Divorce To Marry a CEO

Chapter 1: The Emerald Cage

Sophia was scrolling through her phone when it buzzed with an incoming call from her younger brother.
"Hello Ethan, is Mom okay?" She asked, worried.
"Hey, Soph, Mom is okay for now, but the doctor said the surgery can't be delayed any longer. What should we do?" Her brother's voice came, and she could tell how worried he was.

Sophia panicked too, but still managed to compose herself. "How many days do we have to schedule for the surgery?" She asked.

"We have 3 days, or Mom can't make it past that. Soph is Marcus not going to help Mom?" he asked, his voice hopeful.

"I'll try to talk to him again. Don't worry Ethan, we will find a way." She comforted her brother even if she didn't know how they could raise the money.

After ending the call, she stood at the massive window of Marcus' villa, looking out over gardens so pristine and endless they looked surreal. The perfectly trimmed hedges and the sparkling marble walkway all screamed of wealth and power. But to her, it was all just a beautiful cage, mocking her emptiness.

This was Marcus' house, not hers. Three years of marriage, and yet she felt like little more than a fixture, as untouched as the pricey paintings on the wall. Their marriage had never even been consummated. Marcus, once eager and affectionate, now hardly even looked at her.

Back when they were dating, he had tried to be close, to get intimate. But Sophia, raised with strict values, had always insisted on waiting until marriage. Now, after three cold years, she couldn't help but wonder if that choice had cost her everything.

Pushing aside her thoughts, she went to look for him. She wanted to try again to ask for his help with her mother's surgery. She knocked on his study door, trying to brace herself for what she knew would be a difficult conversation.

"Marcus, can we talk?" Her voice was tentative, but there was a thread of hope in it.

He looked up from his laptop, his expression already irritated. "What is it, Sophia? I'm busy. If it's about your mother, I already said I don't have the money. Our company is undertaking a very important project and we can't afford to withdraw a large amount of money"

Sophia swallowed hard, trying to suppress the pain she felt in her heart. It was clear that whether her mother survived or died didn't matter to him at all.

She bit her lower lip before changing the topic. "Then can we talk about our marriage? It's falling apart, Marcus." She held onto the doorframe to keep herself steady.

He scoffed, barely sparing her a glance. "Sophia, I don't have time for this right now. We'll talk later."

"Later?" Her voice rose, frustration spilling over. "It's always 'later' with you! I can't do this anymore. You're never here, and when you are, it's like I don't even exist."

He turned back to his screen with a dismissive wave. "Enough. This conversation is over."

Her heart sank, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She turned and closed the door behind her quietly, retreating to her bedroom. Dinner time came and went; he didn't bother to show up, just like every other night.

She left for the kitchen. She needed something to eat despite everything.
She stood in the kitchen, her gaze distant as she poured a packet of noodles into the pot. Steam rose, filling the air with a faint, savory aroma that hardly registered. She absently stirred the simple, repetitive motion offering a kind of solace in her whirlwind of thoughts.

Was this marriage worth fighting for?

She'd asked herself that question countless times, and each time, her heart twisted painfully, reminding her of all the hopes and promises that had brought her to this point. She thought back to those early days with Marcus, back when everything felt so... possible. She'd been so young and sure of the life they would build together, one that would be filled with love, trust, and a genuine partnership.