Chapter Two
1043 Words
Audrey's POV
I don't remember driving to the hotel. My mind and eyes are full of pain and tears. I somehow make it to the nearest hotel.
I drop my purse on the floor and fall onto the bed, not even taking off my shoes.
The picture of Gerald and Sophia together plays over and over in my mind.
I close my eyes and remember the day we met. I was playing piano at Café Luna, a small coffee shop that paid me just enough for my tiny apartment's rent.
Most people barely noticed the girl at the piano in the corner, but that day, a man in a baseball cap and dark glasses sat at the table closest to me for my entire three-hour set.
"I've been looking for real talent like yours," he said afterward. Your music has soul. Real feeling."
He asked me to coffee the next day, and I said yes. I was nobody. A foster kid whose parents were involved in hard drugs and died in prison.
I was working three jobs to pay my bills. He was famous, rich, and could have had anyone. But he chose me, or so I thought.
Now I understand. He didn't fall in love with me. He fell in love with what I could create for him.
I roll over and scream into the pillow until my throat hurts. Three years of my life. Three years of writing songs that made him a star while I stayed hidden in the shadows. Three years of staying strong while his fans called me trash.
Sleep won't come. I walk around the small hotel room, my mind racing with memories and questions.
By the time the sun comes up, my eyes are swollen from crying. I order coffee from the hotel's small breakfast area and sit in a corner, trying to figure out what to do next.
The TV on the wall is showing a morning show. I'm not paying attention until I hear Gerald's name.
"Breaking news in the music world this morning! Sources close to pop star Sophia Cruz confirm that she is expecting a baby with superstar Gerald Evans!"
The coffee cup slips from my hand, hot coffee spilling across the table. On the screen, photos of Gerald and Sophia at different events flash by, followed by what looks like a recent picture of them leaving a doctor's office.
"The power couple has been seeing each other for several months," the host continues, her smile bright. "While Gerald is still married to Audrey Johnson-Evans, insiders tell us the marriage has been over for some time."
My stomach turns. I barely make it to the bathroom before throwing up.
Pregnant. Sophia is pregnant with Gerald's child.
My phone, which I'd turned off last night, shows seventeen missed calls when I finally check it. A text message appears on my screen. It's from Gerald. "We need to talk. Come home."
I pay my hotel bill and drive back to the city. The entire drive, I practice what I'll say to Gerald. All the anger, all the hurt, all the betrayal I feel.
But when I walk through the front door two hours later, the words die in my throat.
Gerald sits at the dining area, dressed perfectly in a suit like he's going to a business meeting. Papers are spread before him on the table.
"Sit down," he says, gesturing to the chair across from him.
I remain standing. "Is it true? About Sophia?"
Gerald sighs, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. "It wasn't supposed to come out this way. But yes, Sophia is pregnant."
While I've been writing songs about love and devotion, my husband has been creating a life with another woman.
"How long have you been seeing her?" I ask, my voice surprisingly steady.
"Does it matter?" Gerald replies, not meeting my eyes. "Look, I wanted to handle this differently, but now that it's public, we need to move quickly."
Move quickly? What does that mean? He pushes a folder toward me. Inside is a contract, dozens of pages thick with sticky tabs marking spots for signatures.
"What is this?"
"A business arrangement," Gerald says, his tone detached. "We'll divorce quietly. You'll continue to write songs for me, exclusively, for the next five years. I'll pay you well—better than what you're getting now as my wife. You can keep doing what you love without the pressure of public scrutiny."
I stare at him, disbelief washing over me. "Is that what you think our marriage has been? A business arrangement?"
"Come on, Audrey," Gerald scoffs. "We both know why we got married. You needed someone to bring your songs to life. I needed those songs. And it worked."
"I loved you, Gerald," I whisper, tears finally breaking through. "I actually loved you."
Gerald's expression softens slightly. "And I'm grateful for that. But this thing with Sophia... it's different. We're going to be a family. My fans are already celebrating. They are happy for us."
Of course, they are. The fans who have never thought I was good enough for their idol are finally getting what they wanted.
I pick up the contract, flipping through pages outlining how I would continue to be his ghostwriter while he builds a family with Sophia.
Three years of giving him everything, my love, my songs, my heart and this is what I'm worth to him.
I rip the contract in half, then in quarters.
"I won't be your secret songwriter anymore," I say, my voice gaining strength. "You want songs? Write them yourself."
Gerald's face darkens. "Don't be stupid, Audrey. What else are you going to do? Who's going to want you? Everyone knows your background and your family history. I gave you legitimacy."
I grab the divorce papers from the folder, find the signature line, and scrawl my name without reading a word.
"Keep the house, the cars, the money," I say, dropping the pen. "I don't want anything that reminds me of you."
As I turn to leave, Gerald calls after me, his voice cold. "You'll regret this, Audrey. Nobody walks away from me."
As I walk out the door of the mansion, a chill runs down my spine.
- Writer
