Nothing Without Me

POV: Roman

Valeria stood there with her chin held high, her eyes locked onto mine without a single ounce of her usual submission. She had just pointed at the stark white documents resting on my dinner plate and declared our marriage over.

I stared at her. I shifted my gaze to the thick stack of papers, then looked out toward the hallway, zeroing in on the dark smear of dried blood ruining the living room floor. My exhausted brain struggled to process the sheer absurdity of the situation playing out in front of me. I had just walked through the front door after an exhaustingly long day at the office. I spent ten grueling hours dealing with incompetent employees and arrogant clients. I fully expected to walk into the quiet obedience of my home, sit down in my chair, and eat a hot meal prepared by my wife.

Instead, I got a ruined floor and a stack of legal documents demanding a divorce.

I let out a harsh breath and shook my head, brushing the entire scene off. This had to be a sick joke. She spent all her free time writing those dramatic romance novels. She was always trying to come up with new emotional conflicts for her characters. She was probably just testing out a new plot twist on me to see my genuine reaction. There was no way my docile, dependent wife was actually handing me formal divorce papers.

I closed the distance between us, stepping up to the dining table. I aggressively grabbed her wrist, expecting her brave facade to crack under my touch. I expected a tearful apology to follow immediately.

"Enough of this nonsense, Valeria. Stop playing these games. March into the kitchen right now and get me some real food. I am not in the mood for this drama tonight." I firmly demanded, my grip tightening on her skin to show her I was serious.

To my sheer disbelief, she did not cower. She did not lower her eyes. She simply laughed right in my face. It was a cold, mocking sound that sent a jolt of irritation straight down my spine.

"Alright, Mr. Kincaid. Free my hand. Your meal is already served right there. Would you like me to fetch you a drink to pair with that? Let me guess. Should I pour you a glass of bleach, or would you prefer vinegar?" She said, her voice dripping with biting sarcasm as she tilted her head toward the papers.

I dropped her hand in shock. My jaw clenched tight. What the hell was wrong with her? Was she on some kind of heavy medication from the hospital? She was speaking to me with a level of disrespect I had never heard from her before.

"If you are hungry, go make your own damn meal. I am no longer acting as your personal maid. I expect a fully signed copy of those divorce papers returned to me within three business days." She firmly stated, her posture remaining infuriatingly calm despite the tension in the room.

I let out a loud, condescending scoff. Her sudden audacity staggered me. She was acting like she held all the power, like she was the one walking away from a bad deal.

"Why are you acting so surprised by my actions? Did you truly, genuinely think I would ever choose you over Sylvia? You are just a placeholder." I openly mocked her, leaning over the table to look down at her.

Her expression hardened at the mention of Sylvia's name. "Sylvia violently pushed me earlier today. She shoved me down and almost cost me my life."

I rolled my eyes. There it was. She was bringing up the tired victim game again. She always played this card when she felt threatened by another woman. I knew in my heart that Sylvia would never do such a horrific thing. Sylvia was my fragile first love. She was gentle and sweet, incapable of hurting a fly. Valeria clearly pushed her first, fell over in her own clumsy rage, and now wanted to pin the blame on an innocent woman to guilt-trip me.

"You are nothing without my money and my influence. You need me to survive in this city." I harshly reminded her, pointing a finger at her chest to emphasize the blunt reality of her situation.

She proudly puffed out her chest, refusing to back down an inch. "That is where you are wrong. I was just offered a brand-new job today."

I laughed again. A harsh, booming sound that echoed through the tense dining room. She was delusional if she thought a small paycheck would give her independence.

"I will contact your new employer immediately. I will personally ensure they terminate your contract before you even clock in for your first shift." I threatened, watching her eyes closely for a flicker of fear or panic.

Her cold gaze cut right through me. "Honestly, none of it matters anymore. Do whatever you want with my job. Ruin it if you want. Just make absolutely sure you sign those divorce documents before I leave."

Furious heat flooded my veins. Her blatant disrespect and ungratefulness pushed me over the edge. After everything I had provided for her, she dared to speak to me this way. She was testing my limits. She wanted to see how far she could push me before I snapped.

I snatched the silver pen resting beside the plate. I slammed it down onto the paper and violently signed my name across the dotted lines without a single second of hesitation. She wanted a divorce? Fine. I would give her exactly what she asked for.

I pulled my cell phone from my suit pocket. I aggressively took flash pictures of each individual signed page. The bright flashes illuminated her pale face. I typed out a quick message and sent the files directly to my lawyer to process.

"The divorce will be finalized shortly. You will receive your measly one million dollars in contractual compensation." I coldly informed her, tossing the expensive pen onto the table so it clattered against the fine china.

I noticed her raising a hand to wipe her face. A pathetic sob threatened to break from her lips. She was crying. Of course she was crying. She was putting on a brave face to stroke her own ego, but underneath it all, she was terrified of losing me.

"Pack all of your things and vacate the premises completely before I return. I will not be coming home alone tonight." I harshly ordered, my voice leaving no room for argument.

