Lost In Between

No Longer Mrs. Cooley: The Architect's Return

Xiao Xiaosu

I went to the City Clerk’s office for a routine copy of my marriage license to finalize a trust fund audit. I expected a simple piece of paper, but the clerk’s pitying look told me my entire life was a lie. "The license was never finalized, Ms. Oliver. In the eyes of the state, you are single." The three-hundred-guest wedding at the Plaza and the Vogue features meant nothing. My husband, Gray Cooley, had intentionally filed the documents with a "procedural defect" so he could discard me without a legal divorce. Moments later, an iCloud invite titled "Our Little Secret" popped up on my screen. It was a photo of my best friend, Brylee, holding a positive pregnancy test at our Hamptons estate. Gray’s text to her was the final blow: "Happy anniversary, babe. This baby is the best gift. Once the trust unlocks today, we’re done with the charade." I soon discovered they were even stealing my career, reassigning my architectural masterpiece to Brylee while preparing my eviction notice. Gray's mother called me a "barren mule" in a leaked recording, mocking the infertility I suffered after saving Gray’s life in a construction accident. I wasn't a wife; I was a three-year placeholder used to secure his inheritance. How could the man I bled for treat me like a disposable prop? How could my best friend carry his child while pretending to comfort me through my darkest moments? The betrayal burned until it turned into a cold, hard stone of fury. I didn't cry. Instead, I walked into the penthouse of the Barretts, the Cooleys' most powerful rivals. I signed a marriage contract with Kane Barrett, the man the tabloids called the "Beast of Wall Street." "I want a wedding," I told his father, my voice steady and lethal. "Bigger than the one I had with Gray." If they wanted me gone, they would have to watch me become the woman who owns their world.

Modern Revenge Divorce

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Ava had fun last night.

She decided to let loose after a long week of nonstop work. Her girlfriends from the office successfully convinced her that she needed to unwind. She was stressed and even her makeup couldn't hide the eye bags under her eyes.

She went for a complete spa treatment with her girls; they got massages, manicures and pedicures. After that, they went to the chiropractor to get their bones cracked. Then they got some new dresses and went to the club, where they danced the night away.

Ringggggggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!

Ava grunted as she reached out her hand to the side of her bed, blindly searching for the alarm clock.

"Ugh! Stupid Ava!" She cussed herself out wordlessly before saying, "Siri, turn off the alarm!"

"Okay!" The alarm went off and Ava sat up, mentally cursing herself for having a little bit too much fun.

Her legs were tingling from all the drunk dancing she did all night long. She shouldn't have stayed for that long. But the problem was more of the drinking than the time spent at the club. She didn't even know how she got home.

In the spur of the moment, she went all out, downing shots on shots on shots.

That was a terrible idea.

Her head was throbbing. It felt so heavy on her body that she wanted to just throw it off.

She grumbled as she got off the bed, zombie-walking into the bathroom where she got ready at a painstakingly slow pace.

She was still kind of drunk from the previous night which ended about three hours ago, and she had a hangover at the same time.

She finally got ready, knowing very well that she was running late, but she was the CEO, she could afford a little late coming.

She dressed up in a plain black dress, stopping just above her knees, and hugging her figure rightly. She did her makeup lazily; anyone could tell she didn't put much effort into it, unlike regular days.

She wasn't stable enough to wear heels, and her legs were still hurting, so she opted for flats instead. She couldn't be bothered with how her hair looked today, so she just brushed through the curls, unlike her regular straight hair look.

She gathered everything she would be needing and locked her room.

She was already tired and the day had barely begun. She took the elevator down to the ground floor where she was met with the security guy, Gary.

Gary was a buff guy with a mullet, still living in the 90's, but he was really friendly to everyone in the building, so they didn't mind his ancient ways.

"Good morning, ma'am Ava, trust you had a good night." He winked at her. "I know you sure did from the way you walked in the building. Luckily, I was the only one here and I helped you get to your apartment. No need to thank me by the way." He winked again.

Ava wasn't in the mood to chitchat, but what the hell happened last night that she had to be lucky he was the only one there?

"Um… Gary, what do you mean by ‘luckily’?" She cocked her head and raised a brow.

"You don't remember, ma'am?" He laughed heartily. "You got jiggy with it last night! I'm positive you had a crunk from how knocked out you came into the building early this morning."

"Really?" Ava asked, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

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