Chapter 5

Life without Ethan felt... quiet.

Without him, time slowed down.

He left me the house, the car, and even our joint savings—as if he wanted to make a clean break. I didn’t feel sorry for him; he still had his company, his success, and most of all, her.

With Summer back in his life, why would he care about material things?

Recovering from a broken leg gave me plenty of time to reflect. For years, my entire world had revolved around Ethan. Even my career was built around supporting his. I had been so consumed by him that I forgot I was once an ambitious, top-tier graduate with dreams of my own.

As my leg healed, I began sending out résumés, determined to start over.

By the time fall rolled around, I was ready to move forward.

One crisp autumn afternoon, as I lounged in my rocking chair by the window enjoying the golden sunlight, I received an email.

It was an invitation from Simon Crane.

Simon Crane—Ethan’s biggest business rival.

Over the years, I’d crossed paths with Simon countless times while working alongside Ethan. He was sharp, disciplined, and utterly relentless—a man who seemed more like a machine than a person.

I couldn’t imagine him wasting time mocking me, but still, I hesitated.

After three minutes of deliberation, I replied, accepting his offer.

When Simon arrived to pick me up, his reaction to my slight limp was immediate. His sharp eyes widened in surprise.

“It’s been a few months, Annie, and now you’re... disabled?”

“Just some lingering effects of a broken leg,” I said casually, brushing it off with a smile. “Shouldn’t you be doubling my salary now that I qualify as a disabled hire?”

He smirked. “You’ve got a good attitude.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I replied smoothly.

“It was.” His gaze caught the autumn sunlight, his dark eyes glinting like polished obsidian.

I studied him for a moment. The sharp features, broad shoulders, and tapered waist—he was the very definition of unfairly attractive. It was no wonder women fell for him in droves.

“Now I see why so many women practically throw themselves at you,” I teased with a grin.

Simon raised a brow as he helped me up the steps. “And yet, you’re not one of them?”

I chuckled, accepting his assistance. My leg still gave me trouble, and climbing stairs was a challenge.

“Let’s be honest, Simon. How many times have we gone head-to-head over business deals? I’ve spent years wanting to tear you apart.”

He laughed—a rare, genuine sound. “Fair enough.”

When we reached the top, I turned to face him, my expression serious.

“Why did you send me that invitation?” I asked. “Be honest.”

He didn’t look like he was here to gloat or mock me. But still, I couldn’t shake the suspicion that he had ulterior motives. Did he know about my divorce? Was he planning to use me to get under Ethan’s skin?

To my surprise, Simon’s answer was simple and sincere.

“Annie, you’re a talented woman,” he said, his tone steady. “I respect your abilities. That’s why I invited you.”

His words caught me off guard.

Before I married Ethan, I had dreamed of building something of my own—a business, a legacy. But those dreams had been buried the moment I saw an opportunity to win Ethan’s love.

I had thrown myself into his world, willingly becoming the woman behind the man, sacrificing my ambitions for his.

Now, standing in front of Simon, I felt something stir deep inside me.

It was time to stop living for someone else.

It was time to stand on my own again.

“Alright,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Let’s get to work.”