The Dice Said Divorce, but He Thought I’d Stay Chapter 03

The Dice Said Divorce, but He Thought I’d Stay Chapter 03

A laugh tore out of me — raw, disbelieving — and it didn’t stop until tears were running down my face.

Harrison didn’t say a word. Chloe tugged at his sleeve, yanking it back and forth.

“Harrison, I wanna play! Just say yes.”

I wiped my eyes. “Go ahead. Make our child the next toy in her little game.”

“Just like you did with our marriage,” I spat. Harrison pressed a hand over his forehead.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. I can’t.” She froze. Nobody ever said no to her.

She grabbed fistfuls of her own hair, let out a scream, and bolted down the stairs. Harrison went after her without a second thought.

At the door, he looked back. His mouth opened, then closed. He left without a word.

I stared at the box on the floor — everything Harrison and I had ever been.

Grief settled inside me like something corrosive — thick, metallic, grinding against every nerve it touched.

My phone rang. It was Arthur Mercer’s lawyer.

“Ms. Mercer, under the terms of your agreement with your grandfather—”

“Your marriage to Mr. Vance didn’t reach the agreed timeframe. Under the terms of the agreement, you’re to move to Westbridge and marry the man your grandfather chose. You won’t be allowed to return.”

“We’ll send someone to pick you up by the end of the week.”

“Understood, Mr. Smith.”

I hung up and felt every bone in my body turn hollow.

When I came back from the battlefield, I came home against my grandfather’s wishes to marry Harrison. That was when the deal was struck.

Harrison’s injury had ended his career as a surgeon. His hands would never be steady enough for surgery again.

He came home and took over the family business instead. It swallowed him alive.

I never told him about the deal — I didn’t want him carrying that burden too. I never thought I’d lose. Not like this.

When I got back to my apartment, the lights were already on. Dread hit before I even reached the door.

Chloe was standing in the middle of the living room. In her hands was the heirloom locket — the only thing my parents had ever left me.

My father clasped it around my neck before I could even speak. My mother said it would keep me safe and happy for the rest of my life.

Harrison stood by the table, brow drawn tight, fingers drumming the surface. He was the only other person with a key.

“Audrey, apologize to Chloe.” I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Apologize? For what? What did I do?”

“You scared her today.”

I ignored him and lunged for the locket. She giggled and dangled it by the chain, swinging it just out of reach.

“Harrison said what’s yours belongs to him — so I can do whatever I want with it!”

She let go.

The locket hit the floor and broke apart. The room went silent.

The only sound was Chloe giggling. “Oops. My hand slipped.”

Even Harrison froze. He knew what that locket meant to me.

And he’d still handed it over. Let her play with it like a toy, just to keep her smiling.

Something in me snapped. I shoved Chloe to the ground.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking as I dropped to the floor, trying to fit the locket back together. “How could you let her do this? You knew what this meant to me!”

“This is the only thing my parents left me! Go to hell!”

He had the only other key. He brought her here. Chloe’s shrill screaming blurred into noise.

All I could hear was Harrison.

“Go to hell? Really? Over some broken trinket?”

“Fine, Audrey. You’re unbelievable.”

The rage hit so hard my vision went white. I grabbed Chloe by the throat.

“Give it back! Give it back to me!”

Arms locked around me from behind. Harrison pinned my hands, shoved me into the sofa, and tied my wrists.

“She’s a child, Audrey! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“It’s a locket. I’ll buy you endless replacements.”

Harrison swept Chloe up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “Sit here and think about what you’ve done.”

The door slammed behind them.

The broken jade locket had sliced my palms open. Blood ran between my fingers.

I tore free of the rope and slid to the ground. I don’t know how long I stayed like that.

I picked up my phone and called the women’s clinic. “I need to schedule a termination. The sooner, the better.”