I turned on my heel. I ignored her pathetic sobs echoing behind me. I confidently walked out the front door, letting the heavy oak slam shut in my wake.

I got into my sleek sports car and started the engine. I slammed my hands against the leather steering wheel, shifting the car into drive. I sped away from the house, driving straight toward the luxury apartment I had originally purchased for Valeria. It was the exact same apartment where Sylvia was currently staying.

Despite my confident exit, my heart raced uncontrollably against my ribs. I breathed heavily, my grip on the wheel turning my knuckles white. It simply did not sit well with my pride. I was the man who controlled this relationship. I was the one who called the shots. The fact that Valeria actually had the nerve to file for the divorce herself felt like a massive blow to my ego. I needed a severe distraction tonight to clear my head. But more importantly, I needed to ensure I taught her a permanent lesson about crossing Roman Kincaid.

I immediately dialed my personal assistant, Briggs, through the car's dashboard display.

"Mr. Kincaid?" Briggs answered on the first ring, his voice crisp and professional over the speakers.

"Find the company that just gave my wife a job. Forcefully coerce them into terminating her employment contract right now. If they push back, find their dirty secrets and leverage them to get it done." I barked the harsh orders into the Bluetooth microphone.

"Yes, sir. I will handle it immediately." Briggs replied.

I ended the call. The silence in the car only made my blood boil hotter. Hanging up did not satisfy the rage clawing at my chest. I glanced at the dark, heavily cloudy sky through the windshield. A cruel smile crept across my face. She thought she could just walk away and start a new life? She thought she could disrespect me in my own home and face no consequences?

I tapped the screen and called Briggs back a second time.

"Sir?"

"I have another task for you. I want you to actively blacklist Valeria's name from every single hotel operating in this entire city. Call all the major chains and the boutique spots. Do not let anyone give her a room tonight." I ruthlessly ordered, my tone dripping with pure malice.

"Understood, Mr. Kincaid. I will get it done."

I ended the call again. Thunder rumbled in the distance over the city skyline. The first heavy drops of freezing rain began to splatter against my windshield, blurring the streetlights. I eagerly looked forward to seeing exactly how she managed to survive in the freezing rain tonight without my protection. She would be wandering the streets with her luggage, soaked to the bone. By tomorrow morning, she would be crawling back to me on her hands and knees.

I pulled into the parking garage of the luxury apartment building, killed the engine, and rode the elevator up to the penthouse.

The moment the elevator doors parted, the front door of the apartment opened. Sylvia stood there waiting for me in the warm hallway light. She wore a stunning, provocative red outfit that clung tightly to every single curve of her body. The fabric dipped low over her chest and rode high on her thighs. Red was my favorite color, and she knew exactly how to wear it to get my attention.

She stepped out into the threshold and leaned in, wrapping her delicate arms around my neck. She passionately kissed me right at the threshold, her soft lips parting against mine.

"Hello, handsome?" She giggled seductively, pulling back just enough to look up into my eyes with a playful twinkle.

I firmly pulled her close against my body. The friction of her curves pressing heavily into my chest provided the exact distraction I craved. My dick got hard instantly as her sweet perfume filled my lungs. I needed to bury myself deep inside her tonight and forget all about the infuriating woman I left crying back at my house.

I wrapped my strong arms tight around Sylvia's waist. I was right on the verge of picking her up off her feet and carrying her straight to the bedroom. My blood pumped heavy with burning lust.

Suddenly, my cell phone began to ring loudly in my suit pocket. The sharp sound shattered the intimate mood in the hallway.

Sylvia pouted, trailing a perfectly manicured finger down my chest to keep my attention. I let out an annoyed groan and pulled my phone out. I saw Briggs's name flashing on the bright screen. A deeply satisfied smirk replaced my annoyance. I fully expected to hear him happily confirm that Valeria was now completely stranded, locked out of every hotel lobby, and shivering miserably in the freezing cold rain.

I stepped back from Sylvia's warm embrace and eagerly answered the call.

"Briggs? Tell me it is done." I answered smoothly, keeping my dark eyes locked on Sylvia's exposed cleavage.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Briggs hesitated. I could hear the nervous tension in his shallow breathing.

"I did exactly as you asked, sir. However, I deeply fear that what we did is entirely useless." Briggs stated, his voice trembling slightly over the line.

My smirk vanished in an instant. My brow furrowed in deep confusion. "What the hell do you mean it is useless? Explain yourself."

"Mrs. Kincaid was just spotted by our men at the international airport." He nervously revealed, stumbling over his words.

"What?!" I loudly exclaimed. I instantly and forcefully pulled my body away from Sylvia, the intense lust draining from my veins in a split second. My pulse spiked with a sudden, panicked shock that rattled my bones. "What is she doing at the airport?"

Briggs took a shaky breath, confirming my absolute worst fear with a single sentence.

"She’s leaving the state, Mr. Kincaid."