Pretended to Need Quiet, Loved Another’s Chaos Chapter 09

Pretended to Need Quiet, Loved Another’s Chaos Chapter 09

I smiled without a word.

Back in college, Adrian’s roommate once described him as fair, principled, and strictly by the book.

He was also stubborn and always convinced he was right.

Back then, Adrian had always indulged me, so I’d never seen that stubborn side of him.

Six years of marriage had proved otherwise.

“I wanted to have a baby with you, Adrian. But every time I tried to touch you, you pulled away. were disgusted by me, so how was that supposed to happen?”

“And how many of the doctor’s recommendations did you follow?”

He seemed to remember the dozen or so drinks he’d downed for Faye.

“That was different. She’s young, and I only…”

“So when she made a toast to me, I was supposed to drink?”

Adrian bit his lip and lowered his head.

“I’m sorry. This was all my fault.”

“I’ll fire her right away and never speak to her again. I won’t make assumptions about you anymore. We can put all this behind us and make things work. Please don’t divorce me.”

So Adrian was capable of apologizing.

But if a few words could make everything right, what did that make of the six years I’d spent walking on eggshells and taking sleeping pills because of him?

“It’s too late, Adrian.”

“I don’t love you anymore, and I won’t stay married to a man I don’t love.”

His eyes reddened.

I called my assistant and asked her to show him out.

“Don’t forget to sign the papers. Let’s end this on good terms.”

Adrian walked toward the door, each step heavy.

Before he left, he asked, “Ivy, I really ruined everything, didn’t I?”

I smiled without answering.

“Goodbye, Mr. Pierce. I hope the new brand launch is a success.”

The elevator doors slowly closed between us.

I rubbed my aching eyes.

Our ten years together ended that day.

The day our divorce was finalized, Adrian told me he’d fired Faye and publicly clarified that there

had never been anything between them.

I nodded.

Faye had already deleted everything from her TikTok and Instagram accounts, so I’d figured out

most of it.

After I got into my car, Adrian knocked on the window. I rolled it down.

“The new campaign went live today. If you get a chance, take a look.”

“Okay.”

When I turned out of the parking lot, he was still standing where I’d left him.

He’d sold the BMW.

Later that day, over dinner with Liam and his wife, I learned that Liam drove the exact same model. That was why Adrian had stopped driving the BMW after I borrowed it.

Liam and I hadn’t seen each other in six years. I had no idea how much Adrian had investigated Liam behind my back-or how long he’d let his jealousy fester in silence.

None of it mattered anymore.

On my way home, I stopped at a red light and saw a Pierce Cosmetics ad glowing across a massive digital billboard.

Adrian had changed the brand name back to IVY.

[Beauty you wear. Love you feel.]

It was the copy from the first proposal my team had submitted. Pierce Cosmetics had paid a generous licensing fee to use it.

When my assistant asked whether we should accept the money, I told her to take every dollar and divide it among Team One as bonuses.

The light turned green.

I looked away from the billboard and drove on.

That was how I said goodbye to those six years-quietly, without a sound.

From that day on, I never struggled with insomnia again.

After work, I could meet friends for dinner or go home, eat snacks, and watch reality shows. I’didn’t

need carpet on every floor, and I never had to tiptoe through my own home again.

Sometimes Adrian still crossed my mind, but the thought never lasted.

We had once shared a life, even if those years had been painful.

Wherever life took each of us next, I hoped we would both find peace.