He threw money on the bed after our one-night stand.
I threw it back in his face at his own inauguration.
By sundown, we were engaged. By the week's end — married.
Franklin Flemington needed a wife to secure his empire. I needed a miracle to save my family. For two years, we played our parts flawlessly — the golden couple the whole city envied.
Behind closed doors, I was invisible to him.
When the two years were up, I handed him divorce papers without blinking.
He stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "I've given you everything a husband should. What more do you want from me, Octavia?"
I smiled, signed my name, and walked out.
I thought that was the end. I thought I'd finally won.
I forgot one thing — Franklin Flemington has never lost anything in his life. And he has no intention of starting with me.
Game on.

The next morning, at precisely 5 a.m., I decided to blow off some steam by going for a jog. The city still lay wrapped in predawn darkness, the streets hushed except for the occasional distant rumble of an early delivery truck or the faint glow of a lone streetlamp. Sleep had been elusive after Franklin's call the night before, his arrogant dismissal still burning like acid in my veins. I laced up my running shoes, grabbed my AirPods, and paired them with my phone via Bluetooth. The moment the music surged in—a gritty, driving beat designed to drown out the chaos in my head—I launched into a quick warm-up: arm circles, leg swings, and a few lunges to loosen muscles still knotted from yesterday's frustration. Then I hit the pavement, feet striking the sidewalk in a steady rhythm as I wove through the familiar blocks of my neighborhood.


Chapter 123 - ~ 123