Divorced, She Became a Powerhouse

After seven straight hours of filming, Anastasia stood up from her writer's seat, only to feel a wave of dizziness wash over her. Her assistant, Lila Carter, caught her just in time. "Anya, are you okay?" The intense work had taken its toll, especially since Anastasia had been fighting off a cold. She smiled faintly. "It's getting late, Lila. You should head home for Christmas. My husband will be picking me up soon." Mentioning her husband brought a soft blush to Anastasia's cheeks. She and Garrett Stone had been married for two years, but she could count on one hand the number of times they had spent together. In fact, for the past two Christmases, Garrett hadn't even been around. But this morning, he had texted her saying he'd be home tonight. Anastasia's heart raced with excitement as she began to plan all the dishes she wanted to cook for Garrett that night. ***** Her phone buzzed with a message from Garrett's friend, Brandon Wolfe. Brandon: Anastasia, where are you? Garrett's been hurt. You need to come to the Veil Lounge, fast! Anastasia: Hurt? How?! What happened?! Anastasia immediately replied. Anastasia: Is he okay? What's going on?! But no response came. Panic gripped her as she shot up, pushing past her dizziness and rushing out of the set. Outside, snowflakes as big as feathers began to fall, and in her hurry, she forgot her scarf and hat. Worry gnawed at her as she urged the driver, "Please, hurry! I have an emergency!" The snowstorm grew heavier, the traffic lights blinking red in the distance, and cars soon came to a standstill. Just two blocks from the Veil Lounge, Anastasia couldn't wait any longer. She jumped out of the car and braved the snow on foot. She hadn't made it far before slipping on the icy street, tumbling to the ground, her clothes soaked through with snow. Her arm scraped against the concrete, and she thought with bitter irony, 'Looks like Garrett and I will both need a hospital visit tonight.' When she finally stumbled into the club's warmth, numb and shivering, a strange unease settled over her. If Garrett was injured, why was he at a club instead of the hospital? His friends couldn't be this careless, right? But deep down, a sinking feeling told her something wasn't right. ***** The door to the private room was slightly ajar, and from down the hall, she could hear Brandon's loud, mocking laughter. "Relax! I bet Anastasia will be here in less than three minutes. She loves Garrett so much. It's pathetic. She's like a dog—does whatever he wants, no questions asked. It's not every day you get to see a wife meet her husband's first love!" Anastasia froze, her fists clenching. She knew Garrett didn't love her, but she never imagined his friends spoke about her this way behind her back. All those times she'd gone out of her way to be kind to them, to make a good impression... And this was what she got in return. Of course. It made sense. Garrett's friends had always supported his relationship with someone else—Delilah Brooks, his first love. "Honestly, what is Anastasia compared to Delilah? Garrett and Delilah are a perfect match." "Anastasia's just some girl who threw herself at Garrett. If she hadn't been so shameless, do you really think Garrett would've married her?" Everyone in Veridale knew Anastasia loved Garrett to her core, but they also knew Garrett had no interest in her. His indifference toward her had spread to everyone around him, giving them free rein to trample all over her. "Oh, you guys are so mean! How could you talk about her like that?" A soft, sweet voice cut through the jeering—it was a voice Anastasia knew all too well. Delilah Brooks. So, she was back. ***** "Delilah, you don't even know the half of it. Garrett hasn't paid her any attention these past two years, and yet she's still his obedient little servant. Where's the former glory of the Langley family princess now?" "Is that true, Garrett? You never told me," Delilah purred, smugness lacing her words. Brandon, always one to stir up trouble, decided to take things further. "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!" Garrett, sitting at the head of the table, hadn't said a word to stop them. Now, with Delilah standing before him, he didn't hesitate. In one swift motion, he pulled Delilah into his arms and kissed her. Cheers erupted from the room, everyone clapping and whooping. If the man kissing Delilah hadn't been her husband, Anastasia might have thought it was a beautiful moment too. But as she stood there, frozen in place, a wave of nausea washed over her, her body turning cold, her stomach twisting violently. ***** Her phone buzzed again. Two texts from her best friend, Tessa Morgan. Tessa: Anya! Did you hear? Delilah's back! Tessa: I bet your husband's about to cheat on you!! Anastasia let out a bitter laugh as she glanced down at the blood seeping through the scrape on her wrist. She'd been so worried about Garrett not having a nice Christmas dinner and so frantic over his supposed injury that she had completely neglected herself. Her concern for him now seemed laughable. Maybe she had been too soft all these years, letting Garrett control her heart, thinking that if she was good enough, patient enough, one day he might turn around and see her. She had thought that this Christmas, he was finally choosing her. But no. To him, she had always been a joke. The image of him kissing Delilah replayed in her mind like some tragic romance film, mocking her. At that moment, something inside Anastasia broke. If Garrett didn't want her love, then what was the point of offering it? She had been naive, believing her humility and devotion could ever compete with the woman Garrett truly wanted. But maybe that's the problem—men like Garrett only valued what they couldn't have. With that realization, Anastasia felt the nausea rise again. Her mind was made up, and she turned and walked away, typing a message as she went. Anastasia: I know. He's my ex-husband now. He's filth, and I'm done with him. He can have that b***h all to himself.