The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife

Chapter 4 A Cold Ending

The day finally came. The day that had been written into the contract from the very moment I signed it without hesitation. One year had passed, and now I stood in the living room of this grand house a place that had never truly felt like home.

Everything looked exactly the same as the first day I arrived. Lavish, vast, and cold. No warm memories left behind, only the faint traces of footsteps slowly fading away.

"Are you ready?" Sebastian's voice came from behind me.

I didn't turn around right away. "I've been ready from the start," I answered quietly.

He walked closer, his steps steady as always, as though today were just another ordinary day. Yet for us, this was the end of something that had never truly had the chance to begin.

I finally turned. His face was the same, cold and unreadable. No sign of regret, no sign of relief either.

"The lawyer will be here in ten minutes," he said briefly.

I nodded. "Alright."

We sat across from each other in the living room, separated by the small table that had always just been part of the furniture. No small talk, no pleasantries. Even the silence felt more honest than words.

The clock on the wall ticked slowly, each second feeling like a reminder that all of this was truly coming to an end.

"You don't look nervous," Sebastian said suddenly.

I gave a small smile. "Should I be?"

He studied me for a moment. "Most people would be."

I shook my head slightly. "This was never a normal marriage, Sebastian. So the end of it doesn't need to feel dramatic either."

He didn't answer, but his gaze seemed to be searching for something I hadn't said.

A few minutes later, the door opened. The De Luca family lawyer walked in carrying a thick folder, followed by an assistant with several additional documents.

I drew a quiet breath. This was the moment that had only ever felt like a concept. Now it was real.

"We can begin," the lawyer said politely.

Sebastian nodded. "Make it quick."

I looked at the document placed in front of me. The heading was clear: Divorce Agreement.

I read through each point calmly. Nothing was surprising. Everything aligned with the original contract. A one year marriage, ending without any further obligations.

But one section made me pause.

Compensation.

"This amount is too large," I said quietly.

The lawyer looked at me. "It was decided by Mr. Alessandro."

I shook my head. "I don't need it."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow slightly. "Are you sure?"

I met his eyes. "I didn't get married for money."

The room went quiet. Even the lawyer looked a little taken aback.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair, watching me with an expression I couldn't read.

"Everyone marries for a reason," he said quietly. "So did you."

I smiled faintly. "Yes. But my reason was fulfilled the moment my father's surgery succeeded."

He didn't answer right away. For just a moment, I saw something in his eyes not a strong emotion, just a pause.

"I don't want to take anything from this family," I continued softly.

My hand touched the document one last time before I closed it.

"Including money," I added.

Sebastian held my gaze longer this time. "You could use it to rebuild your life after this."

I shook my head. "I can manage on my own."

The lawyer hesitated. "Miss Isabella, this is your right."

I looked up. "My right is to choose."

He gave a slow nod. "Very well."

Sebastian said nothing more. But the atmosphere between us shifted. Somehow, that small decision felt larger than it should have.

Just as I was about to sign the document, the sound of quick footsteps came from the direction of the door.

Caterina walked in first, followed by Alessandro. Their expressions were unlike anything I'd seen from them before.

"Sebastian," said Caterina, her tone firm. "Is this really happening?"

Sebastian didn't stand. "We're only finishing what was agreed upon."

Caterina turned to me. "Bella, do you truly want this divorce?"

I rose slowly. "This was the arrangement from the very beginning, Ma'am."

Caterina stepped closer, her eyes full of emotion. "Arrangements can change."

I smiled gently. "Not this one."

Alessandro finally spoke. "We didn't expect you to leave like this."

I lowered my head slightly. "I never intended to stay longer than I was meant to."

Caterina looked hurt. "We considered you part of this family."

My chest felt a little tight, but I kept my voice steady.

"And I'm truly grateful for that," I said softly.

"Then why are you leaving?" she asked.

I was quiet for a moment before answering, "Because I always knew where I stood."

Sebastian finally stood. "This wasn't a sudden decision."

Caterina looked at her son. "You're not going to try to stop her?"

Sebastian was silent for a beat. "That's not my place."

I glanced at him briefly. That answer was so entirely like him.

I turned back to the document on the table.

My hand didn't tremble when I picked up the pen. Perhaps because I had been preparing myself for this moment for far too long.

"Thank you for everything," I said quietly.

Then I signed my name. The sound of the pen meeting paper felt far louder than it should have one line, one signature, and it was over.

Sebastian signed after me, without hesitation.

"It's done," he said simply.

I let out a long breath.

No tears. No drama. Only a strange, hollow feeling.

"Congratulations," I said softly, without thinking.

Sebastian frowned. "For what?"

I smiled faintly. "You're free now."

He looked at me for a long moment, as if he wanted to say something but in the end, he didn't.

"So are you," he said finally.

I nodded. For the first time since this marriage began, there was no longer any role I needed to play.

I turned and started walking toward the door, each step feeling light, yet somehow strange.

"Isabella."

I stopped, but didn't turn around. "Yes?"

Sebastian was quiet for a few seconds before saying, "Take care of yourself."

I smiled to myself, even though he couldn't see it. "You too."

And without looking back, I walked out. Leaving that house, leaving the De Luca name, and leaving behind someone who had never truly been mine.

My footsteps carried me across the front yard of that grand house.

The late afternoon air felt different freer, yet leaving behind an emptiness I couldn't quite explain. The iron gates opened slowly before me, as if marking the boundary between the past and something I had yet to know.

"Let it all go," I murmured to myself.

I paused for a moment before truly stepping out. Without meaning to, I glanced back. The house still stood as grand as ever the same as the day I first arrived, the same as the day I was now leaving.

But this time, I was no longer Isabella De Luca. I was just Isabella.

"This is over," I whispered.

I took a long breath, then stepped forward without hesitation.

You're not broken. You were just in the wrong place.

The thought came on its own, as if some part of me had been waiting a long time to be heard. I didn't know when I had started believing that staying in the wrong place was a form of strength. It wasn't. Real strength is having the courage to leave.

My pace didn't slow. The afternoon breeze touched my face, and for the first time in a year, I felt like myself again. Not a De Luca wife. Not part of a contract. Just Isabella a woman choosing her own life, on her own terms, without asking anyone's permission.