Ethan's head snapped up, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"A peaceful divorce," she continued, her voice eerily calm. "Or I'll file for an annulment. I don't want alimony, I don't want anything from you."
"Mara, no. Baby, we can fix this," Ethan begged, reaching for her. "I don't know how, but I will. I swear—"
Mara stepped back. "A peaceful divorce means we had something real. Something beautiful that ended. But if you fight me, I'll file for an annulment. And that means this never happened. We never happened."
Ethan felt his chest tighten.
Ethan froze, his chest tight, his breath shallow. He stared at Mara, her words slicing through him. "Mara, please," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Don't do this. We can fix this. I'll do anything."
Mara's face was stone, her eyes cold. "You can't fix this, Ethan. You loved her. You loved my best friend. That's not something you just fix." Her voice trembled, but she held it together, refusing to let him see her break.
