Love and other words

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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The invitation sat on my kitchen counter like a ticking time bomb.

I had been staring at it for the past fifteen minutes, coffee in one hand, dread curling in my stomach. My best friend, Emma, had sent it weeks ago, but I had ignored it, hoping that if I pretended it didn't exist, I wouldn't have to face the inevitable.

Now, time was up.

"You better not be thinking about skipping out on my wedding," Emma's voice rang in my head from our last phone call. "I don't care how awkward it is. You're my sister, and I need you there."

Awkward was an understatement.

Because while I was genuinely happy for Emma, her fiancé wasn't just anyone. He was Andrew . The best friend of my ex-husband.

Which meant there was no avoiding Lucas Montgomery.

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. It had been three years since I last saw him, three years since I signed the divorce papers and walked away from the life we had built together. I had spent every minute of those years convincing myself that I was over him. That I had moved on. That I didn't care.

So why did the thought of seeing him again make my hands tremble?

Shaking my head, I picked up the invitation, running my fingers over the elegant gold lettering. Emma& Andrew request the honor of your presence... The date was two weeks away, and the location was the last place I wanted to go-our hometown.

I had left that town for a reason.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I set my coffee down and walked over, expecting my neighbor or maybe a package delivery. But when I opened it, my stomach dropped.

Standing on my doorstep, looking just as devastatingly handsome as he had all those years ago, was Lucas Montgomery.

"Hello, Claire." His voice was smooth, deep, too familiar. His gaze flickered over me, something unreadable in his stormy blue eyes.

I gripped the doorframe to keep myself steady. "Lucas," I breathed. "What are you doing here?"

A smirk played on his lips, but there was something else beneath it. Something cautious. "Emma sent me."

Of course, she did.

"She was worried you might need a little... encouragement," he continued. "So she asked me to make sure you don't back out of the wedding."

A sharp laugh escaped me. "And you agreed?"

"I owed her a favor."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but before I could respond, he leaned against the doorframe, his expression shifting.

"But between you and me," he added, his voice lower, "I wanted to see you."

My breath caught.

Three years. Three years of silence, of pretending we were strangers.

And now, just like that, Lucas Montgomery was back in my life.

And I had no idea if I was ready for it.

I wasn't ready for this.

Not for the way Lucas looked at me, like I was still someone who mattered. Not for the way his presence stirred something deep inside me-something I had spent years trying to bury.

I tightened my grip on the door, keeping my expression neutral. "You wanted to see me?" I echoed, my voice calm despite the storm brewing inside me.

Lucas studied me for a long moment, his gaze unreadable. Then, with a slow nod, he said, "Yeah. It's been a while."

Three years. A thousand days. A lifetime.

"I figured we could catch up," he added, shifting his weight. "Talk."

Talk. The last time we had spoken, our words had been like knives, cutting too deep to ever fully heal. I had told myself there was nothing left to say, no unfinished business. But now, standing here with him, I wasn't so sure.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I finally said, stepping back. "Thanks for stopping by, but I have a lot to do."

Lucas didn't move. His gaze flickered over me like he was memorizing every detail. "Are you really planning to skip Emma's wedding?"

I exhaled sharply. "I haven't decided yet."

"You mean you've already decided, and you're looking for an excuse to back out."

I clenched my jaw. He still knew exactly how to push my buttons.

Lucas tilted his head, his voice quieter when he spoke again. "Emma wants you there, Isla. Don't let whatever's between us stop you from showing up for your sister."

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