MARRIED TO MY HUSBAND’S ENEMY

Chapter Three : The Divorce Papers

I didn’t sleep.

By morning, the anniversary dinner I had spent hours preparing had become nothing more than a cruel reminder of how foolish I had been.

I sat on the edge of my bed with Damian’s message still open on my phone.

There are things you need to know about your family.

I had read it so many times that the words no longer looked real.

My family.

What could Damian possibly know about them that I didn’t?

I reached for my phone again, but before I could call him, another notification appeared.

A message from my father.

Dad: Come home. We need to talk.

My stomach tightened.

I stared at the message.

Had Damian already spoken to him?

I didn’t bother changing out of my clothes. I grabbed my handbag and left.

By the time I reached my parents’ house, my mother was waiting in the foyer.

One look at my face and her expression changed.

“Amelia.”

I walked straight into her arms.

For a moment, I allowed myself to be held.

Then I pulled away.

“Did you know?”

Her brows pulled together.

“Know what?”

“About Damian.”

She went still.

That was enough.

My heart sank.

“You knew.”

“Amelia, listen to me.”

“No.”

I stepped back.

“Everyone knew except me.”

“Your father wanted to tell you.”

“Then why didn’t he?”

She looked toward the study.

“He’ll explain.”

I walked inside.

My father stood behind his desk, his expression unusually serious.

He looked older than he had yesterday.

“Sit down,” he said.

“I don’t want to sit.”

He sighed.

“Amelia, there are things you don’t understand about your marriage.”

“Then explain them.”

He exchanged a glance with my mother.

“Your marriage to Damian was important to both families.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t.”

His words made my chest tighten.

“I found out last night that my husband never loved me. I found out our marriage was an arrangement. What else is there?”

My father looked away.

“Your marriage was meant to protect the Hart family.”

“From what?”

He remained silent.

“From what, Dad?”

“I can’t tell you everything.”

I laughed bitterly.

“Of course.”

I turned toward the door.

“Amelia.”

I stopped.

My father opened a drawer and pulled out a folder.

He placed it on the desk.

“What is that?”

“Documents concerning the Sterling family.”

I didn’t move.

“Why are you showing me this now?”

“Because things have changed.”

I walked closer.

Before I could open it, my phone rang.

Damian.

I stared at his name.

My father noticed.

“Don’t answer.”

I looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because whatever he says, don’t make any decisions until you’ve spoken to me.”

I rejected the call.

Seconds later, another call came.

I ignored it again.

My father walked around the desk.

“Amelia, your marriage wasn’t what you thought it was. But there were reasons for it.”

“Reasons that apparently everyone knew except me.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“You protected me by letting me marry a man who didn’t love me?”

His face fell.

“I thought things would be different.”

I shook my head.

“I can’t do this.”

I picked up the folder.

“I need to know the truth.”

“You will.”

“When?”

He hesitated.

“Give me time.”

I stared at him.

“I’ve given everyone three years.”

I left the folder on his desk and walked out.

My phone rang again.

This time, it was my lawyer.

I answered.

“Mrs. Sterling?”

“Yes?”

“We need to discuss something concerning your marriage.”

My heart sank.

“What?”

“There are divorce documents.”

I stopped walking.

“Divorce documents?”

“Yes. They were prepared some time ago.”

I looked toward my mother’s house.

“By whom?”

There was a pause.

“Your husband.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

“How long ago?”

“Almost six months.”

Six months.

Damian had prepared divorce papers six months ago.

While sleeping beside me.

While telling me he loved me.

While planning our anniversary.

I closed my eyes.

“Send them to me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

The documents arrived twenty minutes later.

I opened them in the back seat of my car.

The first page contained Damian’s name.

The second contained mine.

And beneath our names were the words:

DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE.

My eyes blurred.

I continued reading.

There were financial arrangements.

Property divisions.

Confidentiality clauses.

Everything was carefully prepared.

Almost too carefully.

This wasn’t something Damian had decided last night.

He had been planning to end our marriage long before I knew there was a problem.

I reached the final page.

There was one handwritten note attached to the documents.

Three words.

Do not trust Alexander.

I frowned.

Alexander?

Who was Alexander?

I had heard the name before, but only in passing.

My father had mentioned him once during a business dinner.

A Blackwood.

Damian’s enemy.

I stared at the note.

Why would Damian warn me about a man I barely knew?

My phone buzzed.

A message from an unknown number.

You should listen to your husband.

I froze.

Another message appeared.

Alexander Blackwood is not the man you think he is.

I looked through the car window.

A black sedan was parked across the street.

Its windows were tinted.

I couldn’t see who was inside.

Then the car pulled away.

My heart began pounding.

I looked down at the divorce papers again.

For the first time, I understood something.

Leaving Damian might not be as simple as signing a few documents.

There was something much bigger happening around me.

And somehow, Alexander Blackwood was already involved.