Chapter 2 What are You Playing at Again?

Austin stayed silent, and the tension in the office was so thick you could cut it with a knife. After a long standoff, Sunny just shrugged. "Fine, I won''t bug you anymore. Monday morning, nine sharp, at the courthouse. Don''t be late."

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and for a split second, she hesitated before walking away. "Austin, congratulations. You''re finally free—free from me, the shameless woman who wouldn''t leave you alone." She looked at him with a bitter smile.

"What game are you playing now?" Austin finally spoke, his words cutting like they always did.

Sunny shot him a sideways look. "Relax, this time it''s real. But I''m telling you—this is your one and only chance to get rid of me. Better not waste it."

Her eyes burned with unshed tears. She refused to break down in front of him and give him more ammunition to mock her. She turned and walked out.

Austin watched her leave until she disappeared around the corner. Then he picked up the divorce papers she''d left behind. Sunny had drawn up the entire agreement herself, and she wasn''t asking for a single penny of his money. A complete clean break.

He wasn''t surprised she wanted a divorce—after three years, he''d never really treated her like a wife anyway. But walking away empty-handed? Austin didn''t buy it. This woman had always been greedy. When the Johnson family asked what she wanted in return for saving Grace''s life, she''d immediately demanded to marry him.

Too bad her plan backfired. He''d had all his assets legally protected before the wedding, ensuring he could get rid of her someday without losing a dime. This was probably just another one of her schemes.

Austin smirked and tossed the divorce papers aside, not taking them seriously.

Outside the building, Sunny spotted Alicia''s bright red sports car. She''d barely walked over when Alicia popped open the passenger door. "So? Did he sign?"

Sunny slumped into the seat. "Nope."

"Seriously? Jennifer''s back in town and Austin still isn''t jumping at the chance?"

Sunny clicked her seatbelt and gave her friend a look. "What''s that supposed to mean?"

If they hadn''t been friends for over a decade, Alicia would''ve made front-page gossip news by now. She touched her nose sheepishly. "I''ve never seen someone approach divorce with this much enthusiasm. I''m just trying to figure out if you''re really done or just throwing a tantrum."

"You''re terrible, Alicia!"

Sunny didn''t want to deal with her friend''s teasing. She closed her eyes and tuned everything out.

Thirty minutes later, the car stopped. Sunny opened her eyes and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Thanks." She got out and grabbed her suitcase from the trunk. Alicia blew her two air kisses from the driver''s seat. "No secret crying, okay? Love you!"

And with that, the red sports car sped off. Sunny shook her head. What kind of friend had she chosen?

The villa had been cleaned by a service, and the smart lock used voice, fingerprint, and facial recognition. "M, open the door," she said, and it swung open automatically. "Welcome home, Master," the system replied.

"M, heat some water."

Sunny dragged her suitcase up to the master bedroom on the second floor. Everything inside was hers—all the belongings she''d brought with her three years ago when she''d moved into the Johnson house. After dropping off her luggage, the water was ready. She mixed it with some cold water and leaned against the kitchen counter, drinking most of the glass in one go.

That''s when the tears came. Thinking about Alicia''s parting words, Sunny felt disgusted with herself. She couldn''t hold it together when she was alone.

After keeping it together all morning, she finally cracked. She set down the glass and collapsed against the counter, sobbing. Ten years of loving Austin, and all she had to show for it was three years of a humiliating marriage.

Of course she wasn''t okay with it, but what was the point of being upset? He didn''t love her.

After leaving the Johnson house, Sunny spent two days in a haze, mostly sleeping. But even sleep was restless, filled with strange dreams.

She dreamed of being fifteen, naively thinking that old woman really needed help, not realizing she was just prey. She was terrified as the men dragged her toward their car in one of those dark, narrow alleys where horrible things happened all the time. No one would come to save her—no one would dare.

But just when she''d given up hope, a teenage boy kicked down the man holding her and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of that nightmare alley. She didn''t know how long they ran before he finally stopped, and only then did she dare to stop too. During their desperate escape, she hadn''t even gotten a good look at his face, but when they finally caught their breath, she saw he was incredibly handsome.

He had the darkest eyes, like they had whirlpools in them, and just looking into them made her feel like she was drowning. "What''s your name?" she asked, nervous and hopeful.

"Austin."

His voice was as mesmerizing as his eyes, and Sunny had never felt her heart race like that before. "Thank you for saving me."

"You''re safe now. I should go."

He let go of her hand and started to walk away. She instinctively followed him. "Austin, can I—"

But suddenly, the teenage Austin morphed into the adult Austin, looking at her with cold disgust. "Sunny, what kind of game are you playing now?"

Sunny jolted awake. Her alarm was blaring. She frowned and touched the corner of her eyes—they were wet. "Turn off the alarm." The noise stopped, and the room fell silent again.

She checked her phone. Alicia had texted her thirty minutes ago, telling her to get it together. Right—it was Monday, and she had a divorce appointment with Austin.