The front door creaked open.
Ethan Cole staggered into the house, the half-empty bottle of whiskey swinging loosely from his fingers. His signature polished image was in shambles...shirt unbuttoned, tie hanging limp around his neck, and eyes clouded with liquor and something darker.
Maya Cole stood frozen at the threshold, her breath catching in her throat.
"Ethan...?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out a folded document from his blazer pocket and tossed it onto the nearby table, barely missing the edge. "Sign it," he said flatly, voice low and slurred.
Margaret Cole, his mother, who had been reading in the living room, stood up with a gasp. "Ethan?! What are you doing? You're drunk—again?"
It was only the second time she'd seen her son like this. The first time was back when she'd demanded he break up with Maya. He had crumbled then, only to rise again and fight for the woman he loved—convincing even her, Margaret, to accept Maya into their family.
But now?
Maya picked up the document with trembling hands.
It was a contract. A legal agreement that stated: In the event of a divorce, the wife shall not claim any financial assets or compensation from the husband.
Her heart sank.
"You don't trust me...?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He didn't look at her.
"Do you really think I married you for money, Ethan?" Her voice rose, emotion cracking through. "Is this because of your mother again? Is this some twisted way to make her feel better?"
Margaret stiffened. "Maya—"
"Don't," Maya snapped. "Don't pretend to be innocent now."
"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!" Ethan barked suddenly, glaring at her. "I would've never married you if she hadn't given her blessing! She sacrificed everything for me—you think I'd choose you over her?"
Maya felt something inside her break.
She recalled the way he'd once held her hand, promising, "You are my world, Maya. I will respect and trust you for the rest of my life."
And she had replied with a smile, "And if that trust is ever broken, Ethan, that day will be the last time you see me."
Now it felt like that day had come.
Her vision blurred with tears. "Fine," she said coldly. "I'll sign it. But I need two days. That's all I ask."
She turned without another word and walked away.
---
That night, at her father's house, a knock came at the door.
It was Rudvick, Ethan's long-time friend.
"What are you doing here?" Maya asked, wary.
Rudvick smirked and held up a document. "Just came to let you know… this house? Ethan bought it. It's not your father's anymore. You all have to leave."
Maya's eyes widened. "That's a lie."
He shrugged and played a voice recording on his phone.
Ethan's drunken voice echoed through the hallway.
"Who does she think she is? Without me, she's nothing. Ever since she came, nothing's been the same. My mother was never happy. I regret marrying her."
Maya's knees nearly buckled.
Her father's face turned pale as their family's belongings were thrown out. Shame and anger twisted in her chest. I brought disgrace to my family… all because I trusted him.
She straightened her spine and whispered, "I'm sorry, Father."
---
Two days later.
She returned to the mansion that once felt like home. Ethan lay passed out on the couch, the whiskey bottle still beside him.
"I'm here, Ethan," she said. Her voice was hollow. "I signed the documents."
He blinked awake, groggy. "You… you did?"
"Here," she said, pushing the folder toward him. "You need to sign too."
Without even glancing at the contents, Ethan scribbled his name at the bottom, laughing bitterly. "There. Happy now?"
Maya stepped forward. "Yes. Very."
She pulled one paper from the folder and tucked it into her purse.
"And this," she added, removing the gold ring from her finger, "belongs to the past."
She tossed it onto his chest.
"From this moment on, Mr.Ethan Cole, we are nothing but strangers. I hope I never see you again."
Ethan blinked, confusion growing. "What do you mean—strangers?"
He looked down.
The paper he had just signed… wasn't just a waiver.
It was a divorce agreement.
His heart stopped. "Maya… what the hell is this? No. No, I didn't mean—"
"I told you once," she interrupted coldly, "if the trust between us is ever broken, I will walk away."
And she did.
Before he could move, speak, or beg—she was gone.