Chapter 2 Brilliant Star

"Are you serious?" Justin''s voice was ice-cold and impatient.

Taking a deep breath, Cecilia answered, "Yes. I want a divorce, and I don''t want a single penny from you."

Justin let out a dismissive snort. "Is this your new little game?"

"If you''re free, we can go to the courthouse tomorrow morning. I—"

Justin cut her off, hanging up without letting her finish. Not a word of goodbye, nothing.

Noticing Justin''s stormy expression, Erin leaned against his shoulder. "What''s wrong, babe?"

Justin just shook his head and reached for his wine glass again.

He didn''t buy it for a second—Cecilia actually divorcing him? Please. She had no connections, no real skills, no way to make it on her own. She needed him.

This was just another one of her desperate plays for attention. She''d come crawling back soon enough.

The next morning at the courthouse, Cecilia had been waiting for what felt like forever when Justin''s limo finally pulled up. Even stepping out of a car, the guy looked like he''d walked off a magazine cover—all sharp angles and expensive everything. People were definitely staring.

He walked over with that predatory look in his eyes, like he was about to tear into someone.

"What the hell is this really about?"

"A divorce."

Cecilia met his glare head-on, her voice steady. She wasn''t about to give him the satisfaction of an explanation.

Inside, the clerk was already waiting for them. The whole thing moved faster than expected—paperwork, more paperwork, and then they were down to the final signature. Cecilia barely glanced at the papers before signing her name with zero hesitation, then slid them across to Justin.

Her quick decisiveness threw him off. There was something different about her—something that made his chest tighten in a way he didn''t like. This wasn''t the same woman who used to hang on his every word. This version of Cecilia had the nerve to actually leave him.

She nudged the papers closer to him. "What are you waiting for?"

Justin''s mouth curved into that cruel smile he was famous for, but his pen stayed in his hand. "You''re going to lose everything, Mrs. Quinn. You sure about this?"

Cecilia looked straight into those dark eyes of his. "One hundred percent."

They filed the petition. The judge explained the three-month waiting period—either party could back out anytime before then if they changed their mind.

"I won''t," Cecilia said immediately.

Justin''s face went dark as he studied her. Everything she''d done today had blindsided him. It was like she couldn''t wait to get rid of him.

The feeling sitting in his chest was... complicated.

"She won''t get the chance," he told the judge, then stormed out of the room.

Cecilia hurried after him. "Well, Mr. Quinn, see you in three mon—"

The car door slammed in her face before she could finish. His limo was already speeding away, leaving her standing there in the courthouse parking lot.

She shook her head. Typical Justin—couldn''t even be civil when their marriage was officially over.

After standing there for a minute, she pulled out her phone. "It''s done. Come pick me up at the courthouse."

Less than ten minutes later, a cherry-red convertible screeched to a stop beside her. Cecilia''s best friend Sabina Cooper hopped out.

"You actually went through with it?"

"Yep." Cecilia nodded and got into the passenger seat.

"Thank God!" Sabina practically vaulted over the car door instead of opening it. "You used to be this total badass before you married that guy. Then you turned into his personal doormat. I''m so glad you''re finally free. Time to come back and run your company again—we''ve all been waiting for you."

Cecilia bit her lip and said nothing. She was obviously struggling, so Sabina pulled her into a hug.

"Hey, it''s okay. Let it out."

Cecilia buried her face against Sabina''s shoulder for a moment. When she finally pulled back, her eyes were teary, but she managed a weak smile. "You''ve been running everything for years. I''m not sure I even remember how to do this anymore."

"Are you kidding me?" Sabina flicked her on the forehead. "You were the queen of the cosmetics world. Your comeback is going to be legendary."

"That man totally messed with your head and made you forget how incredible you are. Getting back to your old self? Easy. Don''t you dare doubt it."

Cecilia thought back to when she''d first started her business. Exhausting as hell, but she''d loved every minute of it.

But this divorce... it felt like such a massive failure. She needed time to figure out who she was again.

"Let''s talk about it later. I just need to breathe for a while."