Never Crawl Back

He let his hundredth mistress get me drunk at our anniversary party.

My body rejects alcohol. I went into anaphylactic shock. Ended up in the emergency room.

He still texted me from the hospital hallway. "Stop faking, Alayna. Chloe wants barbecue ribs. Get your pathetic self home and cook them."

Then came the warehouse fire.

He didn't hesitate. Carried his mistress to safety. Left me inside.

Flames consumed my screams. Burned my right leg beyond repair.

When I woke in the hospital bed, he was demanding the surgeon prioritize skin grafts for Chloe. Her arm had a minor scrape.

Something shattered inside me. "Sebastian, I want a divorce."

"Divorce?" He laughed coldly. "Have you forgotten about your brother? Who'll pay his medical bills then?"

His mistress giggled nearby. She started a betting pool in their private group chat. [Place your bets! How long until Alayna crawls back this time? One day? Or never?]

Sebastian immediately bet ten million on one day.

I quietly placed one dollar on never.

Then I left the group. Blocked all of them.

I made one call. To Sebastian's biggest rival.

"Sebastian. I'm leaving him. You once promised you'd help me if I ever asked. Is that offer still open?"

"Where are you? I'm coming to get you right now."

"Not yet. I have things to settle first. Give me one month."

After hanging up, I went straight to the law firm.

"Mr. Harrison, I need two documents prepared. A divorce agreement. And a stock transfer contract."

Harrison looked uneasy. "Does Mr. Harrington know about this?"

I touched my bandaged arm. Blood still seeped through. "He will."

Right now, he was probably comforting Chloe.

We arrived home within minutes of each other that evening.

He noticed the cold kitchen immediately. His face darkened. "I told you Chloe wants tiramisu. Why haven't you started?"

I didn't respond. Just took a seat at the dining table.

His voice turned dangerous. "Alayna, are you trying to test me? Don't push your luck or I'll—"

"Cut off my brother's treatment?" I finished for him. My gaze steady. "Go ahead."

I'd heard that threat too many times to count.

For years, I endured everything for my brother's sake.

I watched him shower his mistresses with affection while I cleaned up their messes.

He made me stand as target practice while they shot arrows at me. No protection.

He sent me driving through hurricanes to deliver meals to some woman across town.

But I'm still human. There's only so much humiliation one person can take.

I pulled the documents from my bag.

"Sign these."

Sebastian looked startled. He'd never seen me so calm before. He reached for the papers when his phone rang.

He answered right in front of me.

Chloe's whining voice filled the room. "Sebastian, where are you? My arm... It really hurts..."

His expression softened immediately. "I'm coming, baby." He turned to leave.

I grabbed his wrist. "Sign first."

Annoyed, he glared at me. "Can't you see she's in pain? Why are you always so difficult?"

He snatched the pen. Flipped to the last page. Signed without reading.

My heart clenched as I watched his hurried signature.

If he'd bothered to look, he would have seen it was our divorce papers.

But he didn't.

He stormed out. The door slammed shut. The wind chime by the entrance tinkled softly.

I sat there. Motionless.

That wind chime. It belonged to my half-sister—Sophia Prescott. She and Sebastian were childhood sweethearts.

Five years ago, she died in a car crash.

The Prescott Family couldn't bear losing their connection to the Harringtons. So they forced me into Sebastian's bed.

I'll never forget the look in his eyes that night. Pure disgust.

"You think this cheap trick will make you my wife? Dream on. I'll never accept you!"

But when the "scandal" broke, my father wept and demanded Sebastian take responsibility. Or face public exposure.

Old Mr. Harrington valued family reputation above all. So we married.

I knew Sebastian didn't love me. But I loved him. I told myself if I tried hard enough, maybe I could melt his frozen heart.

The clock showed 5:36 PM.

I stood by the window, watching the sunset paint the sky in shades of orange and purple.

Tonight was supposed to be our wedding night.

But Sebastian had other plans.

He walked through the door with a woman on his arm.

She looked exactly like my sister Sophia.

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach.

This wasn't the first time.

It had become his favorite form of torture.

I made a promise to myself months ago.