Strangers Now

Melanie’s usual bravado evaporated the second she met Dominic's murderous gaze. The towering man stood behind them with his jaw clenched tight, radiating a freezing chill that made the surrounding clubgoers unconsciously back away. She froze, her eyes darting nervously between him and her best friend.

"Oh, Brenda is calling for me!" Melanie blurted out, her voice pitching high in panic. She took a quick step back, raising her hands in surrender. "You two chat!"

Without waiting for a response, she scurried off, disappearing into the dense, sweaty crowd and leaving Valerie standing alone with her enraged ex-husband.

Valerie did not flinch. Maintaining a calm, infuriatingly polite smile, she nodded gracefully. "Sure."

She turned on her heel and obediently followed a visibly seething Dominic. They navigated through the suffocating, bass-heavy banquet hall, pushing past throngs of cheering spectators, until they finally breached the heavy exit doors. The pulsing music faded into a dull thump as the cool night air hit their skin. They stopped on the empty pavement, directly under the harsh glow of the streetlights.

As they faced off in the quiet street, Dominic’s eyes critically swept over her. He took in the sight of her chest heaving slightly as she caught her breath from the intense dance. He acutely noted the slightly messy state of her dark hair, the vibrant, rosy flush staining her cheeks, and the daring, languid, unapologetic sparkle dancing in her eyes.

It was a staggering, visceral contrast to the meek, invisible woman he had comfortably ignored for three years. In the past, he had deemed her a fantasist gold digger who lacked self-awareness. He was used to seeing her cast soft, gentle glances his way whenever he returned to their quiet estate. This vivid, flamboyant version of her felt like a stranger.

His annoyance flared into open hostility. He stepped closer, his tone razor-sharp and biting. "Since we're already divorced, there's nothing between us anymore. I don't care who you date, but we just signed the papers this morning. I don't want to be cuckolded for no reason."

The baseless accusation hit Valerie like a bucket of ice water. The venom in his words stung, but instead of breaking under the weight of his insult, she held her ground. She merely raised a hand, sweeping her long hair over her shoulder, and let out a soft, mocking chuckle.

"But I can't stop him from flirting with me, Mr. Thorne," she replied, her lips curving into a smirk.

Then, reminding him of her flawless, unquestionable devotion during the entirety of their suffocating marriage, her voice abruptly dropped its playful tone. It turned lethal and cold. "You don't need to talk to me if it's regarding this matter. For three long years, I did the chores every single day. I behaved respectfully toward your parents. You shouldn't worry that others will think I cheated on you."

She leveled a freezing glare at him. "Instead, you should seriously worry about how you're going to marry a proper socialite if word gets out that the Thorne family shamelessly wasted their daughter-in-law's youth!"

She let the heavy truth hang in the air between them, stating with unwavering clarity what he needed to hear. "I think Mr. Reed has already relayed my words to you. Since we're divorced, we are strangers now."

Curling her lips into a perfect mock smile, she turned on her heel and walked back inside the vibrant club without a second glance.

Left behind in the cold, Dominic forcibly suppressed his boiling fury. He glared at the heavy doors swinging shut behind her. The woman who had once forced her way into his life uninvited was now boldly playing the victim. What a joke. He ran a hand over his face, frustrated with himself. Why did he even come here at such a late hour to embarrass himself instead of going home to sleep?

Before he could storm back in after her, his phone vibrated aggressively in his pocket. He tore his gaze from the entrance and pulled the device out. Seeing the caller ID, he narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Dom, I accidentally tailgated someone!" Chloe's frantic voice spilled through the speaker. She sounded teary, frail, and panicked. "He's so aggressive! Can you come? I'm scared!"

Dominic's expression remained impassive. "I'll ask Silas to go."

"It's fine if your assistant comes," Chloe sniffled, her breath hitching desperately. "But my brother gave me those sensitive business documents to hand over to you today. If you can come, I can give them to you. Is that okay with you, Dom?"

Dominic glanced toward the colorful neon lights flashing from inside the banquet hall. He paused for a moment, his jaw tight. "Where are you?"

"At the fork of Autumn Avenue."

"Okay."

