Chapter 67

Aria’s POV

Walking into the kitchen, I set the money aside and focus on the letter instead. Lucian’s words were crisp and succinct.

Aria –

This money is your divorce compensation. Please use it to pay your legal fees, or to pay back any loans.

Lucian

I read through the letter, then read through it again. I searched the back, looking for something more. No, those two small sentences were that was included in the letter.

Three years of marriage boiled down to two sentences and a wad of cash. Not to mention, the lack of trust here was insulting. Did he believe me incapable of paying back any loans I might have taken out? Not that I needed any, with how much I was making as Dr. A.

He truly thought the worst of me, that I was entirely helpless without his guiding hand.

Well, he was in for a shock when he would inevitably discover that I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I didn’t need him, or his money, to get by.

I wished for a moment that I hadn’t sent Ben away until after checking the envelope, else I would have returned the money back with him. For now, until I could find a time to return it, I needed to keep it with me.

Even if I really didn’t want to.

Maybe it would be a good reminder while I had it that I needed to seriously start forgetting Lucian. I’d been keeping myself busy to avoid thinking about him, but maybe I needed more than that.

I had to start putting him behind me.

One thing was certain, this letter made clear that Lucian did not care about me at all. If he would, he’d have more of a eulogy for our marriage than Here’s some money because you aren’t responsible enough to have your own.

With a frustrating grunt, I hurried into my room, threw the money and the letter into my sock drawer and tried my best to forget all about it.

At work, disguised as Dr. A, I was surprised to find that even more gift baskets had been delivered to my offices. The place looked like a jungle now, every surface covered with flowers and fruits.

“We have to start donating some of this,” I said to Piper who agreed. At that moment, Cathy walked into the room carrying two more baskets.

“These were left at the front desk for you, Dr. A,” Cathy said.

“Take them right back,” I said.

“I don’t know,” Piper said meekly. “I think it’s great that so many people want to be on your good side again. And the patients can’t stop talking about how great you are. You truly are doing some great work in the Nightfall pack, Dr. A.”

I didn’t need praise, not even from Piper, though I was kind to her as she was my friend.

“I’ll be in my office,” I said to them and headed there, wanting to be alone for a while without suffocating on cellophane and pollen.

Cathy followed me inside, closing the door behind us.

“You are in a mood today,” she said. “Did something happen?”

As she was my best friend, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised that Cathy could see straight through me and know something was wrong.

“Ben came by the house this morning,” I said. There was no point keeping the truth from her. She’d pull it out of me eventually, and I was far too tired to argue with her.

“Ben did? Lucian’s Beta? What in the world did he want?”

Briefly, I described the envelope and its contents.

“I hope you threw it back in his face,” Cathy said, frowning.

“Ben was just the messenger, though he did leave before I could return it. I have every intention of giving it back to Lucian though. Without seeing him, if I can manage it.”

Cathy hummed.

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Well, Aria might be struggling with the handlings of her ex-mate, but Dr. A is doing quite well for herself,” Cathy said with a wink.

“The gift baskets are too much,” I said.

“It’s not just the gift baskets, Aria. It’s what they represent. Since everything happened with Caleb, your entire reputation as Dr. A has done a 180. You have become one of the most popular and well-respected figures in the pack. Maybe, in time, you could even make pack council.”

“And have to work with Lucian every day? No thank you,” I said. “You know I have no aspirations of politics. I want to help people, I can’t do that sitting in a conference room arguing with other bureaucrats while nothing gets done.”

“You could do a lot on a wider scale,” Cathy said. “You’d have a say in actual litigation.”

“Lucian would always have the final word,” I said. “And I don’t know anything about the other issues outside of healthcare, which Lucian and I are already on the same page on.”

I could see what Cathy was trying to do. She hoped, by reporting my popularity to me and fluffing my ego, that she could help convince me to stay with the Nightfall pack. Maybe she was right too. Maybe I was well liked enough to find some political job for myself within the pack. Maybe I could even do some good.

But that wasn’t the life I wanted for myself. As a Healer, I wanted to be out in the trenches, making new discoveries in medicine so that I could help people overcome their diseases. I didn’t want to just increase healthcare for all, I wanted to be one of the ones to deliver it.

“Well, regardless,” Cathy said, likely seeing that her plan had failed. “You should be pleased with how liked you are. Happy, even.” She gave me a smile, as if to show me that I should be smiling too.

But my heart was still too heavy, thinking of Lucian, to do much more than feel miserable.

My distractions weren’t working, and the money had only made everything worse.

I was already failing at my plan to forget Lucian entirely.

Maybe that was because I knew I would have to see him again. Even if I avoided him as Aria, Dr. A still had dealings with him. Until those dealings were done, I’d never be able to fully rest, knowing I would have to face him.

What I needed to do was fully throw myself into finding a cure for Sheila’s infertility. Then and only then, could I excuse myself from ever seeing Lucian again, as Aria or Dr. A.

Then, I’d be free. I could return the pity money he’d sent to me as Aria, and live off of the money I’d earned as Dr. A instead.

Once I was safe from the Nightfall back, I could focus on doing the best for my pregnancy, to bring my child into the world with the best possible future. Free from Lucian and the ties of a broken home.

Somewhere new, I could forget all about Lucian and start all over.

Yet, everything, all of these plans and hopes and dreams…

It all depended on my finding the cure for Sheila.

That would have to be my next task.

Then, I could finally leave Lucian and the Nightfall pack behind.