Leaving Him in Seven Days

The year the Lawson family was on the edge of bankruptcy, my father made a deal with Rory Lawson and arranged for me to marry him.

I didn't know he already had a fiancée, who was also his childhood sweetheart.

Later, when my father became embroiled in a scandal and the company faced collapse, Rory brought her home, promising her the grand wedding she deserved.

I didn't cry or make a scene. I just quietly packed my bags.

Rory sneered, "Don't pull that hard-to-get act. You think you're still the pampered heiress?"

Unknown to him, I had the divorce agreement he signed while drunk.

In seven days, I'd be leaving the country with my father.

The day my father was sent to an overseas branch, Rory Lawson brought home his first love, who had just gotten divorced.

He entered my room with a poker face and announced, "Sienna is moving in next week. I owe her too much. Don't complain about it."

My father had been forced to step down after being accused of workplace harassment. And now, Rory couldn't even wait to make his intentions clear.

I looked up and met his gaze, now devoid of any warmth.

We had been married for three years, but I had never managed to win his heart.

I looked away, hiding the sting in my heart. "Alright."

I was leaving soon, so it didn't matter anymore. He was free to bring anyone home.

Surprised by my easy compliance, Rory tried to say something, but no words came out.

He had always been reticent in front of me.

After he left, I opened the safe in my vanity and retrieved a piece of paper from beneath my jewelry box. It was the divorce agreement he gave me three years ago. Signed and stamped.

All it needed was to be filed at the courthouse, and our ties would be severed.

I met Rory at a business gala. His striking features captivated me at first sight.

Within days, whispers of a marriage proposal between our families reached my ears. I thought it was fate. But soon, I learned the truth: Sienna Hancock, his first love, was about to marry someone else.

That night, Rory drank himself into oblivion. I brought him a bowl of ginger soup and found him slumped over his desk.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he murmured, "Tiffany..."

My heart fluttered. I hurried to his side, but he grabbed the glass tumbler on the table and hurled it at the floor.

The crash startled me, and I instinctively stepped back.

His usual elegance was gone. He hissed through gritted teeth, "This is all your fault. If you hadn't set your sights on me and if your father weren't a CEO..."

His voice broke, heavy with resentment. "I wouldn't have been forced into this marriage. I wouldn't have had to watch Sienna marry someone else."

The weight of his words hit me, making me breathless. The happiness I thought we had shared was nothing but an illusion. Tears blurred my vision and streamed down my face.

Staggering to his feet, Rory grabbed a pen and scrawled his signature across a divorce agreement.

He tossed the flimsy piece of paper at me and declared, "I'm divorcing you and bringing Sienna back home."

He was drunk beyond reason, saying whatever came to mind.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. "You're not thinking clearly. We'll talk about this when you're sober."

I picked up the paper and left the room, closing the door behind me. Once alone, the tears I'd been holding back fell freely.

The night was cold, the wind was biting, but it couldn't freeze my pain.

The next day, Rory woke up to his usual polite and reserved self. He never mentioned Sienna again, nor did he bring up the divorce.

I tucked the divorce agreement away in the bottom drawer of my vanity, trying to convince myself that there was still hope.

After all, Sienna had just gotten married. However, fate played a cruel joke on me. Sienna's marriage was unhappy.

Two months ago, Rory hired the best lawyer to help with her divorce and even brought her to Riverhaven to settle down.

Now he wanted her to move into our house.

I was in the middle of taking stock of my assets when they walked in.

When I married Rory, my father had given me tremendous gifts. Now I needed to liquidate them to see him through the crisis.

As Rory entered the room, I turned off my phone and stood up.

He announced, "Sienna wants to stay in this room. You need to move out."

After our marriage, he often worked late into the night. He said he didn't want to disturb my sleep, so he had me move out of the master bedroom.

This room was closest to his bedroom. The balcony was adorned with blooming roses that he had planted, and the terrace still held the swing from our honeymoon.

Sienna peeked out from behind him, her eyes filled with envy as she looked around.

I raised my head and, for the first time, refused him. "No. The house is big enough. There are other rooms she can stay in. Why does it have to be this one?"

Sienna tugged at his sleeve, looking a bit aggrieved.

Feeling sorry for her, Rory retorted, "Because Sienna likes it. These roses were always meant for her."

The cold revelation shocked me. Sienna was satisfied, her smile was as bright as those roses on the balcony.

I looked at her intently, and Rory shielded her. "You're moving out today. Don't make things difficult for everyone."

I looked down. "Okay."

My father had lost his power, and his company was in crisis. I was all alone now, and Rory no longer respected me.

By evening, I had moved to a remote guest room. I took out the jewelry and bags Rory had given me and went to a luxury shop to sell them.

I had bought many things from this shop before, so the sales associate gladly led me to the VIP room.

As I laid out the items on the table, the first thing that caught my eye was the engagement ring. At that time, Rory was deep in a financial crisis, but he used all his savings to buy this ring.

The second item was a Cartier bracelet he bought for me after his company went public. The third was a branded necklace he gave me after making a drunken mistake.

I used to love wearing that necklace when I went to see him. The crystal pendant sparkled in the sunlight. He would hug me, saying I was lively and different from other girls.

The sales associate was astonished. "These look like the gifts Mr. Lawson bought you. Are you sure you want to sell them?"

"Yes," I replied.

She examined the items and quoted me a price. I accepted it and left with the money.

Outside, the atmosphere was lively. Rory's voice reached my ears.

"Do you like this necklace?" he asked.

"Yes," Sienna replied shyly.

He bought it without a second thought. As he paid, he looked up and saw me. His gaze fell on my bare finger, where the engagement ring used to be.

He grabbed my hand and demanded, "Where is your ring?"