The Secret Life Of My Billionaire Ex-Wife

Lexi stared at the clock on the kitchen wall, watching the seconds tick by, the silence pressing down on her. Ryder was late-again. He had promised to be home early tonight, something about needing to "make up" for how much he had been working lately. She had tried to convince herself that was all it was, but the late nights, the evasive answers, the unfamiliar perfume she'd caught on his shirt last week... it wasn't hard to put the pieces together.

The door finally opened and when she turned, it was her husband Ryder. She had gone over what she would say and how she would say it, a thousand times in her head but now he was here, the words were too heavy for her to speak.

"You're late" she managed, her voice tight as she said to him. He shrugged, his eyes barely meeting hers as he tossed his jacket onto the couch, "I told you I would be late he said" as she sighed looking at him with disappointment in her eyes and said "No! you told me you would be back early, I stayed up all night, I haven't had dinner because I was waiting for my husband to come home so I could eat with him. Everyone is fast asleep and here I am, up waiting for you like I have been doing for the past week and today, you told me that you would be back early but no, here you are late again".

He ran a hand through his hair, looking more annoyed than apologetic. "I'm tired. Can't we save this for another time?" She swallowed, feeling that familiar ache in her chest. They had been together for years, but lately, it felt like she didn't know him at all. "Ryder, are you... seeing someone else?"

He stilled, eyes narrowing. "Where did you get that idea?" She stared at him with hurt in her eyes as he said to her, "There is no one else, But if I am honest, maybe I do need someone else, Maybe someone who isn't constantly questioning me every time I come home late. Lexi felt like the ground had ripped open from under her, the weight of his words, the coldness in his eyes, she didn't know this man, she didn't recognize this man who was standing in front of her.

Before she could say anything, footsteps echoed down the hall, and in walked Ryder's mother, Veronica Tanner, her face twisted into a scowl when she saw Lexi as she asked "What's going on here? Her gaze flicked from her son to Lexi. "Nothing mom" Ryder muttered looking away.

Veronica knew something was definitely wrong and her son was trying to save Lexi from her wrath as she turned to Lexi and said to her "My son goes to work every day working so hard to try and provide you a good life and when he gets home, he can't even have some peace and quiet, I look at you and I honestly don't know what he saw in you wretched girl"

Lexi was so used to her taunts as she said to her "Veronica, all I was asking is for him to be honest with me". "Honesty" Veronica scuffed as she said to her "You should be grateful my son even chose you, you come from...well, nothing. Look around you", she gestured at the elegant room, the family portrait on the wall, the luxury that Ryder's family was known for "This isn't your world, you don't belong here and you don't deserve any of this. You are only good for the dishes, cleaning the house and doing the laundry".

Lexi was so used to hearing all these, but each time she has to hear it again, it feels like the first time, and it always leaves her in tears. Ryder's family had welcomed her into their lives with polite smiles and silent judgment but once the wedding was over, their masks fell off and in no time, they made sure to show her how much they disliked her

Like dealing with his mother was not enough, one of his sisters, Chelsea walked in as she asked "What's with all the noise" then she turned and saw Lexi standing there with her head down as she said to her leaning on the counter "You know, I always wondered how long it would take for you to crack. I mean, this lifestyle... it's not for everyone. Especially people who aren't used to... class."

The words sank in, each one cutting deeper than the last. Lexi clenched her fists, fighting the urge to lash out, to let them know exactly how much their sneering hurt. But she knew it wouldn't matter. In their eyes, she'd always be "less than."

Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room, their whispers echoing behind her. She had heard this all before, endured it day after day, hoping that one day, Ryder would stand up for her. But tonight, she realized he never would. She was alone in this marriage.

The days that followed were no different. Ryder's distance only grew, and Veronica and his sisters took full advantage of his silence, treating Lexi as though she were an intruder rather than family. They had critique her cooking, her clothes, her mannerisms, everything about her.

"Lexi, is that what you are wearing?" Brianna, Ryder's other sister sneered one evening at dinner, eyeing Lexi's simple dress with a derisive smile. "You do know we have a standard here, don't you?"

Lexi's cheeks flushed, but she forced a polite smile. "I wasn't aware we had a dress code for dinner."

"Maybe not a dress code, but a sense of decorum wouldn't hurt," Veronica added, slicing into her meal with a pointed look at Lexi's outfit. "One would think, after all this time, you'd have learned a few things about elegance."

Lexi bit her tongue, feeling the walls close in on her once more. No matter what she did, she would never be good enough for them. She was an outsider in her own home, tiptoeing around, afraid to make a single misstep.