He ended the call, but he did not immediately head for his car. A dark possessiveness urged him forward. He aggressively reentered the banquet hall, pushing past a group of dancers. His cold eyes scanned the pulsing crowd, hunting for Valerie.

He spotted Weston and Declan lounging near the bar and marched over, cornering his friends.

"Dom, why are you back?" they asked, surprised.

Dominic slid them a freezing glare. "Where's Valerie?"

Declan rubbed his nose awkwardly, shrinking slightly under Dominic's intense gaze. "She left already. A hunk fetched her."

Dominic’s face darkened into a storm cloud. Without offering a single word of reply, he turned and stormed out of the club, his long strides eating up the distance to the exit.

Weston sighed, staring at his retreating back. "Aren't they divorced already? Why does he still care so much?"

Declan shrugged, sipping his drink. "A man's strange possessiveness, I guess?"

Meanwhile, miles away from the suffocating drama of the club, Valerie rode in the back of a spacious, black MPV. She pressed two fingers to her temples, massaging the dull ache forming behind her eyes. Her head spun uncomfortably from the potent cocktails Melanie had handed her earlier. However, the alcohol was nothing compared to the lingering, venomous sting of Dominic’s harsh accusations.

He actually thought she would cheat on him. After everything she had given him, he still thought the worst of her.

Beside her, Melanie was pinned down in the back seat by Nathan, looking like a meek baby bird caught in a trap. Silence blanketed the interior of the car while the neon city lights flashed by the tinted windows.

The MPV finally rolled to a smooth halt before the towering iron gates of Valerie's private mansion. Nathan unbuckled his seatbelt, turning toward her with a polite offer to walk her inside.

Valerie dismissively waved him off. "It's fine. You should take care of Melanie instead. She's the one trying to drag me into becoming a party girl."

Nathan laughed softly. "If you didn't let her be, she wouldn't dare."

Valerie shot him a glare, expertly masking her profound, lingering pain behind a sharp, sarcastic joke. "Fine. Can the two of you just disappear from my sight now? I just got divorced today, so seeing happy couples annoys me to no end."

"Then we'll go now," Nathan smiled, understanding the cue.

Having known each other for more than twenty years, their relationship ran deeper than basic friendship. Her perceptive friends knew she hated being pitied. To them, she was just experiencing a temporary slump; it was just a divorce, and she would be back on her feet in a few days. They had no idea how deep the emotional devastation truly ran.

Valerie stepped out of the vehicle and walked through the heavy front doors. Once alone in the cavernous, quiet expanse of her house, the strong facade she wore for the world finally shattered.

She kicked off her heels and slowly made her way to the gleaming kitchen. The grand space was engulfed in an echoing silence. Going through the familiar motions, she prepared a warm glass of honey water to soothe her stomach. Holding the warm glass between her palms, she carried it out to the living room.

Instead of drinking, she sat rigidly on the plush couch. She placed the glass on the sleek coffee table and simply stared blankly at the golden liquid.

One second passed. Then another.

Hot, silent tears finally spilled over her thick lashes. They tracked down her cheeks, dropping onto her lap. The misery was undeniable and crushing. Her chest he heave with quiet, agonizing sobs as the weight of the last three years collapsed onto her shoulders.

She mourned the girl she used to be. Once, she had been a brilliant, exceptionally gifted student. She possessed outstanding looks and unmatched academic prowess. Despite coming from an average family, she was always the center of attention, destined to unleash her boundless potential upon the world. If not for Dominic, she could have contributed to a field she truly loved, just like Melanie and her other peers.

But she had foolishly traded it all away for him.

Dominic had saved her when she was fifteen years old. It was a singular act of bravery, a moment of pure light in her life. She had tragically mistaken that light for divine salvation. She had poured her entire soul into loving him, shrinking herself to fit into his cold, unwelcoming world. That act of salvation had ultimately become her deepest abyss. It swallowed her youth, her dreams, and her fiery spirit.

She sat alone in the dim light, wiping a tear from her jaw. The pain was excruciating, but underneath the profound heartbreak, a spark of fierce, resolute determination ignited. She had finally, bloodily clawed her way out of that darkness. The divorce papers were signed. The chains were broken.

Valerie stared into the silent room, her jaw setting into a hard line. She fiercely vowed to herself that she would never, ever let herself fall back into the abyss of loving him again.