Chapter 5

The moment Vivian Hartley sacrificed her career opportunities for Serena Whitmore, she thought it would settle the unspoken debt between them.

But life had other plans.

Serena didn’t just take the career—she took Adrian Blackwood’s heart as well.

As Serena’s star rose in both love and work, Vivian was left with nothing but regret. She had been so consumed by love that she neglected everything else. Now, she had neither.

Tears burned down her cheeks as she reflected on the past two years. What a waste.

If she could go back, she would never have let herself fall so recklessly for Adrian’s charm.

Never again.

A sharp buzz from her phone snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Ms. Hartley, the revised copyright contract is ready. Please review it for any discrepancies."

Vivian stared at the PDF file attached to the message, her pulse quickening.

Under the pen name Vivian Hartley, she had once been a promising screenwriter, selling scripts for quick cash in her early days.

Back then, she had been desperate—her grandmother’s medical bills had been suffocating.

But now? Those same scripts had become blockbusters, turning her pseudonym into something sought after.

By the time she married Adrian, the financial struggles were behind her. She had settled into domestic life, determined to be the perfect wife.

Her identity as Vivian Hartley had faded into the background.

Until now.

A buyer had recently approached her, offering a staggering sum for one of her old scripts.

She had hesitated at first, raising concerns about the contract. To her surprise, they had revised it exactly as she requested.

Now, holding the finalized document, she took a deep breath.

A decision had been made.

Her fingers flew across her phone screen, typing out a message with cold precision.

"Draft a divorce agreement under my terms. Deliver it to Adrian Blackwood at the Blackwood Group."

Without waiting for a reply, she tossed her phone aside and limped toward the bathroom, each step heavy with resolve.

Thirty minutes later, she finally dragged herself out of the bathtub, her limbs numb.

But her mind?

Sharper than ever.