The following day, as always, Lexi the maid was done with all the chores at home and then she went to the market to get all they would need for the house and the kitchen. When she got back home, she saw Ryder's car parked in the garage and she was happy but at the same time surprised that he came back home earlier than usual, so she wondered why.

She came in and her hands were sore from carrying the bags she was with, she got all the ingredients needed to make Ryder's favorite meal as she planned to use her cooking as a way to make her way back into his heart, but as she stepped inside, the faint sound of laughter reached her from the living room as she went there looking at all of them seated laughing.

Then Ryder noticed her and so did the rest of the family and their laughter quieted, then she looked at the beautiful lady seated by her husband, Sophia, her long hair perfectly styled, her dress, from the best designers and a smile that was both sweet and pointed.

"Oh! Lexi, you are back, meet our new sister-in-law to be Sophia" Lexi didn't quite understand what that meant as she knew Ryder had no brothers, then she looked at Ryder and his expression explained it all, her heart pounded and the bags in her hand slipped. She turned to Sophia as she had this mock sympathetic expression on her face while she looked at Lexi, then she smiled and said to her "It's nice to finally meet you Lexi".

Something cold ran down Lexi's spine, a chill that seemed to numb her from the inside out. Her mouth opened, but no words came. Instead, she looked to Ryder, hoping-praying-that he would say something, explain, anything that would make this make sense.

But he didn't. His eyes shifted uncomfortably, and he looked away, clearing his throat.

"Lexi..." Ryder finally spoke, his voice low, as if he could soften the blow. "I... I think it's time for us to move on. This... this hasn't been working for a while, you know that."

She felt the ground open underneath her feet as she watched him reach out to his coat and then he brought out a perfectly folded document and handed it over to her. Her vision blurred but she saw it as clear as day, the divorce papers, the formal end to the life she'd poured everything into building.

With so much hurt and pain in her heart, she looked at the paper as tears rolled down her cheek as she said to him "I thought we could fix this, I want to fix this, please Ryder, don't throw three years of our lives away because of a fling. I love you Ryder and I know you love me too, please give our marriage a second chance".

He stood there silent as he looked at her, and she had her answer. She looked at him with pain in her eyes wondering where the man she once loved is, the man who promised her forever, she tolerated all the taunts from his family, became their slave, cooked, cleaned, did the Laundry all for what.

She threw the paper on the floor as she held his hand looking him deep in his eyes as she said to him "Please Ryder, don't do this, we've been through so much together, I have been through so much for you, tolerated so much just because I loved you, is this how it is going to end for us?". Sophia stood up as she walked up to them and pulled her hand away from Ryder's holding it instead and then she said to Lexi with a smile on her face in a very condescending manner, "Oh! sweet heart, I know this must be hard for you, but you see Ryder here" she said as she caressed his face, "My honey here has moved on from you. You are his past and I am the future, he needs someone who fits into his life and status and you my dear are nowhere near that.

Ryder's family smiled as for once they didn't have to dirty their hands, they just let Sophia put Lexi in her place.

The words hit Lexi like a slap, the arrogance and cruelty in Sophia's voice slicing through her. She looked at his sisters, who smirked, their expressions openly mocking, reveling in her pain. And finally, she saw Ryder's face-his discomfort, the hint of regret, but nothing that looked like love. Nothing that looked like a man fighting to keep her.

And then, something inside Lexi broke. The sadness, the humiliation, it all transformed into a cold, steely calm. She straightened, feeling a sudden clarity, a reminder of who she was-of the sacrifices she had made, the life she had left behind to be with this man.

"All this time, I thought I wasn't enough," she began, her voice steady now, cutting through the smug silence around her. "I sacrificed everything for you, Ryder. I left my family, my life, my dreams, thinking you'd be my family, my forever."

He looked away, but she didn't care anymore. She wasn't speaking for him. She was speaking for herself.

"I gave you my loyalty, my love, my life... and this is how you repay me?" She let out a hollow laugh, feeling the weight of every sleepless night, every tear, every betrayal. She slipped off her wedding ring, holding it up for a moment before flinging it at him, watching as it bounced off his chest and fell to the floor.

Ryder flinched, his gaze momentarily flickering with something close to regret.

"You didn't defend me. You let your family humiliate me, tear me down, all while standing beside her." Her gaze flicked to Sophia, who was watching with an amused smile. "And Sophia," Lexi continued, a wry smile tugging at her lips, "I almost feel sorry for you. You claim to be the only daughter of the Hart family?"

Sophia blinked, caught off guard for the first time, her expression faltering. Lexi saw the lie for what it was and felt a surge of pity. The only daughter of the Hart family... it was a title that belonged to her, a birthright she'd walked away from to be with Ryder. And now, watching him stand there, helpless and small, she knew she'd made a terrible mistake.

But no more.