Chapter 1

I was born a perfectionist.

From maintaining a flawless GPA growing up, to holding myself to the highest standards, I made sure I was in peak condition every single day before stepping out the door.

When it came to marriage, I chose Julian Vance, the man everyone hailed as the perfect husband.

On our first wedding anniversary, Julian, a man who was never late, kept me waiting for two hours.

When he finally walked in, I spotted a distinct, dark red smudge of barbecue sauce on his crisp white shirt.

I knew right then. The woman he had never truly let go of was back.

Before I could even utter a word, Julian ripped off his tie and snapped, "Avery, I know what you’re about to say. Can’t you just let me breathe for once?!"

I slid off my wedding ring, placed it on the table, and gave him exactly what he wanted: complete and total freedom.

Seeing my reaction, Julian grew even more irritated. "Avery, it was just dinner! Why do you have to be so damn wound up every single day?"

"Look at you! From your head to your toes, every single strand of hair screams effort!"

"You're polished, pristine, utterly flawless!"

"And it exhausts me!"

I hadn't said a word. A single glance from me was all it took to trigger his unprovoked tirade.

I looked down at my bespoke designer suit. He had clearly forgotten.

Today wasn’t just our anniversary; it was the day the contract with Apex Global was supposed to be finalized.

I had reminded him days ago, but it had slipped his mind entirely.

I stood up. "Julian, save your breath for the board of directors."

"Since you find me so suffocating, consider yourself free. Go be with Chloe."

My words caught him off guard. A flicker of rage crossed his face. "Avery! All this just because I was late?!"

"Yes. Because you were late, the Apex Global representative pulled the plug on the deal."

"Are you happy now?"

Julian’s face drained of color.

Only then did the gravity of today hit him.

"I..."

He stepped toward me, reaching out to pull me into a hug, but I took two steps back. "I'm exhausted. Do whatever you want."

I left the ring resting on the table.

After changing into comfortable clothes, I massaged the tension from my temples. My phone buzzed—it was my father.

"Julian isn't coming home tonight? You two have only been married for a year. What the hell is going on?"

"Dad, it was an arranged marriage. Did you really expect him to be deeply in love with me? I've put the Apex representative up at our hotel. Since the Vance family dropped the ball, we’re taking the deal for ourselves."

My father caught on immediately, his tone softening. "Understood. I'll reach out to them right now. Get some rest."

I hung up and lay in bed. Moments later, Julian walked into the bedroom.

The mattress dipped under his weight, and his arms wrapped around my waist.

"Babe, I'm sorry. Today was my fault."

His hands began to wander restlessly over my body. I pushed him away. "Julian, I'm tired."

I turned my back to him. His hands froze, and his voice hardened with annoyance. "Alright, that’s enough!"

"Avery, I literally just grabbed a bite to eat! I'll head over to Apex first thing tomorrow morning. You don't need to give me the cold shoulder!"

"You act like a wooden doll every damn day!"

He threw his hands up and slammed the door as he stormed out. I looked at the confirmation screenshot of the signed contract on my phone and let out a soft laugh.

Tomorrow?

The ship had already sailed.

I closed my eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Julian was humiliated when Apex flatly turned him away. Out of the blue, he invited me to lunch.

It worked out well; I intended to have a serious talk with him anyway, so I accepted.

As I reached the private dining room, a bright, bubbly voice drifted through the door: "Oh, come on, why do you only eat this fancy stuff? I want fried mac-and-cheese bites and a boba smoothie!"

"Julian, try it! Stop being so uptight!"

"I honestly don't know how people like you survive, walking on eggshells twenty-four-seven!"

"Wait... since I’m here, is Avery going to be mad?"

Julian scoffed. "Order whatever you want. Avery is like a piece of wood. Just looking at her drains my energy."

"It's so much easier being around you."

"Right? Told you so! Did she throw a fit because you didn't go home last night? Did she finally act like an actual human being?"

So, she had kept him out on purpose.

I pushed the door open. The chatter inside abruptly died. Aside from the two of them, a few of Julian’s close buddies were seated at the table.

Seeing me, they greeted me awkwardly.

"Hey, Avery!"

"Have a seat, Avery, we were just waiting on you."

I gave a polite nod and sat down next to Julian. To his left sat Chloe.

When Chloe saw me, a smug, knowing look flickered across her face. She exchanged a glance with Julian and giggled behind her hand.

"Is something funny?" I asked coolly.