The Wife He Underestimated Chapter 06
Marcus called seventeen times in the first week.
I answered none of them.
He sent emails–long, rambling things about misunderstandings and second chances. I set up an auto–filter to send them straight to trash.
He sent flowers to the Moretti estate. The staff redirected them to the local hospital.
On day eight, he showed up in person.
I was in Father’s study, reviewing acquisition targets, when Alessandro poked his head in.
“Your ex–husband is at the gate.”
I didn’t look up from my spreadsheet. “Tell security to send him away.”
“Already did. He’s not leaving. Says he’ll wait.”
“Then let him wait.”
+45 Coins
Alessandro leaned against the doorframe, amused. “You know, I hated him for five years. But watching him grovel is almost making me hate him less.”
“He’s not groveling. He’s panicking. There’s a difference.”
“What’s he panicking about?”
“His company is falling apart without me. He just doesn’t understand why yet.”
I pulled up another screen–this one showing Steele Capital’s stock price over the past week. It had dropped 12%.
“You’re tracking his company?”
“Of course I’m tracking it. I built it. I want to watch it crumble.”
Alessandro grinned. “Remind me never to cross you.”
At noon, Marcus was still there.
At three PM, I finally went down to the gate myself.
He looked terrible. Unshaven, rumpled suit, dark circles under his eyes. Nothing like the polished CEO who’d signed away our marriage without looking.
“Isabelle ” He stood when he saw me approaching. “Thank you for-”
I’m not here to talk,” I interrupted. “I’m here to make something clear. We’re done. Finished. There is no conversation to be had.”
“Belle, please. I know I made mistakes-”
6
“Don’t call me Belle. That woman doesn’t exist anymore.”
“You’re my wife.”
“I was your wife. For approximately forty–eight hours after you signed the divorce papers. They’re final now. Legal. Binding.”
“I didn’t know what I was signing!”
“That’s not my problem. You should read documents before you sign them. Didn’t your expensive MBA teach you that?”
He flinched. “I know who you are now. The Moretti family-”
“You don’t know anything. You know a name. A fortune. You still don’t know me.”
“Then let me know you. Let me try again.”
+45 Coins
I laughed. Actually laughed. “Try again? Marcus, you had five years to know me. You chose not to. You chose to see me as your assistant, your
secretary, your convenient wife who managed your calendar and made your life easier. You never once asked about my life, my dreams, my thoughts on
anything that mattered.”
“That’s not fair-”
“What’s not fair is that I gave you everything. My connections, my expertise, my family’s resources–all carefully disguised so you could feel like the
self–made man you desperately wanted to be. I built your empire, Marcus. And you handed me a $3,000 necklace on our anniversary while giving
Victoria a $3.2 million ring.”
The color drained from his face.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Or did you just not care?”
“Victoria means nothing to me now. I see that. I was confused, 1-”
“You weren’t confused. You were exactly where you wanted to be. With her. You made your choice.”
“I made the wrong choice.”
“Yes. You did. But that’s not why I’m leaving you.”
He looked startled. “Then why?”
“Because you never chose me at all. Not really. You chose the idea of me. The useful wife. The silent partner. The woman who made you look good. But you never saw me, Marcus. And I’m done being invisible.”
I turned to leave
“Your company is failing,” he called after me desperately. “Without you, I don’t know what to do. The investors are asking questions, deals are falling through-
I looked back at him. “Good”
“Good?”
“You wanted to be self–made. Now’s your chance. Make it without me.”
6
“Isabelle, please. I need you.”
+45 Coins
“You need a strategic advisor. Hire one. You need someone to manage your investors. Hire someone. You need a wife who’ll worship you and make you feel important. You have Victoria for that.”
“I don’t want Victoria. I want you.”
“You want what I can do for you. That’s not the same thing.”
“That’s not true!”
“Isn’t it?” I stepped closer to the gate. “Tell me, Marcus. What’s my favorite book? What do I do when I can’t sleep? What’s the one thing I’ve always. dreamed of doing but never told anyone?”
He stared at me, mouth opening and closing.
“You don’t know. You never asked. In five years of marriage, you never once asked me about myself. You just assumed I existed to support you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. But sorry doesn’t change five years of neglect. Sorry doesn’t erase the fact that you chose her, over and over, every single day.”
“Let me make it up to you. However long it takes.”
“It’s too late, Marcus. I don’t love you anymore.”
That stopped him cold.
“I loved you once,” I continued quietly. “Desperately. I would have done anything for you. I did do everything for you. But you killed that love, slowly, one dismissal at a time. And now there’s nothing left.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Believe what you want. It doesn’t change reality.”
I turned away for the last time.
“Isabelle!” His voice cracked. “I love you!”
I didn’t turn around. ‘No, Marcus. You love what I was to you. You love the empire I built. You love the idea of having a Moretti on your arm. But you never loved me And I deserve better than that.”
I walked back to the house without looking back.
Behind me, I heard him calling my name, over and over, until security finally escorted him from the property.
Alessandro was waiting in the foyer.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Free,‘ I said.
And I meant it
