loses their head.”
He laughed nervously on the other end. “Got it, boss. You’ll be clean by morning.”
I hung up. Sat down beside Ruby again. She leaned on me like I was her shield.
But I wasn’t calm. Not even close.
Because no matter how much I cleaned up this mess, no matter how quiet I made the internet..”
That damn image of Therese walking out, spine straight, eyes dead, would not leave my mind. Fuck!
