Billionaire's biggest mistake

Chapter 2 Elena's POV California, one year ago The table lamp cast a soft glow on my face as I sat before my mirror, applying a final touch of blush. It was our anniversary. Five years of marriage. Five years since we promised each other our undying love. I was in a short red ruffled dress which I had shopped for the occasion specially. Damien had mentioned that he loved how red made my skin pop so I had chosen this particular dress in an attempt to impress him, hoping to earn one of those rare unguarded smiles he gave me sometimes. I smiled at my reflection, trying to be confident but my heart was truly a tangled mess of hope and doubt. I loved Damien so fiercely, it sometimes scared me what I would do for him. He had never been the lovey dovey type of partner. Yes, he indulged me most times and showered me with expensive gifts but that was pretty much where it ended. He treated our marriage more like one of his business relationships. But recently, I could not just shake off the feeling that he didn't love me the same. It was not just the constant late night at work or the curt exchanges that stung, it was the way he seemed more drawn away from me than he already was. It was like an invisible wall had suddenly appeared between us, threatening to pull us apart. He was more distant now than before. Just last week, during his birthday,I had taken my time to prepare a surprise party for him. I had invited all our friends and family and we had waited for him for four whole hours. And when he finally walked in and saw the whole arrangement, he brushed past me with a simple, “I have work to do.” That embarrassing moment had only served to deepen my doubt about his feelings for me. Now, as I reapplied my lipgloss, my mind went to the divorce papers hidden between the pages of my sketchbook in my suitcase that I had asked Alexander, my brother, to prepare for me a week after the birthday drama. Alexander hadn't asked too many questions. He just looked at me with quiet understanding when I showed up at his office trying my best to look composed. But as he passed the manila folder to me, he asked, “Are you sure about this, El. You've been with him for a long time. Don't do this just because you're hurt.” Ofcourse, I had no plans of signing the papers immediately so I kept it buried in my suitcase, waiting for a time when I couldn't stay any longer. Just then, my phone chimed, breaking the stillness of the room. I looked at the screen and saw a message from Damien. “Come to my office. I have a little surprise planned for you.” A surprise? That was not Damien's thing. Maybe he had finally realized how distant we had grown and he was trying to amend that. Whatever it was, I was happy that he had put in the effort. I quickly finished up my makeup, grabbed a clutch he had gifted me on my last birthday and a shawl. My heart beat faster in anticipation and uncertainty as I wrapped the shawl around my shoulders. I hurried downstairs to meet the driver already waiting. Damien must have sent him a text. With help from the driver, I slid into the back seat of the limousine, my heart beating in anticipation as the car pulled out of the driveway and headed towards Damien’s office. The skyscraper building was empty when I arrived, which was expected since it was almost midnight. The lobby was silent, except for the faint hum of the air-conditioning. The security guard gave me a small smile as I passed through and headed to the elevator. I stepped inside and pressed the button for the 135th floor where Damien's office was. When I reached the floor, I walked to Damien's secretary's office first expecting to find Camille, his ever present assistant there but the office was empty so I turned and continued to Damien's office. I saw that the door was slightly open when I got closer. A smile spread through my face as I expecting to see a romantic set-up - candles, red roses, my favourite or anything to remind me of the man I had fallen so madly in love with. I pushed open the door a little more and wgstbi saw inside shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. Damien stood in the middle of the room, locked in a tight intimate hug with Camille. His hands rested on her waist while she pressed herself against him, her face hidden in the crook of his neck. The scene, so unexpected, stole all the air from my lungs, confirming the suspicions I was fighting so hard to not believe. Camille has never liked me. It was a fact that had always been obvious in the way she addressed me. Her tone was always laced with irritation, her words subtle jabs and and her smiles forced. I had noticed it in the beginning and brought it to Damien's attention more than once. “Camille's just like that. You have nothing to worry about with her, babe.” He had said. Now, seeing that Damien had chosen no other person to betray me with but Camilla herself felt like a bigger slap on my face. His betrayal stung but the added layer of Camille's involvement cut deeper. I turned quietly and retreated from the office to the elevator. By the time I got to the lobby, I could barely see past my tears and my breath was coming in shallows. I stumbled to the car and the driver opened the door without a word. The drive back to the mansion was one of anguish. I sobbed so hard,the driver kept turning back to look at me but he still didn't say anything. My world had shattered. How could he do this me and on our anniversary of all days. I felt stupid for hoping he was trying to make things right between us. The pain squeezed my heart until I couldn't breathe. When we arrived at the mansion, I thanked the driver and made my way inside to my bedroom. Once I side, I closed the door and leaned against it, my body trembling as I sobbed harder. After a few minutes, I moved to my walk-in closet and pulled out a small travelling box, one of the wedding gifts I had received from my mom. Then I began packing my things, but only the items that I had gotten by myself without Damien's money. I wasn't going to take anything that cheater had gotten for me. They were little since Damien to care of my all my needs and I was done in no time. I pulled out my phone and with shaky fingers, I booked the next available flight to New York City. I needed to escape. I needed to put enough distance between me and the life that had just shattered. Then I put a call across to my brother. “You need to come get me, Alex.” “Elena, are you okay? Why are you crying?” He asked. “Just come. As quickly as you can.” Finally, as I was about to leave the room, I paused and opened the suitcase. The one where I had hid the divorce documents. With a resolve, I brought out the pages and appended my signature across the pages, each tear that stained the paper acting as a seal. Then I made my way to his home office and dropped the papers on his table. Soon, Alex arrived in his car and I left the life I had known for a few years