Taking back everything I deserve
1152 Words
“I want 800 million,” I said, the words dropping like stones between us.
Charles froze, his smug grin faltering. He blinked, and for the first time since I had known him, he looked unsure. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.” I crossed my arms, meeting his gaze without flinching. “800 million. That’s my price.”
His eyes widened, and then he laughed—a sharp, bitter sound. “You’ve lost your mind.”
I didn’t move, didn’t blink. I just stared at him, unflinching. The laugh died in his throat as my silence stretched on. He was expecting me to falter, to back down, like I always did. But this time was different. I wasn’t the same woman who had stood by his side, shrinking in the shadow of his control.
He shifted, his jaw tightening. “You really think I’m going to give you that?”
“I don’t think,” I said. “I know.”
Charles’s eyes darkened. He hated being outmaneuvered, hated the feeling that someone else was in control. But I could see the calculation in his gaze, the way his mind was ticking, assessing the situation. For all I know, he wants this divorce much more than I do. He wanted to be done with me, to run off to Emily without me dragging behind him like a dead weight.
Still, he scoffed, though the edge of confidence was gone. “Fine,” he said, his voice hard. “800 million it is .
I raised an eyebrow, surprised at how quickly he folded. The agreement would cripple him financially for a time, but Charles was nothing if not ruthless when it came to making money. I could tell it stung him, though—not just the amount, but the fact that I was the one demanding it.
But I wasn’t finished.
“And the villa,” I added, watching his face closely. “I want the villa, too.”
This time, his reaction wasn’t as swift. His lips twitched, and I could see the flicker of frustration cross his face. The villa was his prized possession—the sprawling estate where we had lived, a place he had flaunted as a symbol of his success. Giving it up would be like losing a piece of himself.
But then his eyes flicked to me, cold and calculating. “You want the villa?” he asked, his voice low. “Why? So you can what? Sit in the empty house and remember me?”
I shrugged. “I’ll do whatever I please with it. It’s not your concern.”
His expression darkened, but I could see him weighing the decision. Finally, with a sharp exhale, he said, “Fine. Take it. So we can be done with this.”
I smiled, but it wasn’t a warm smile. It was the kind of smile that came with victory, with the satisfaction of watching him give up . “You really think I’d let you and Emily live there? In the house we shared?” I spat the words out, disgust curling my lips. “The thought of you parading her around this villa—laughable. You two don’t deserve it.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “Careful, Anna.”
“Oh, I’m being careful,” I said, stepping closer, my voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t worry. Once I’m done renovating, you and Emily can rent it, if you can afford the rent.”
I could see the rage building behind his eyes, his fists clenching at his sides. For a moment, I thought he might lash out, the way he used to when things didn’t go his way. But then, almost as if he couldn’t waste another second arguing with me, he pulled out his phone.
“I’m calling Mike,” he said, referring to his lawyer, Mike Lee. “We’ll get this finalized right now.”
I watched as he dialed, his fingers tense. He barked orders into the phone, instructing Mike to come over and draft a new settlement agreement immediately.
When Mike arrived, there was an odd silence in the room. He had been here for our previous meetings—when I had begged Charles for a fair deal, pleaded with him to treat me with some shred of decency. But this time was different. I wasn’t the woman Mike had seen before. This time, I was calling the shots.
Mike’s eyes flicked between us, sensing the shift. He laid out the paperwork, and Charles signed the document with barely a glance, his signature harsh and quick, as if he couldn’t wait to get it over with.
Then, he slid the papers across the table toward me. “Your turn,” he said, his voice tight. “Sign it.”
But I didn’t just grab the pen and sign like he expected. I sat down, taking my time, reading over each clause. I knew how he operated, how he always left traps, little legal clauses that would cut me off at the knees. Not this time. Not ever again.
Charles snorted, watching me with a twisted grin. “Pretending you can actually understand any of that?”
I looked up, meeting his mocking gaze with a steady one of my own. “You’re going to have to get that narcissism looked at, Charles,” I said sweetly. “Before it’s too late.”
His grin faded, his eyes narrowing dangerously. For a moment, I thought he might lose control completely. His fists tightened again, his body tense with fury. The air was thick with the kind of tension that could snap in an instant.
But then his phone rang.
I watched his expression shift as he glanced at the screen. Emily. His entire demeanor changed, softening in an instant. He answered the call, his voice gentle, soothing as he spoke to her. It was as if I wasn’t even in the room anymore, as if I had already become a shadow in his past.
I leaned back in my chair, listening to the man who had crushed me for years now cold into the phone like a lovesick fool. The disgust in my chest grew, tightening into a knot of anger, frustration, and betrayal. This was the man I had once thought I loved, the man who had buried my spirit for three long years.
And now, here he was, treating Emily like she was some fragile thing he needed to protect. He had never spoken to me that way, never cared like that.
The bitterness burned on my tongue. I clenched my teeth, watching him with cold disdain. This wasn’t just about the money or the villa anymore. It was about taking back everything he had stolen from me.
I was done with him But this—this was far from over .
- Writer
