THE BILLIONAIRE'S RUNAWAY BRIDE

Avery set the wedding dress on fire. The same wedding dress she’d worn to the aisle three years ago. The same dress she’d once called “the beginning of forever.” Now, it was just fabric soaked in broken promises. She wiped a tear as she watched the fabric curl and blacken in the flames. Her tablet buzzed from across the room. Still the same headlines. Nora Sanchez – Pregnant with Billionaire; Carter Smith’s Child. Avery gritted her teeth, heart pounding with rage, as she continued scrolling. A notification popped up—Carter’s latest post. A photo of Nora smiling, with the caption: “Mother of my unborn child.” Avery’s throat tightened. Her stomach churned as she stared at the face on the screen—the woman carrying her husband’s child. The tablet slipped from her trembling hands and crashed to the floor with a loud bang. Avery stepped onto the balcony. Camera flashes exploded in her face like a time bomb. The paparazzi had already caught the scent of scandal. They circled like vultures. “Mrs. Avery, what do you have to say about the news on the blogs?” Avery’s lips trembled. Her body froze as she struggled to stay composed. “Did you marry him for the money, Avery?” “Was it just to save your daddy’s company?” “Are you still calling yourself Mrs. Smith?” The questions cut her like daggers—each one sharper than the last. Her breath hitched. In this moment, she wasn’t a woman—just a headline. Their questions clawed at wounds that hadn’t even stopped bleeding. Her fist clenched. “s**t,” Avery muttered, then stormed inside. “Happy wedding anniversary, Carter!” Avery exclaimed as she barged into Carter’s penthouse office. “Tell me it’s a lie.” Carter scoffed, turning his gaze from his computer. “What are you -” “Don’t play dumb with me, you bastard!” Avery yelled, clenching her sweaty palms. “Yes, it is true,” Carter announced. “What the hell are you going to do about it, huh?” he threatened, feigning a frown. “Carter, how could-” “Deal with it!” His words cut through hers like a knife. Avery inhaled, sweat beading at her collar. Carter’s phone rang. “That’s my baby calling.” He snarled with a cruel smile. “Hey darling, what – “ Avery connected her fist to his face in a single swing. “You’re so unbelievable!” she blurted while Carter held his cheek. “You got another woman pregnant. You made a public statement to confirm it, did you even -” “I don’t care,” Carter interrupted, with a menacing scowl. “Do you think I’d be faithful to just one woman? Wake up, Avery.” Avery bit her lip. She wiped her face with the back of her palm. “This marriage is over. I won’t let you control me anymore.” Avery snapped. The words tasted like steel—cold but necessary. For the first time in three years, she wasn’t trembling in his shadow. Carter pursed his lips together and stared at Avery with bloodshot eyes. A snarling smile clutched his lips. “This performance deserves an Oscar, Avery.” He grinned and clapped his hands. "You think you can survive without me? I’m the reason you have everything—don’t forget that. I own y–“ “You don’t own me!” Avery yelled, cutting him off, a streak of tears sliding down her sweaty face. “Even if you own the air I breathe, I’m still going to leave. I don’t want to do this anymore.” “Your father must be so glad to hear this new decision of yours,” Carter sneered, and took a step closer to Avery. “I’ll take everything from him - your precious family business included.”You all will be back on the streets.” Carter threatened. Avery broke eye contact, her heart racing in her chest. “Are you sure you want to do that?” Carter’s baritone voice chimed. Avery swung out of her thoughts, eyes beaming with unwavering determination. “Your father is going to have to get a job at Wal-Mart. Maybe. Maybe I’d give your mum a job in my strip club, –” Avery slapped Carter before he could complete the statement. “Bastard!” Avery thundered. “I won’t have you talk about my mum like that.” Avery’s eyes darkened. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Carter leaned close to Avery with a cruel smile. “Walk out of that door, and I’ll watch your father’s company burn.” Carter threatened, and his face shrank into a menacing scowl. Avery let out a sad grin and bit her lips. "You can go to hell. The divorce papers are on their way. I dare you not to sign them.” Avery yelled and slammed the door behind her, leaving Carter in solitude. Avery allowed the stream of tears in her eyes to fall freely as she descended the stairs. Her phone rang, and a sigh escaped her lips—it was her father. “Dad.” Avery whimpered. “Avery, what are you trying to do? Are you thinking at all?” Her father’s voice boomed from the other end. Avery sighed before responding. “Dad, I know exactly what I’m doing; I don’t have to think about it.” “Avery, you’re not thinking. Have you forgotten what’s at stake? I’m going to lose everything; I will be left with not–” “It’s always about you, Dad.” Avery interrupted. “You don’t care about anyone but yourself.” Her voice cracked. “Honey, listen to me, you have to stay, you can’t leave.” “I already did,” Avery muttered and hung up. Her stomach lurched, and bile scorched her throat. She gripped the sink and turned on the tap, the cold splash breaking her spiral. She looked up. Red eyes. Tear-streaked cheeks. Disbelief. Her fingers clutched the edges of the counter like it might hold her upright. A thought flickered across her mind, unwelcome and terrifying. ‘No. No, not now.’ Avery scampered back into her room. She signed the divorce papers on her nightstand. She packed her bags, tears streaming down her cheeks. A sigh of relief tugged at her lips as she finished packing. She picked up her phone and dialled an emergency number. “Hi, it’s me. Book the flight to Boston. The name is Raye Vaughn. I’m done being Mrs. Avery Hart.”