Chapter 86

Stella

I stare at the open wooden doors. My heart pounds inside of my chest as the future of my life comes into fruition before me.

Today is the day. The day that Adrian and I will finally be divorced, the two of us to be set free from the chains of the contract we once signed five years ago.

No longer will I be reminded of the wedding ring that sits on my vanity in my bedroom of the painful memories of our time together. I will no longer have to keep in contact with a man who has put me through absolute hell. A man who has destroyed my body and mind, ruining all sense of self worth when he clung to my adoptive sister instead of me when she woke up from her coma and me from a surgery.

My mind is aflutter before we head inside of the courtroom. My feet stumble over each other and Dominic is there to catch me, steadying me right in front of the open courtroom doors.

“Stella?” Dominic asks, his hand moving to my lower back.

I nod, my throat feeling like it is on fire. He rubs my back, stepping closer to me.

“It is okay to be nervous. This is a big moment in your life. If you need to take a moment, it will be okay,” Dominic’s words are reassuring and they put my mind at ease.

“I think I’ll be okay,” I nod, trying to swallow as much spit as possible to get rid of the sore feeling in the back of my throat.

“Yeah?” Dominic double checks. I nod. “Alright…let’s go inside.”

We take our time reaching the front of the courtroom. The dull surrounding makes me feel like I am back in the hospital and a flood of horrible and agonizing memories floods into the forefront of my mind. I suck in a breath and sit down, my hands automatically attaching to the hem of my skirt.

There is a loose strand of black string that hangs out from the hem. I pinch it with my fingers, tears stinting my eyes. They threaten to fall and I try my best to blink them away.

My leg bounces up and down at a rapid pace. Dominic’s voice fills my ears, claiming that he will be speaking on my behalf for the divorce proceedings. The judge allows it and the proceedings continue as normal.

I barely pay attention as the lawyers speak about the terms that they have previously agreed to. I tuck loose strands of hair behind my ears whenever they fall, plucking a pen from the table to doodle on the empty notepad, an attempt to exert some of my excess energy onto the paper instead of my body.

“Your Honor, Mr. Adrian’s lawyer and I have come to an agreement about the allocation of assets—”

“I hate to interrupt,” Adrian’s lawyer stands from his table and he effortlessly catches the attention of the courtroom. “My client has brought something to my attention that will be of use for his divorce with Mrs. Stella.”

My ears perk up. I straighten my posture in my chair and glance to the side, looking at Adrian from out of the corner of my eye. Dominic looks down at me and I give him a simple shrug, unsure of what is going on.

“What are you doing, Adrian?” I murmur to myself, leaning back in my chair to look at the man I used to love.

Maybe there is a part of me that still loves him. If there is, then it is buried deep down in my heart, smothered beneath the crushing weight of the disappointment that I felt in our relationship.

“We have originally agreed to giving Mrs. Stella 60% of Mr. Adrian’s assets but we would like to change that percentage if that is okay with the court,” his lawyer speaks.

I turn in my chair and stare at Adrian’s side profile. My heart pounds inside of my chest, my cheeks and ears heating up as my mind runs through every single possibility.

Could he be going back on what he said? Is Adrian coming for it all? Was there a clause in the contract that I signed stating that I am owed nothing?

“We would like to give Mrs. Stella 90% of his assets, wealth, and properties.”

My heart stops. Dominic looks down at me with big and wide eyes. I take his hand without even thinking, giving it a hard squeeze.

“The court will agree to that amendment. We can allocate the assets to the investment firm that was linked in the papers that were given to me,” the judge says, slowly nodding. He scribbles down something from behind his podium.

I look to Adrian but he avoids my gaze. Tears fill my eyes, tears of joy, my heart swelling, knowing that I will be the one to give Adrian one final gift.

That one instance of kindness from him has shown me that the plan that I have put into motion is the best course of action. Adrian may have been a bad husband to me during our marriage, but he does not deserve to be fully destitute after we part.

The proceedings move as planned. The judge bangs his gavel agains the wooden podium and we stand, watching as he leaves.

All of the oxygen returns to my lungs as soon as the judge turns to leave. I shudder and move a hand on top of my chest. I try to calm my fast racing heart, the next part of my life finally beginning.

The weight of Adrian and I’s marriage has finally been released from my shoulders. I feel lighter now, ready to fly away and move on to the next part of my life.

Dominic hugs me as soon as the judge disappears, whispering a congratulations into my ear. He packs his things and I sit back down in the plush chair, covering my face with my hands.

The room slowly empties around me. When I uncover my face, it is desolate with not a single soul to be found. I stand from the chair, my hands shaking.

I grab the pen from before, slowly scribbling down information that Adrian will need for the investment firm. As soon as I am finished, I stand and exit the courtroom, scanning the almost empty hallway.

I spot Adrian’s familiar head of blonde hair and begin to walk in his direction. My heels click against the ground, slowly approaching him from behind.

I can’t help but feel guilty towards him. Perhaps it is pity. I did not wish for things to end like this between us.

I know that things have been explosive between Adrian and I. Things have been so tense between us ever since Clara came back into our lives.

Adrian has never cared for me, though. Despite the delusions I may have lived through our marriage, he has been nothing but a silent tormentor, destroying my body and life one day at a time.

Adrian stands just a few feet away from me. His head is hung low and his phone is in his hands. I slowly breathe in, building up as much courage as possible, and exhale, closing the distance.

“Adrian?”