The Billionaire's Divorced Wife

Chapter Three

"Come on, Cara! We need to leave soon," Emily called from the bathroom, where she was applying the final touches to her makeup.

Cara sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor. She was still donning her sweatpants and an old t-shirt. Even though Emily suggested it was a good idea to go out to chill and unwind, Cara didn't feel like it. The thought of the hurtful things Derrick said still weighed down heavily on her.

Emily burst into the bedroom, beautifully dressed in a little black low-back dress and heels.

"You can't sit here moping forever. Up! Let's find you something fabulous to wear."

Cara sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know, Em. I'm really not in the mood."

Emily planted her hands on her hips and gave Cara a stern look.

"Nope, I won't take no for an answer. Derrick is gone, and you need to start living your life again. Now, come on!"

Reluctantly, Cara stood up and followed Emily to the closet. Emily flicked through the hangers with practiced ease, finally pulling out a deep red, lustrous dress.

"This one. It’s perfect," Emily declared, handing the dress to Cara. "Now, go put it on."

With a resigned sigh, Cara took the dress and changed in the bathroom. She stared at her reflection, feeling like she was looking at a stranger. The dress hugged her curves and brought out the color in her cheeks. For a moment, she almost felt like her old self again.

"See? You look amazing," Emily said, appearing behind her. "Now, let's do something with that hair."

A few minutes later, Cara's hair was styled in loose waves, and a touch of makeup had brightened her face. She had to admit, Emily had a knack for this.

"Alright, I'm ready," Cara said, trying to muster some enthusiasm.

Emily grinned. "That's the spirit! Now, let’s go have some fun."

The Briston bar was alive with neon lights and pulsating music when they arrived. Cara followed Emily through the crowd, feeling the bass thrum through the floor and into her bones. She felt out of place, like a puzzle piece forced into the wrong picture, but Emily’s enthusiasm was infectious.

"Come on, Cara! This is exactly what you need," Emily shouted over the music, pulling her towards the bar.

Cara managed a nervous smile.

"I'm not so sure about this, Em."

Emily rolled her eyes. "You need to stop moping around. Derrick is history. Tonight, we have fun. End of discussion."

Cara sighed and accepted the drink Emily handed her. She sipped it, the sharp taste of alcohol mingling with the faint sweetness of lime. It was good, she had to admit.

As the two friends settled into a corner of the bar, a man across the room caught Cara's eye. He appeared to have been staring at her for a while, and when their gazes met, she caught his lips curve slightly with a charming smile.

Cara felt her head grow hot almost immediately. He was incredibly handsome, and tall, with dark, slightly tousled hair and a confident stance, he seemed to move through the crowd with ease. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Cara quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing.

"Who's that?" Emily asked, noticing Cara's reaction.

"No idea," Cara replied, trying to sound indifferent.

Emily grinned. "Well, let’s find out."

Before Cara could protest, the man was already approaching them. He stopped in front of their table, a charming smile playing on his lips.

"Hi there," he said, his baritone voice smooth and self-assured. "I'm Josh. Mind if I join you ladies?"

Emily nudged Cara under the table. "Sure, have a seat. I'm Emily, and this is Cara."

Josh turned his gaze to Cara, his eyes twinkling with interest. "Nice to meet you, Cara."

Cara felt a flutter in her stomach but fought to keep her cool. "Nice to meet you too, Josh."

They chatted for a while, with Josh effortlessly steering the conversation. Cara found herself laughing and relaxing more than she had in months. Emily excused herself to the dance floor, leaving Cara and Josh alone.

"So, what brings you here tonight?" Josh asked, leaning closer.

Cara hesitated. "Just trying to forget about some things."

"Sounds like we have something in common," Josh said, his tone sympathetic. "How about a dance? Might help clear your head."

Cara glanced towards the dance floor where Emily was already lost in the music.

“...I'm sorry, dancing is not my thing.” She uttered, embarrassed.

“I see.” He chuckled, his dark eyes gleaming with smiles. “Modest?”

Cara shook her head, rubbing both arms nervously.

“I really can't dance.”

At her words, Josh let out a hearty laughter.

"Let's just get another drink then." He offered politely.

Cara shook her head. "I think I've had enough for tonight."

Seeing that she was beginning to lose interest and feel uncomfortable, he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a card.

"Well, if you ever want to talk or just need a friend, give me a call."

Cara took the card reluctantly.

"Thanks, Josh."

He smiled and gave her a small wave before disappearing into the crowd. Emily returned, her face flushed with excitement.

"See? I told you it would be fun!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, it was. Thanks, Em.”

“So, tell me, what was he like?”

Cara chuckled at her friend's slyness.

“He's…okay.” she shrugged.

“I hope you took his number. He sure is quite the catch!”

As they left the bar, Cara slipped the card into her pocket. Once outside, she reached in, pulled it out, and looked at it for a moment before letting it flutter into a nearby trash can.

Emily caught the motion out of the corner of her eye and immediately spun around, eyes wide.

"Cara! What the f are you doing?!"

Cara shrugged, trying to downplay it. "I just don't think I'm ready for this, Em."

Emily's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Are you serious? Josh was clearly into you! Do you know how rare it is to meet a guy like that?"

Cara sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

"Emily, he was nice, but I'm not looking to jump into another relationship right now."

Emily huffed, crossing her arms. "You can't just throw away opportunities like this. Do you realize where we were? That bar is known for being a hotspot for billionaires and some seriously wealthy guys. Josh could be one of them!"

Cara rolled her eyes.

"So what? I'm not interested in someone just because they might be rich. I need to focus on myself for a while."

Emily's expression softened slightly, though she still looked concerned.

"I get that, but you can't close yourself off completely. Derrick hurt you, but not every guy is going to be like him."

Cara took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "I know. But tonight was about having fun and reminding myself that I can still enjoy life. I'm not ready to think about the future with someone new yet."

Emily sighed, wrapping an arm around Cara's shoulders.

"Alright, alright. I just want you to be happy, and I thought maybe Josh could be a step in that direction."

Cara beamed.

"Thank you, Em. I know you mean well. But right now, I just need to take things one step at a time."

Emily nodded, giving her a squeeze.

"Okay. But promise me you won't shut the door on every new opportunity. Just... keep an open mind."

Cara laughed softly. "I promise. Now, let's get home. This dress is killing me."

Emily chuckled. "Deal. But next time, we're definitely not letting any potentially billionaire cards go to waste!"